The Plinth Part 3

The trip on the Cherry picker (aka the Teleporter) was one of the most nerve racking things going. I thought I would take pictures from it on my way to the plinth but couldn't find my camera. I had had it in my hand before I got in the cage but didn't have it when in. The security guy went to search for it and then he remembered that I had put it in my suitcase!

I was being accompanied by an official photographer and an O &O operator. The picker started on its journey to the plinth and my twitter friends were walking along beside it. People were waving at me and I attempted to wave back but felt much more comfortable holding on tight to the railing!

It was as the cherry picker started to rise into the air that my nerves really took hold. The wedding smile was glued on but a strange noise was coming from my mouth. I was shaking like a leaf and I started to shiver. My lip was shaking, my teeth chattering and this strange buuuurrrh noise kept popping out. Poor O&O guy kept asking if I was OK and I tried explaining it was nerves. The closer to the top we got the louder and longer the noise got. I was aware of the microphone round my shoulder and wondered what on earth they would make of the noise at home. It hadn't dawned on me that they were already listening!

The lady on the plinth before me had been painting and I had to wait for her to bring her bits into the cage before I could leave. A pole was placed on the plinth and my suitcase taken on for me. I had promised my family I wouldn't sing on the plinth but started singing to myself and talking to myself in the picker. It was not my fault my microphone was already on.

I took a step onto the plinth and made a statement that I had made it. I'm still not sure who that was aimed at!

Plinth part 2

By the time I returned to Trafalgar Square I was already shaking and laughing with nerves. First port of call was to find @balloonbabboon who had phoned to say she was in the Square near the One and Other hut and was carrying a blue suitcase. A sudden panic that every bugger in Trafalgar Square was going to have a blue suitcase came over me but luckily that wasn't the case!

I found Julie easily so that panic was over. She showed me my balloon fairy and started sticking it on a display box. The box was weighted down with magazines inside so fairy wouldn't blow away. We sat talking but the butterflies in my stomach were making me too nervous to sit. I kept looking at my watch and although it was only 1o'clock and I didn't have to arrive until 1.30 I was itching to get inside. Julie was very calm and walked me round to the door where my bags were searched before I could go in. I left @balloonbaboon outside, with the lovely security lady, making my wings.

My suitcase had been taken in for me and lent against the wall. Having lost it once I was very nervous not to let it leave my side again. Karen booked me in and asked for my i.d. It was in my suitcase and I knew I had an excuse to go and grab it. I sat with my suitcase on my lap whilst we did a few security checks. We spoke about twitter and she said if I wanted to tweet from their computer I could. This evil plan sprang into my mind. I thought I could hijack the @oneandother twitter account and warn the hecklers off but I was so nervous I just declined the offer. I returned to the coffee table to fill in the paperwork.

Diane, the security lady, popped her head round the door and asked if I was ready to have my wings fitted. Very surreal. I filled in the paperwork and went outside to try on my wings. Outside was stood a lady with a camera smiling at me. I had never met her before but knew it was @halfwelshdragon. I'm not a touchy person. A good handshake is all you normally get from me but I found myself hugging this stranger that I knew.

Julie fitted my wings and I had a mini photo shoot outside before going back indoors. Really nice guy then asked me if I wanted to do my interview then. I didn't catch his name, although I wish I had. He took me through into a little room where I sat down to be interviewed by him. We chatted first and he had been on the plinth the day before (He is under the name of Aussie bum if you want to have a look).

The interview was an odd thing too. I was asked why I had applied and various other questions and I found myself smiling and laughing throughout. I( was so nervous I think I had wedding day smile syndrome. I put the smile on outside and it was glued there from that moment on. )
Aussiebum caught me by surprise though. He asked what my hopes and fears were for now and the future. My first answer was 'My fear is heights and I hope I don't fall off' Then I started to think about the question. My mum and her cancer came into my mind.

My fear is that because my mum had cancer my children are more at risk. My hope is that by taking part on the plinth I can raise some money to find a cure for this disease. I cannot protect my family from it and I don't want them to suffer the way my mum did. This is all I can do.

