EDIT: I'm coming to Manchester- AND Cardiff!! Woohoo!

Woooohooooo!

My husband, God bless him, gave me the ultimate Christmas pressie yesterday. He arranged for me to fly out to Manchester so I can see the gig on 25 March! He's got me hooked up w/ a flight, hotel room & standing ticket. He even tracked down Mrs Woman to get her assistance, so I owe her some big, BIG thanks as well, for making it happen! I cannot - CANNOT! - believe it and am more excited and grateful than words can express! Hopefully I will be meeting some of y'all while I'm over! This. Will. Be. EPIC!!

what a fantastic pressie, hope you have a great time !

Wow, that just gave me goosebumps. That's really awesome!!!

That's made me smile more than anything else this Christmas.

What a lovely, thoughtful present and well done to MrsW as well,

That is absolutely FANTASTIC news!!!!!!! Let me know which hotel you're staying in! Can't wait to meet you in person!

Aw...you lucky one!

In case anyone's interested, I've done up a blog post all about how this surprise was arranged between my hubby and Mrs W (and it is quite a tale!), so have a peek if ya like! http://bit.ly/f0SQnQ

Ha! Just saw this...I was looking at the hotel info for my trip over. The hotel chain has an online Destination Guide for Manchester, and on the "Did You Know?" page, it mentions Elbow as one of the bands that have "put Manchester firmly on the musical map". Nice!

http://destinations.hilton.co.uk/sisp/index.htm?fx=destination&loc_id=133515&sub_section=Did+You+Know

Nice one Chrissie ! Well made up for you - a stunning surprise ! Hope to meet you too - if my trip to Sheffield a week earlier to see them hasn't made me die with excitement ! Bravo to Mr Chrissie aswell !

Ooo you lucky...

I can recommend the Arora. Good location, good rates and a nice place.

You might want to avoid the 'Cliff Richard' themed rooms though. I'm still having nightmares.

ChrissieInFL wrote:

In case anyone's interested, I've done up a blog post all about how this surprise was arranged between my hubby and Mrs W (and it is quite a tale!), so have a peek if ya like! http://bit.ly/f0SQnQ

Just read your blog Chrissie.....

Wow ! to reiterate what I said earlier, i love stories like that, I really do - it's the EFFORT and TIME that's just as special, I'd say.

When I couldn't get a ticket for the Halle gig, MrsW PM'd me with the first offer of a ticket - to this day I'll always be in her debt for that gesture - and yes, along with other forum members, Mr & MrsW were just lovely and genuine, typical Northern folk !

And I know you'd be happy with a ticket right at the back of the Arena but it's SO much better standing, all nestled up on the barrier - swooning !

Living in Manchester, you get blase about all your favourite bands coming to our City, and me personally, just a 15 minute tram ride into to town - I can't imagine adoring a band that are from the US or further afield, as ALL my favourite acts are from the UK, bar none.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ! "Build a rocket boys...."

ChrissieInFL wrote:

In case anyone's interested, I've done up a blog post all about how this surprise was arranged between my hubby and Mrs W (and it is quite a tale!), so have a peek if ya like! http://bit.ly/f0SQnQ

This is such a sweet story, and the loveliest of presents. I can relate to your story about the internet being a funny place. I took a much needed two year hiatus and only came back online about a year ago. But prior to that, I made some of the best and long lasting relationships with people I met online. I wish you a pleasant journey and the best of times during your trip

My Bury Vest wrote:

Living in Manchester, you get blase about all your favourite bands coming to our City, and me personally, just a 15 minute tram ride into to town - I can't imagine adoring a band that are from the US or further afield, as ALL my favourite acts are from the UK, bar none.

Most of my favorite bands are from the UK and Ireland, so it's times like these that make me wish I still lived in the UK. It's much easier to travel 3,000 miles across the country, than it is traveling the same distance across an ocean

Wow, what an amazing present. So pleased for you! Well done hubby!

Just read your lovely tale. I am also forever grateful to Ticky for getting Halle tickets for me and my other half after nearly spending a small fortune on them on Ebay way back. There are some real good folk on here. Here's to a wonderful new year with lots to look forward to!

My Bury Vest wrote:

[When I couldn't get a ticket for the Halle gig, MrsW PM'd me with the first offer of a ticket - to this day I'll always be in her debt for that gesture - and yes, along with other forum members, Mr & MrsW were just lovely and genuine, typical Northern folk !

