So in 2019 I purchased 4 platinum tickets to see Queen & Adam Lambert at O2 as a 50th birthday gift for son in law Gary! The original date was June 2020. Along comes covid so that date was rescheduled for 4th June 2021. I initially panicked as that’s our son James 50th birthday and we wanted to fly to the USA and surprise him. It was soon apparent we wouldn’t do either as covid surged again. The date was rescheduled yet again to 17th June 2022!! Although I advised the children the new date somehow it was overlooked and our daughter booked her 50th birthday pilgrimage treck on the Camino de Santiago with the dates clashing! So that was the first problem. I tried changing the dates but there wasn’t any chance! Not to worry granddaughter Aspen will accompany us with her dad. Aspen is suffering from a ulcerated ankle after a long wet rave dancing in unsuitable footwear – taking ages to heal. We are all looking forward to 17th. Hotel overnight and train booked. Two nights to go and I get a call from son in law. He has a burst eardrum and is in great pain. Dubious he will make the concert and granddaughter still can’t wear shoes as foot still healing! Last minute help from sister Celia who will take the tickets from a disappointed Gary & Aspen. Coupled with it being an imminent train strike and possibly the hottest day ever I’m beginning to wonder if the heavens are telling me something. Turned down two invites too! Luckily my sister Celia & her bestie Sharon agree to take the tickets. We travel to London by train, changing at Stratford. When we come out of the station we are surprised to see Celia & Sharon arriving at the same time. We all look at a table and chairs suspended by cables 50 feet above the ground with people eating dinner as we exit the station. We all walk to our hotel and check in. There is a long queue to check in so Celia & Sharon go to the bar and order some drinks. It’s just so hot now around 4pm & 29C so a beer is needed. Roger & I drop our overnight stuff in our room and quickly join the girls in the bar. Celia and Sharon treat us to delicious salads and Roger decided to order champagne. It’s so funny as people keep going to sit outside the bar to enjoy the sun but they soon return to the air conditioned bar! At around 6pm we leave for the O2 building and we are pleasantly surprised to see this is just a few yards from the hotel. I am amazed at the number of people shopping, eating and drinking in the outer area of the arena. We go to the designated area for our ticket and are soon through security and right by the seat. As there is still time to spare we have another bottle of bubbles in the Champagne bar. Well why not! An announcement is made for us to take our seat. We are right at the front of the seated area. We could do with being a couple of rows back to be slightly higher but it is great not to have heads in front of us, just the standing area below. We are blown away by the colours and lasers. Soon the concerts starts, the atmosphere was electric. A huge cheer as the band come on stage and another as Lambert himself appears in his usual loud blingy attire. He has several changes of costume during the performance. While he is changing Brian May & Roger Taylor did a few solos. I am amazed that at his age Brian May can still move his fingers so fast. The whole night was epic. We say night night to the girls who catch the train back to St Albans and Roger and I head for the bar in the hotel for a nightcap. The next morning we pack up and check out after a delicious breakfast. We catch the train to Stratford and head for Westfield for a spot of shopping. This is a tad tiring in the heat and we soon decide on late lunch in a Restaurant with outside space. Sadly there were no outside tables left so we sat inside for our lush lunch. We had the last laugh as it started to rain! We catch the train back to Norwich reflecting on a super 24 hours feeling really sad Gary missed his birthday gift. Better luck next year Gazza.
Liquid Tales 