The smile went. I had planned on talking about my Mum on the plinth in detail but that went out the window then too as I knew that that would just bring tears. I wanted to celebrate and have fun on the plinth but get a message across. Crying was not in my plan. I recovered my composure and got ready for my photos. When I was told it was a full length shot I panicked at the state of my shoes! I went and got my balloons to stand in front so nobody could see my feet.

Time was going by quickly now and the colleywobbles began again. I sat back in my seat at the table watching the plinth through the window. Suddenly a gentleman was speaking to me. He introduced himself as ..... and I looked at him blankly. 'You may know me as Myrtle' The relief that I felt when I found somebody I knew was just amazing. I had been talking to Myrtle on twitter and had even made him biscuits which I was promptly shoving into his hands. All the nerves went as he talked me through the cameras and the best way to do things. Unfortunately he had to go but I was pleased that I was going to be in safe hands.

Next the cherry picker guy came to chat. He and the security guy needed to look in the box the balloon fairy was on so cut it open and a pile of wedding magazines fell out. They then struggled to get them back in and stick the box back together. I had planned on blowing up my rabbit at this point but events over took. We had to go outside and have my bags searched again. This time when we went out there was a group of my twitter followers waiting, including @beachhut81. Checks were done and it was time to get on the cherry picker. (The operators didn't like me calling it that though. Apparently its a telescopic something or other) ....

The Plinth part 1

Its been a week since my plinth adventure finished. No, its been a week since I appeared on the plinth but the adventure is far from over!

The week of plinth was manic. So much was going on in my own World that plinth preparation wasn't as organised as it could have been. I love to leave things to the last minute!!!! Part of that wasn't my fault though.

On the Monday Cancer Research UK finally got in touch. They were really looking forward to my plinth stint and wanted to help. They organised sending me balloons, t shirt and banner. Everything was falling into place.

On Tuesday I started to write a list of people I wanted to include in my follow Fridays and put them into categories that I thought summed them up. I had over 200 names on my list so tried to whittle it down. Some were extremely important to me to include so they were first on my list!

I couldn't go without mentioning @beachhut81, @halfwelshdragon @batonabike @mediocre_mum as they were responsible for making me apply in the first place. I had to mention the Watts brothers @danjwatts, @samwattsmusic and @joby2000 . These guys have grown on me so much I consider them family despite having never met them! Its strange what twitter does to you. The plinth hecklers also had to get a shout out, partly as I was now one of the gang and partly in the hope they would be nice to me!

On Wednesday the bits and pieces coming from Ann Summers and Cancer Research didn't turn up and a slight panic began. I met up with @beachhut81 and asked her to write out my names in neat as my writing isn't the best! On my way home from a meeting that evening I popped in and was met with another dilemma. Jane had been experimenting with different ways of displaying twitter names and now I had to decide which to use. So much choice just added to my confusion so I decided to stick with my original plan. I took the sheets home to make a start with the intention of giving it back to her to finish off. I started about 10pm to write out names, a mistake as spelling mistakes were made.

The next day I waited for the post. I continued with my names list in order to distract myself from lack of post. I also baked biscuits to throw from the plinth as well as rock cakes.A parcel van turned up but with only 1 parcel. It was the Ann Summers bunnies and costume. I tried on the outfit, which fitted fine and blew up a bunny. It took 10 minutes to blow up which seemed fine in the comfort of my living room. By now I knew the Cancer Research bits weren't coming. I phoned them up and waited for a call back. The local shop had a T shirt I could borrow and a banner so I jumped in the car and rushed to collect bits before I had to collect kids from school.

I packed my suitcase, located i.d, wrote my notes. Each time I completed something it was put in my case. By now my nerves were really kicking in. I went to bed about midnight and was up at 6am. School days are always manic in my house but plinth day wasn't. I got up and prepared packed lunches, located all shoe, laid out school uniforms and prepared an overnight bag for my son. I got the kids up at 7.30 and they were ready to go by 8am. At 8.30 I drove them to school and handed sons bag to a friend. That's when I discovered I had left lunch boxes at home! Mad dash home, back to school and said my goodbyes.

