Backstage Secrets


"Of course I remember!  That attendant was a complete bitch!  She had it in for me the moment I arrived at check-in. Oh, but then the best of it is, we arrive into Heathrow and every one of you rushes off, once your bags have come through, for which I don't blame you, after all, I would have done exactly the same, but I was left there, like a right idiot, without any bags. Not one!  And where were my car keys? Yep, in with my luggage. Oh, that was a fucking nightmare!"

BACKSTAGE SECRETS





"Hey Martha remember the time we were coming back from that gig in Dubai and you had a bust up at check-in because 'Madam, you have way too much luggage with you' he says, imitating the check-in attendant.  "In the end you literally shoved everythin' into the 'old except your mobile, passport and boarding pass.  Fuck!  You were fuming.  Still makes me laugh, your face was a picture!" 

The voice belongs to Mickey Prowse.  Mickey's a fabulous industry colleague and also a very special friend.  Not special in the sense of jiggy jiggy sex special, but simply special.  So how best to describe him?  Cheeky and an outrageous flirt!  Plain and simple.  He's a sound engineer and one of the conference industry's real characters and now he's sitting directly behind me, which of course unnerves me somewhat!

Backstage Secrets by Michelle Shingler & Vincenza Astone

Backstage Secrets

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain, Charles Mead speaking and I'd like to welcome you aboard this British Airways flight to Nice.  Our flying time today will be approximately one hour and fifty-five minutes.  The weather forecast is looking favourable, with good visibility and beautiful clear skies.  We'll soon be taxied to our runway and it looks as if we shall be taking off slightly ahead of our allotted departure time. The cabin crew will shortly take you through our safety procedures and we would be grateful if you would give your undivided attention, even for those frequent flyers of ours.  In the meantime please sit back, relax and enjoy your flight."

Now, just how many times have I heard a flight captain's announcement?  And yet here I am again, jetting off to foreign parts and getting paid for it!  Perfect, I often wonder if life can really get any better.  Well, yes of course it can!  I fly an average of two or three times per month, sometimes more and sometimes less, but it goes with the job.  This perfect job of mine!

Backstage Secrets, Michelle Shingle and Vincenza Astone