The Big Switch On

If you can call it that. Sorry Ely, but it is still very tame compared to the likes of Chatteris which is a smaller town only 20 minutes away. But it's what Ely have and people certainly turn out in their droves for it. Or was it to see singing brother and sister act 'Same Difference' (last year's X-Factor) or fellow X-Factor contestant 80-year-old Cyril Grant?

I went with my Mum, brother-in-law-to-be, eldest nephew and niece. My nephew was so pleased when he realised that Warwick Davis (Willow, Star Wars, Harry Potter and last year's Celebrity Scissorhands) was there and was so desperate to see him on stage. This was impossible as some of those with wheelchairs and pushchairs thought it was their given right to push through to get nearer the front.

Here's where I get on my soapbox, so I'll appologise now. WHAT gives these people the right to shout "wheelchair/pushchair coming through!" and expect the sea of people to part so they can move to the front? In my humble opinion, they should have done what we should have done and got there earlier. What about those who are naturally short due to age or genes? I saw young children desperate for a peek at those on stage and they couldn't see a thing. What would have happened if the adults with them had shouted "small child coming through!"? Not a lot I expect apart from sighs, tuts and people standing so firm that you'd think they were superglued to the floor. Aaaaaaaargh. Sorry, but it just makes me so mad.

Anyway, on a lighter note, The Churches in Ely colaborated and put on a real-life Advent complete with a donkey and camels to give us all something different. Thank you for making such an effort. it was much appreciated.

Once we'd seen that and eaten, we made our way to the stage area which as I've said earlier was heaving with people. But we could hear what was going on and were there with everyone else. At the end, Same Difference and Warwick were signing autographs in one of the offices behind the stage. Yep, we were asked? begged? erm.............. well ................... asked in a way that we could NOT refuse by my nephew that he wanted Warwick's autograph and was it ok if we went over. Hmmm.................. 70 minutes later and we were still about half an hour away from the door. Crazy isn't the word and I found out that several people had jumped a barrier and pushed to the front earlier. All of a sudden one of the officials came out and asked if anyone was there just for Warwick's autograph and not for his and Same Difference. My nephews face lit up and he said "YES", so we were queue jumped and went straight in. Both my sets of camera batteries died just before that, so it was a case of phone camera only, but they have the photos and autographs and that's all they were worried about. To see the look on their faces (his especially) was worth waiting in a long, cold queue for and I'd do it all again if I had to. Just don't tell him that or he'll take me up on it one day!!!! LOL

Photographs of the switch on are on my photoblog. The one's of Warwick aren't as they may be subject to copyright and also have my niece and nephew in, so I'd best not show those. Yes, he was really there and yes, we really did queue for that long.

Would I do it all again? Tough question. I would if someone I liked was there. I'd ignore the rest of the procedings to stand at the front of the crowd right at the beginning and not move, then I'd have someone on the side ready to get near the front of the autograph queue for me to join once I got through the crowd. "BIGGEST FAN COMING THROUGH"!!!!!!!

Thanks for coming to visit.

Take care. Love and hugs