WHAT WE DID!

FRIDAY

1pm - I (Helen B) made my way to the hotel to set-up the TV room. With two car loads of stuff, one sleepy friend and an even sleepier father, we checked in and I was promptly handed several keys on rather large and awkward keyrings (at least awkward when you're carrying lots of them and folders)! Looking at my poor driver (*ahem* father) who still had the second car journey to do, my helper (Kathryn) and I decided to dump all our stuff in the downstairs TV room, to be sorted in a few minutes!

Turning back to the receptionist, however, it was quickly pointed out that some of "my people" had already arrived so I turned to look at the first new faces of the day! Having misjudged their journey time, they smiled at me and I gave up any idea of going to set up the TV room! :-) Instead I sat down with them and gave out the welcome folders, while Kathryn, and newly arrived fellow best friend, Karen, were handed the key and instructed to 'attack the TV room' with the balloons, cutouts, etc! (Photo to come)

Between 1pm and 6pm attendees arrived in *vast* numbers (LOL) and we slowly took over the whole of the reception/bar area. Everyone started chatting easily and it was soon very apparent that we would not have a problem with people getting along!

By 3pm were were secure in the fact that we would be the largest and loudest group in the hotel and we were giving each other knowing looks about the expected noise from the TV room later. We were soon proved wrong, however, as a similarly large, and even louder stag party rolled in. Ah well, we thought, with that lot hitting the town tonight, we'd be able to make as much noise as we wished, and they'd not be able to complain!

The groom-to-be and friends soon sussed that we were a group of women only, and it took us a while to convince them that they really couldn't join us, even if they did promise to dress as Indians! (LOL) The afternoon passed rapidly as we waited for the rest of our full-weekenders by chatting to each other.

At 6pm, confident that the majority had arrived (although we were missing two cars with a total of eight people), we left a message at reception and piled into cars to head to town for the ghost tour! We lost a few peeps on route - something that was to become a regular occurance *g* but they did make it eventually!



Our ghost tour guide had unfortunately gone down with flu, so we had a replacement - which was a bit disappointing cause he wasn't as good! It was, however, a beautiful warm evening, so one seemed to mind too much! We spent the next hour and a half wandering around Chester, taking in some of the buildings and local 'haunts', including the 'Marlbororough Arms' and 'St John's church'. There were not, however, enough ghost stories on our tour, as our guide seemed to spend more time talking about the history than the ghosts - so next year, as a fan of the stories, I'm running the tour!

Still, it was good and it gave us all the chance to chat, see some of Chester and kill ourselves climbing up the steepest cobbled street in Britain! *g* One fun surprise was that we managed to find, and walk through during the tour, a TV shoot for local Soap Opera 'Hollyoaks'. They were shooting for a special late-night episode, on part of the old Roman walls! 19 women and 2 young male actors wearing NOTHING but bathrobes and a cardboard sign convientiently placed - need I say anymore? LOL


After the tour we met up with five of the latecomers (who'd phoned to say they were stuck in traffic) and headed to a typical English pub & restaurant, the Wheatsheaf, for a meal. This was the first chance everyone had to get to know each other and we had a great time. What was especially nice was the fact that people didn't just sit down with those they new, but instead mixed with fellow attendees! Judging from the constant chat and smiling faces, I assume that everyone was getting along. :-)



Refreshed we headed back to the hotel and squished (yes squished) into the TV room - which had been booked when we had only 15 attendees LOL. Somehow the TV room (which couldn't be swapped) also happened to be the smallest room we had *rolls eyes*! Oh well, everyone became very friendly!

With all the weekenders gathered (minus three who'd broken down on route), I gave out the goodie bags, t-shirts etc. Everyone loved them! And gave nods of approvement and happy smiles as they compared things with those closest to them!

Letting the buzz quieten slightly I then gave out, to those lucky enough to have one, the photos signed by Eric and Tony (Mike's hadn't arrived by then as they were stuck in the post). I'd placed them in envelopes and I made everyone wait to open them together (yes, I'm mean). There was an noticable intake of breath when they did open them and I thought everyone was being extremely cool - but apparently they were all in shock! LOL

After explaining to the Mike fans that theirs were 'on route', we all agreed that Mike, Tony and Eric were even more wonderful than we had believed, before we settled down for a night of TV viewing. We started suitably with the pilot - cause several peeps hadn't seen it (joining half way through the ITV airing). I disappeared at one point to meet our stray three who had spent most of the night waiting on the M6 for the pick-up truck and didn't arrive til midnight (poor things)! The tv viewing and chat continued all night, however, with people disappearing steadily as sleep hit them! The final five surivors decided that maybe we should retire for the night at a very respectable 5:30am! LOL

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