We drove down to Minehead on Saturday (17th) (I was up at 5am!) when we got to Butlins we had to phone Emma-Jo (the press officer) to say that we had arrived and so she could meet us. She was really friendly and as soon as she started taking us to our apartment she said "At 4.10 you will be meeting a1, so just before then come to the office and we will whisk you away to the secret location" Now at this point I was giggling so much because I couldn't believe that we were actually going to meet them! (Twice this year!)
When we got in the apartment I decided to get ready to meet them and it was only 11.30! Lol. At about 2.00 me and Kel were getting bored so we decided to go on the fair and come back at half three to get ready again. We went back to the apartment and when we was ready Emma-Jo had called mum's phone and said that a1 were running late with the sound-check so we had to be at the office at 5.05 now! I was going absolutely mad, this whole meeting a1 thing was never gonna happen! We went back to the fair and the amusements and spent a bit of time in there then we went to get ready again! Finally it was 4.55 so we got 2 cameras (1 disposable and the proper 1) and made our way down to the office (and kelly took the cam-corder) mum had to sign the papers saying that we could have publicity shots taken. When we got there, there were about 20 people all there for the meet and greet (I was like grrrrr, I want them to myself!).
We asked if we could take the cameras, etc... and Emma-Jo said no, so mum took them back then we waited and waited and waited. Then Emma-Jo came back in and said take your cameras just in case, and I sighed really loudly and she told me to run back to the Apartment so I did and bought both cameras. We waited and waited and waited again. Then about 6.00 they took the first lot of people out to the people carriers to be 'whisked' away to the secret location! About 10-15 mins later the cars came for the second lot, which was us! At last! There were two other girls in the car with us but they were so quiet. The driver asked us how many times we had seen them (a1) and when I told him he was like 'Oh, so they should know you then?!'I laughed and I was like, 'I wish'. We got out of the cars and walked up the path to the little old pub in the middle of no where in the Butlins site. We walked in and right infront of us was a1 with the other people for the meet 'n' greet.
We had to have some publicity shots taken first with the guys. I tried to squeeze in between Kelly and Paul but it wasn't happening so I knelt on the floor and Kel and another girl did the same too. Paul was funny though, he was going "I love this! People are touching me everywhere!" Lol, we posed and had them took. Then it was our time... We stood up and every member was talking to sum1 so me and Kel felt left out, but then I went to Paul "Hey Paul! Can you sign this?!" And he went "Course I can baby" he signed kel's and I said can I have my picci taken with ya and he said yeah, I gave kelly the camera and while she was taking it out of the case I said to Paul (dont ask me why) "I'll bend my knees a little so you won't feel so short!" and Del and Ben, Mark, Chris, Kelly and Paul laughed! Hehe! Kel tried to take the pic, the camera wasn't working Paul told her to press the button harder but it didn't work. She tried the other 1 (good job we had two cameras!) and took our pic. He kept calling me 'Baby'! Like how they say it in Austin Powers! Christian started to look lost so I asked him to sign my album and postie (before this I left the camera case on the chair thinking I will get it before we go). Had my pic taken with Christian and Kel with him. Then Ben walked round and said "I think I've signed everyone!" and I was like no you haven't! He signed my album and we posed for piccis again, he was looking scrumptious today! Then Ben went over the other side and I said "Mark!" Trying to get him to come over and sign my album but he just went "Hiya!" lol, bless him! Then Ben went back round by Mark and held the camera case up and said whose is this?! and I said mine and then he started telling me off! lol and I said "You sound like my dad!" and he went "I am your dad!" then I went "Ohmigod!" then one of the others said "I'm getting worried about you Ben!" After that I had my picci taken with Mark and he signed the album. Then he asked if I was looking forward to the gig and I said 'yeah, course I am!' Then I said, 'I saw you on Children In Need last night and the new song is wicked!' Ben and Mark seemed really pleased with that and said "So you like it then?!" and I went yeah and they went cheers. Del and the others said we had to go cuz the third lot of people were here. I realised Paul hadn't signed my album he was siging this girls t-shirt and nearly posed for a pic (hard to describe but it was funny) then I said can you sign this quickly for me! He called me baby again! lol
Then we had to go, on the way back we had the car to ourselves and I phoned my mum and said "You never told me Ben was my dad!" We got back at 6.45 and started making our way to the venue for the gig. The stupid steward showed us our seats but on the wrong row! I told kelly we was on the wrong row so we climbed over the chairs in front of us and as I did I dropped the camera and it went through the gap and went on the ground, I was gonna start crying cuz that the pix with a1 on! I went and asked what I had to do and then said leave it until the end cuz I'm not going under there because it might collapse! I was panicking through the first song by Tymes 4 then Kelly was laughing at me and said it would be ok. Then I started singing along to Tymes 4 then AllStars came on and they were good and I was singing along to them. The break came and my mum and dad arrived and my along with the rest of the crowd we chanting "a1... a1!" It took forever before the came on, probably because of techno difficulties. They started with SOBNY Acoustic and no 1 stood up, I did for a bit but I felt left out so I sat back down, then the music to Ready Or Not started up and I always jump up whenever I hear it, so I stood up. Not long the woman behind me told me to sit down, I gave her a dirty look then sat. I couldn't believe it, the crowd were mostly a1 fans and they were sitting down! Grrrrr!