It was at this point the shakes started. I had 1 1/2 hour drive to my sisters house but I was shaking like a leaf. I drove there planning exactly what I was going to say on the plinth so don't remember the journey. I reached my sister's house and she had forgotten I was coming and had company. She was supposed to be giving me a lift to the station so panic began to set in. Had a cup of tea and paced up and down the floor. Luckily my sister took the hint and gave me a lift. I was so nervous I made her come into the station and buy my ticket for me so I didn't buy the wrong thing. I said goodbye and went to stand on the station. That's when I realised my suitcase was missing!

I had had my suitcase in my hand since arriving at my sisters but it didn't fit on my lap in the car. I had put it on the back seat. For a second I considered going with nothing but me but all my i.d was in the case4. PANIC. I ran back to the car park just as my sister was reaching the traffic lights. Luckily they turned red and I ran. I don't know if I yelled but I do know I ran. She spotted me and realised what was wrong. As I reached the car she was just pulling the suitcase out. I grabbed the case and turned round to see my train just arriving at the station. I ran again!

I was so relieved to sit down on that train. My legs were shaking and my heart pounding. The thought of what had nearly happened was just awful. The train didn't take long to get to Waterloo but by the time it did my stomach was turning somersaults.

I found the right tube and started off again. When I was at university I travelled by tube for 3 years and never spoke to a soul but this day I started a conversation with the lady sat next to me. I told her what I was about to do and she wished me luck! I reached my stop and made my way to Trafalgar Square. First port of call was the plinth. I couldn't hear the girl up there so wandered off. My stomach was turning so much I went to Mc Donalds for chips!

The real preparation then began .....

Ann Summers and the Plinth

I have been an Ann Summers organiser for 15 years and so it is a big part of my life. Every October the company support the Breast Cancer Care campaign. This ties in perfectly with my mission on the plinth. My mum developed breast cancer at the age of 50 but went into remission. 5 years later she died of lung cancer.

By drawing attention to the breast cancer campaign via Ann Summers on the plinth and then leading on to Cancer research for all cancers works well for me. With this in mind I contacted my Area manager who put me in contact with the press office.

Hannah has been brilliant. I have often spoken to customer care, accounts and order line but this was my first encounter with the press office. I told her a brief outline of what I planned, how I was going to suggest Unit Organisers to follow on twitter and how I was going to mention the products we will be selling to raise funds in October.

I wasn't ready for the next question.Hannah casually said " What are you going to wear? Would you consider wearing Pamper Parlour " This is one of the ranges that will be sold to support BCCC . I'm not sure if she could hear the panic in my voice or not. Racing through my mind was 40 , fat and frumpy - not the best way of promoting something. I had always planned on wearing a t shirt with my twitter name on and a link to my just giving site so I explained that and said I would be more than happy to have the outfit on the plinth but not on me!

I emailed all the links and details to Hannah and started to feel even more excited with my plan. As usual my first port of call was twitter to let them know I had been asked to wear an outfit. I had people googling the costume and Americans asking for links to the Ann Summers website! Straight away I said I wouldn't be wearing it but as the day went on my mind began to imagine what I could do.

There are certain friends on twitter who like to play fancy dress Friday instead of doing follow Friday. Now I had a brilliant way of suggesting them as follow fridays and bringing Ann Summers into the conversation and introducing the breast cancer campaign. I could wear my t shirt and then put on Pamper Parlour and remove it again after my talk.

An email then came from Hannah offering me the use of life size blow up Ann Summers bunnies!!!!!! I haven't got the foggiest idea what this is. I obviously know all about Ann Summers battery operated rabbits but blow up bunnies sounds very intriguing, fun and very me! When it says life size I'm not sure if that means rampant rabbit size, fluffy bunny size or bunny girl size. Your guess is as good as mine. To find out though you will have to wait until plinth day!



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