Meeting Marc …. In Real Life!

Well, you’ve probably guessed by now that I have been away for a few days in London, my main reason for going was to met Marc, who you all know from this blog, in “person” and in “real life”,  with the added bonus of a trip to the Olympics as a wonderful surprise from my sister, Jan.

Now, I don’t have a picture of me and Marc, so you’ll make do with a picture of me and Alistair Campbell instead, who I am afraid I accosted at Olympic Park!  He has been my “guilty” pin up pleasure for years … and when I saw him walk past, eating his Magnum, incognito, I knew that if I didn’t do something, I would always regret it, so I chased after him ….. what am I like?  All I can say is that I swooned like there was no tomorrow,  he was even more gorgeous in real life than his pictures and on TV  (and very tall and slim, and beautifully dressed) and he was also polite, lovely and kind ………. I am an even bigger "fan" now …. you can’t tell by the picture but I was just like a jelly!!!

…. Anyway back to Marc …..  we were both a little nervous about this first meeting even though we text, email and phone regularly ….. and it was so silly because as soon as I walked into the pub and saw him sat sitting there waiting, we instantly "loved" each other even more than we did before …. and for the rest of the day we never stopped talking crafts and monkey’s and laughing …..

After a cheeky shandy Marc took me on a guided tour of Portobello Road and in some of the vintage clothes shops … OMG, OMG, OMG!  There and then I was determined that the diet HAD to start that second (well, after our evening meal at least!) …. as I wanted ALL the clothes! Marc could look at all the stitching and bead work and say when and how they were made, there is nothing he doesn’t know about fashion and design …. but unfortunately for me vintage rarely comes in a large!! So I am now shedding the pounds with vengeance and then Marc and his friend Stephane (below, who is equally lovely and so fascinating to look at and listen to) are going to take me shopping for part of my vintage Las Vegas wardrobe …… a la Gok Wan.

While we were in one shop I spied an old school satchel but was a little apprehensive as to what they might want for it …. knowing that London prices can be a bit steep …. but when the girl said £6 and Marc beat her down to £5 it was mine …. Marc bought it for me …. what is he like?

The stitching was coming undone in places and I've since fiddled with it some more, as the picture shows, but, it’s nothing I can’t fix.  I was thrilled because I had been eyeing up satchels in all the shops but the prices were just silly for reproductions.  This is the real thing ….. it just needs a bit of TLC, and a good clean … I could alter it …. but it is, what it is ….. and after a little thought I think it should stay exactly as it was meant.

Marc also took me to see other shops that blew my mind, including a jewellery shop that was so crammed with over the top jewels that I must have sounded like a stuck record ….it was a shop stacked to the ceiling with objects of desire!
Then Marc took me Stephane’s home for a little light lunch …. I have always wanted to see inside one of those huge typical white London type houses ……

…. and again …. all I can say is OMG, I was so not disappointed  and then reflected on how very different it was from my own humble dwelling in Wolverhampton ….. it was like another world …. but a world I could very comfortably fit into!!!!!!! LOL …. but practically you have to think of all the housework …. I’d have to have a vacuum cleaner on each floor and would have to no longer be such a stranger to Mr Sheen!

Marc also gave me some lovely presents …..

He knows I have a thing about skulls (??) and thought this stunning pink and very heavy skull money box was very me …. we both think should be embellished with a copious amount of  flat backed gems …. so watch this space ….

There was a new mug and coaster for my desk at work, when I go back in September, filled quails eggs …. I’m not going to eat them …. they are too beautiful …. but have put them in a nest I already had in my craft room.

…. and a solar powered waving Queen …. which is now sitting on my kitchen windowsill…..waving ..... so funny!!!  What can I say?

We ended a perfect day with a wonderful meal in a lovely Italian restaurant, with Marc, Stephane and myself and then joined by Rick, Marc’s partner and my sister Jan, fresh from a shift as a Games Maker at the Olympic Park. 

On meeting The Boys:- Monkey, Darrell, Vinnie and Nigel for the first time Rick’s face lit up and he said that it was like meeting Bagpuss or someone from Poggles Wood! I know I keep saying it, but it really was a wonderful day, and I am afraid tears were shed when it was time to say goodbye …… I always knew how special Marc was …. but he’s even more special and precious to me now, as too are Rick and Stephane Life has been so sad of late …. and I have another hard weekend ahead of me soon, but life is for living ……and I know there will be many more happy visits to come.