We decided to meet up on Sunday morning and go through everything we had to say and do a little more research, basically try to be more polished and professional. I sat at home waiting for Dave. It got to about 10.30 and I was starting to wonder where he was, knowing that he was going out for "one pint" the night before I thought the worst. My fears were not lessened when I called Dave's house to hear that he was still in bed. I asked his housemate to let him know I called and he should have been round my house. He called back 20mins later, still drunk after getting in at 6am. I wasn't happy
We got the train down to London from Bristol costing the BBC £137 each. As I think my license fee has just ran out costing less than that I am thinking that I should renew it
They put us up in a fairly posh hotel in shepherds bush a stones throw (1 mile) away from Broadcasting house. It was full of people who seemed to think that people knew who they were, we didn't. It had dubbed its self as a 'green' hotel, the computer Tv was on Stand by, the shower was a power shower, they offered Soya milk and the air con was on all night - I should know that and nerves kept me up.
We got up at 6am both of us as nervous as hell. Had breakfast sent to the rooms because we were too early to have it in the restaurant (never been too early for breakfast anywhere). We knew that we had to be on the Today program and then BBC breakfast or in other words we would have to talk to somewhere between 5-10 million people about allotments.
There was a bit of confusion about the car they sent, I said that I would be happy to walk as it was just down the road. But as I thought the today program was miles away in the Radio theater not broadcasting house we accepted a car, but asked for it to be a 'green' car. A big merc with blacked out windows showed up. Did not seem that green.
We turned up at broadcasting house a mile away. Got ushered into the Today program office area and in walked some tall fella that I recognised a little, not sure who he was still. He walked back into the today studio and we saw John Humphries. We had to wait a while in the 'green room' then we were bought into the studio and told to sit down on this table opposite the tall man and John. They all had computer monitors but john had pushed his over, obviously prefers to work with paper! Sitting there was well strange it was like sitting in the middle of the news. I was going white with fear and feeling a little sick, I looked at Dave in the hope that he was feeling a little better and he was as white as a sheet. Oh dear!
Then we were on and we stumbled though. You canhear it here for another week. John H showed us out afterwards and I got him to sign a copy of our book that I am going to auction for charity after collecting a few more celeb names.
After a second breakfast we went to the TV studio and sat in a room with Dan Cruikshank and Cynthia a woman who was doing a new show about estates. Spoke to Dan as he was looking really nervous, this had the affect of making me feel less nervous. He was very interesting although I could not always hear what he was saying. He looked at the book and seemed to genuinely like it. I got him to sign it too. I told him that Tony Benn drinks loads of water before question time so that he can concentrate on something to keep him alert. He got up and helped himself to some water.
In walked Mark Curry (I think thats his name) the bloke that used to be on Blue peter and Janey lee Grace (radio 2 steve wright and writer of Perfectly natural books) I spoke to her a bit as we have the same agent. MY head was working overtime here and I did not get them two to sign the book, simply as I was unsure who Cynthia was and did not want to ask someone who might just be on for a 'real story' and offend her. Equally I did not want to pass the book over to Mark Curry and Janey and offend cynthia if she was a little bit famous. What an idiot!
Then we were on and sat in this room that looked like a warehouse covered in white paint with a dirty sofa stuck in the middle of it, no camera men just an autocue and stuff beamed onto the wall behind the sofa. All that high tech look is pretty much smoke and mirrors. We were called up to sit on the sofa's and chatted to the lady a little before we were on, she had a temperature first thing apparently but was ok now. The bloke looked up and picked up our book, he said ooh gardening I like that sort of thing. "do you garden" I asked, "no, but I like the idea of it". Wasn't really sure what to make of that.
Then off we went all a bit of blur and it was not until just now as Emma my girlfriend pointed out that I realised we had a few opportunities to plug the site and the book and we did not menton ish!! Ah well, lessons learnt. Will have to make sure we do on ITV west news the next thing we have to do on Thursday.
So thats that, I now tired and trying to make sense of the less then 10 mins of my life where I was famous. I wonder if that means I am owed another 5 mins.
oh god please tell me you're kidding. my mum has it on video....well, she thinks she does. it's actually hidden at the back of my wardrobe. I can't bear to destryoy it though, but this way it stops her bringing it out at family gatherings and prolonging my pain....
