After many disappointing weeks hearing about snow across the country and a third of schools having snow days, I was left feeling hard done by! There was plenty of speculation as to when and if we'd get snow, then the day after term finished, It came!!!
Fighting Talk
A few weeks ago John sound out he had got tickets to watch the live recording of BBC Radio 5Live's Fighting Talk at the NEC in Birmingham (held there ahead of Sports Personality of the Year). I was very excited to see it in action - I do love behind the scenes looks at things! So with snow on the ground, we got to the station and got on the train to Birmingham International. 
I had never been to the NEC before. Fighting Talk was taking place in a Conference Room. Reading the website we were pleased to discover you could walk inside from the train station to NEC, though we did realise they didn't mention just how far the walk would be. And as Simon, the producer-come-wannabe-stand-up-warm-up guy, said, he was surprised any of us had made, not because of the snow, but because he's never walked such a long way in the country while remaining inside a building!! We realised we were on the right track though when the 5Live signs appeared! Our tickets were no guarantee we would get seats, as they give out more than they have expecting people not to come. So we were pleased to arrive just before 10 o'clock and not find too many people waiting! The audience were primarily male, probably in their 20s and 30s. Everyone seemed quite calm and quiet in the bar area we were waiting in. On the way in to the waiting area, they gave us a piece of paper with the the question - who is sports greatest Brummie? or maybe vice versa?? We could fill it in and they used our answers in the golden envelope round!
Doors opened at 10.15am and there was a bit of a dash at that point and we ended up getting seats on the front row, a little to the side. They were awesome! What a close up view of the table we had. There were 5Live bags on the chairs for us with a pen inside - ooh, I do like a freebie!
All of a sudden it seemed, about 10.40, we spotted Collin Murray in the room chatting to the audience on the other side of the room. I felt as terrified as at a Disney character breakfast wondering if he was suddenly going to pop up in front of us and I wouldn't know what to say! Fortunately he didn't! We had fun watching the people busying about on the stage and getting things ready and we wondered who they were.
Then the aforementioned Simon, came to do his warm up act and introduce Collin and generally set up the show. Collin then came on and seemed so at ease which impressed me greatly! They did a 'defend the indefensible' with four members of the audience - apparently to check the sound levels, which I am doubtful of, but like the idea! Collin wrote the questions for them while he was asking them questions and getting to know them which I thought was very clever!!Then with not long to go before 11am - I was getting somewhat anxious - Collin introduced the panellists to us. There had been a change to the publicised ones which didn't really make a difference to us. I didn't really know any of them. John Rawlins was the only one I knew I had heard on fighting talk before. First up was Dougie Anderson who is now one of my favourite people! Then John, then Steve Bunce who scared me a bit in his large appearance and I thought I wouldn't want to meet on a dark street, but then I felt quite warmly to him when the final guest appeared, Bob Mills, who I couldn't look directly at for quite a while as I was so intimidated!
L to R Bob Mills, Steve Bunce, Collin Murray, (John Rawlins not visible), Dougie Anderson
The show was great and very fast paced. I marvelled at the show they put on. Although they all did have notes, they appeared to perform off the cuff rather than read, and they all seemed very intelligent and quick witted people. We did excitedly find a copy of Collin's script after the show which we took home (!) and he did have everything he was to say written down. I liked seeing what happened during the news and sport and travel reports (pic on right). I heard Collin asking through his headphones and looking up at the producer booth what the 'out words of the sport' were going to be, so he would know when to come in - they were Newcastle!After the show finished Collin asked the audience if we'd like some more! So they all just sat there and the microphone went round the audience and they asked questions and answered in ways they wouldn't on air. I thought it was really generous of them to give us some extra!
After the show, some people went up to the desk and asked for autographs. I thought they would be the sort of people that wouldn't really be that keen on the autograph thing, but again they were all so generous. John bravely asked Collin for a photo and he couldn't have been nicer and I think my quick snap turned out great :-)
Now it's snowing!
Time to venture back through the NEC corridors to the station and we could see out the windows how much it had continued to snow and was still doing so. We were ever so lucky with trains. We got to the platform with fingers crossed that there would be trains and within about 5 minutes a train appeared for Oxford that had been half an hour delayed. We got on it and stood. The journey back was slower than normal; there were a few occasions when we were stationary wondering if the train would start again. But it was beautiful looking out of the windows at the white world.
Back in Oxford the snow had continued to fall and we couldn't really believe how deep it now was. We had a novel humous toasted sandwich and a warm cuddle before deciding our next plan of action. We felt cars were too snowed in, so the conclusion was walking.
We layered up extraordinarily. I just kept adding more and John ended up with 8 items of my clothing on! We were in touch with John's parents who were driving a van down from Leicester with things for John's new home. We set out with the plan being John and I would walk down the Botley Road to McDonalds at the end and they would come off the A34 to pick us up before returning to the A34 and round to John's new flat.We (or at least I!) proudly loaded our bag with provisions onto the sledge and trekked off through the snow.
The sledge moved like a dream - it was hard to imagine there was anything on it - I was often afraid things had fallen off! We even had a little go at pulling each other along on it - great fun! Though harder work when the snow was not yet compacted! We did get some funny and some friendly looks! The man in the photo on the right had skis - so then we felt a little inadequate! It was tiring and we were pleased when we reached McDonalds, though confused the doors were locked...Having made it to McDonalds, we could tell that the queue of cars to get on the A34 was just not moving. Phone calls to the transit were made and it was decided it wasn't worth them coming off the A34. So we took some deep breaths and retraced our steps and continues on through town and out the other side up Iffley Road and to John's sister and her husbands house. Boy were we glad when we made it there. Though that is when we discovered I had dropped John's phone so it was back we went hoping to find it - fortunately we did.
Strictly Sleepover
We arrived back at the house at the same time as John's parents rocked up in the van. And that was 15minutes before Strictly Come Dancing Season finale was due to start and John's sister had a fabulous meal prepared for us ready to eat - it was all just what was needed and so good. I really enjoyed how much all of us were into Strictly and how detailed-ly we were discussing it in between the shows. We spent a much needed cosy evening there and though there was slight talk of venturing out, no one was really up for it! We made arrangements for all 6 of us to sleepover! I was lucky enough to get a bed!
Making a home
In the morning we braved getting the transit van out and headed up to the new flat. We unloaded through the snow- quite surreal! Two trips were needed and I was given permission/ I pleaded to stay behind and start unpacking the first load and finding homes for things. I did have a stressful time with valances though!! John's Mum had brought down a fantastic casserole which we all ate together with more unpacking going on.
Carols by Candlelight
In the evening John and I went to the Carol Service at his church. I was thinking lots about the Habs carol services at St Martins in the Fields and feel I am now at the stage in my life where I can enjoy carol services because of the nostalgia they bring from having had to sing in them for years! I also decided during the course of it, that my favourite Carol is O Come All Ye Faithful. And Chris Evans has just said on Radio 2 that that is everyone's favourite!
Happiness
We bypassed the mince pies and mulled wine afterwards and walked back to mine. We went down the route by the river and it was our own wonderful winter-wonderland.
The best weekend ever? I think Colin would give it a Halleujah! Thank you Catherine.x
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