Monday 11 July 2011

...and Emotional.

I wasn't at the tea rooms this weekend.
On Saturday evening I went to see the final Take That concert at Wembley with 83,000 other women and 6 men. Two of whom were the Pet Shop Boys.
I spent Saturday night at my friend Jane's house, then Sunday morning chatting with her and lovely friends over the last ever copy of the News of the World and a latte.
Then I left.
I hadn't driven far when I discovered (cyclist banging on the window) that I had a flat tyre, so I limped to a garage and rang a friend for help. He said he'd get on his motorbike and would be with me in 15 mins.
I waited. Located the spare tyre. Located the jack. Located the silver thing to take the nuts off. Or something.
Then a young man from Essex called Slee (I even asked him to repeat it) strode over:
"The mrs has told me I've got to help," he announced. I thanked him, said I did have help coming but would be grateful if he could start the job as I didn't have a clue (which may have been obvious).
His "mrs", Kayleigh, joined me as we watched Slee work his magic. He'd changed another woman's tyre just two weeks' ago, he said.
Gosh, aren't we women useless, we thought.
Where is my friend? I wondered.
Slee was just finishing putting all the kit back under the thingy in the boot when the motorbike turned up.
Kayleigh gasped: "That's...."
"Adrian" I said, "yes".
Adrian Chiles took his bright yellow helmet off and didn't look too displeased that he didn't, after all, have to change my tyre. Kayleigh shook his hand and smiled. Slee, while waving a hello at him, told me to watch out for my back tyre as well, and then walked off.
Seconds later (and after what I imagine was a brief conversation in their car where the obvious was pointed out) Slee pulled up alongside us, handed through the window a pen and a used envelope to Adrian, said he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed who he was and asked for his autograph. Adrian wrote "To The Good Samaritan" and signed it. Slee jumped out of the car, handed me his 'phone with a smashed screen, and asked if I'd take their picture.
And so it was that two very tall men stood side by side in a car park, beaming.
I wish I had that photo. They were both my hero yesterday.
Thanks Slee, Thanks Ade.

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