No.29 - Be a member of the audience in a TV show - Part 2

I can now proudly announce that I have completed one of the 40 things that I have to do before I am 40. Pop that champagne bottle, it's time to celebrate!!! Yippee!!! :D

It all started with a usual Thursday morning. Waking up, showering and going to work. The usual morning briefing with my team, checking my emails, a couple of meetings, a cup of coffee, more meetings... then the day became less ordinary. Lunchtime came but instead of wandering into the canteen to eat my packed lunch, this day I changed out of my white uniform, back into my jeans and shirt and jumped into my car. Within an hour I had picked up my friend and was on the road heading for London.

After driving in circles several times when arriving in Hammersmith, we finally found the NCP car park and jumped on the underground tube! For those of you that know me, you know that I have a ritual when visiting London. There is one place that I just simply have to go to first. So, after about an hour of tube hopping (with hindsight,I should have caught the Piccadilly line rather than the Circle Line), we arrived in Covent Garden. A place that feels like home from f home. We headed directly for the nearest out-door Italian restaurant. Unfortunately as I was the driver for the day, I was on diet coke (you can't even begin to imagine how much I wanted a big glass of red wine! lol!). I ordered and devoured a rather delicious spaghetti carbonara whilst we watched the street performers entertaining the crowds.

A couple of hours later, we paid the bill and wandered over to South Kensington and headed for the Royal Albert Hall. Below are a couple of rare photographs of me, both stood outside the impressive structure of the Royal Albert Hall.

It is the kind of building that oozes with grandeur even from the outside. You know you are going to have an amazing time before you even walk through the impressive entrance hall. Drinks were ordered along with our pre-order for the interval drinks (the one I was most looking forward to, as it was going to be alcoholic!). We were soon then greeted by the usherette who showed us to our balcony box.... let the show begin!!

As the show was being filmed for TV, nobody was supposed to take photographs whilst anything was happening. So, I took the opportunity to grab a few snaps from my seat before the fun started. Here are a few that I managed to grab.












Unfortunately, the quality of the pics aren't that great, but hopefully it gives you a flavour of my view. I have also added some of the moments from you-tube of the actual show itself.

The show was a spectacular, surpassing my expectations. The atmosphere was electric, for those few hours I actually felt like I was living somebody else's life. At the end of the day, I am somebody who is more at home in hiking boots and a lumberjack shirt, wading through fields, forests and rivers. However, this night I was dressed in a suit and tie, supping champagne, sat in a very expensive balcony box, listening to some of the worlds greatest opera singers and musicians perform the most beautiful pieces.

So, here endith my first of 40 challenges before I am 40. The purpose of setting myself those said challenges was to broaden my horizons, improve my knowledge of the world, live more, and ultimately enjoy myself. Well, looking back at this first challenge, if all the others are even 5% as enjoyable, educational and fulfilling as this one, I am going to be the happiest person on the planet on the day I turn 40.

The fun doesn't stop here. I am already in mid planning for another couple of challenges. I will reveal more soon!