"

Hey MBV! but don't you owe me some indebtedness for that Halle ticket too Don't you remember? you were near the front, aisle seat stalls wasn't it?
As a typical lovely and genuine southerner, (roots from the north on one side and irish on the other side!)
I had invited Mrs W to have my other ticket of my pair, in part way of thanks for her setting up Elbowfans network, when I found out that she hadn't been able to get tickets with there being all the problems with touts getting a whole lot of them first. I thought she of all people ought to be there.
I was looking forward to meeting up and sitting near the front at the Halle with Mrs W, and we had exchanged arrangements via PM about getting the ticket to her, and then.... I was quite confused when I discovered not from Mrs W, but from you MBV, announcing it on this forum, that she had, in fact passed my ticket that I had sent to her, on to you.
maybe you would have remembered if I had actually been sitting next to you in the other seat as I would have been, sure I met you in the pub get together the previous night....way things went I decided to go to Castlefield Arena instead, and there was a great party going on there.

Getting those much in demand, Halle/Elbow Bridgewater tickets out to friends turned out quite an adventure!
So what a lovely present for your husband to arrange that, Chrissie.

and I wasn't planning to go MEN Arena Elbow last time, and then at the pub beforehand found out Ticky had another ticket,
so it just had to be done, so I'm grateful to Ticky too.

Thanks all, for your responses...I really mean it when I say that, to me, the concert will be only one of the things I am most looking forward to, and the other is meeting some of you! I do hope I'll have the chance to meet a few of y'all and hang for a bit when I'm over there!

MagicalTrevor wrote:

Ooo you lucky...

I can recommend the Arora. Good location, good rates and a nice place.

You might want to avoid the 'Cliff Richard' themed rooms though. I'm still having nightmares.

Thanks for the tip, MT; my hubby already has my room booked, but after reading your post I am sorely tempted to switch to the Arora. I mean, Cliff Richard rooms?? C'mon, how often does a person have a chance to stay in one o' those? I had to Google that, because I couldn't actually believe Cliff Richard rooms existed and I had to see for myself...I can see why it could induce nightmares, but I'm sure it'd be worth the therapy I'd need to recover afterwards.

Cliff is a part owner of the Arora.

Seems when you part own something, the done thing is to stamp your ego all over it

To be honest, it was mostly OK, some behind-the scenes black and whites of Summer Holiday are fine.

It was the collage of Cliff I couldn't take...especially as it faced the bed. Too many Cliffs!

The Arora sounds great, but I think it's going to be the Britannia again for me - cheap and cheerful (the prostitutes' hotel )

Good one Chrissie, i'm happy for you .

MagicalTrevor wrote:

It was the collage of Cliff I couldn't take...especially as it faced the bed. Too many Cliffs!

Oh dear.

LWD - your absolutely correct, my apologies.......I totally forgot where the ticket originally came from.

My memory aint as sharp as it used to be ! Thank you again !

So happy for you, best pressie ever!

Oh, what a wonderful story and what a fantastic gift!
Enjoy Chrissie!

Just three things to add here:

1: Dead chuffed for Chrissie with the ingenious planning of her OH and glad to help.

2: I guess other memories have faded too; LWD neglected to mention that I'd explained to her one ticket was fab, but turned out awkward to use as Mr W is as big a fan as me if not more, and we couldn't agree who should go....so thought it best to relinquish to another person who'd appreciate it equally. The last-minute tix Ticky alerted us to were the only reason both of us could go in the end, so hats off to sterling fan Ticky too.

3: Finally...What's Nanna gonna do when Cliff Richard dies?
(3:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0rD3kso8bE&list=SL&has_verified=1)

mrswoman wrote:

Just three things to add here:

1: Dead chuffed for Chrissie with the ingenious planning of her OH and glad to help.

Again, and from the bottom of my heart...

mrswoman wrote:

2: I guess other memories have faded too; LWD neglected to mention that I'd explained to her one ticket was fab, but turned out awkward to use as Mr W is as big a fan as me if not more, and we couldn't agree who should go....so thought it best to relinquish to another person who'd appreciate it equally. The last-minute tix Ticky alerted us to were the only reason both of us could go in the end, so hats off to sterling fan Ticky too.

I think, rather than focusing on the specifics, the thing is that the people on this forum are just generally awesome, and so many of you have done nice things for one another. The fact that most of our interaction happens online doesn't make the community aspect of it any less real. Folks do look out for one another here when they can, and that's the amazing and wonderful thing about this place. You're all fab, and I appreciate all y'all!

mrswoman wrote:

3: Finally...What's Nanna gonna do when Cliff Richard dies?
(3:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0rD3kso8bE&list=SL&has_verified=1)

"Content restricted in your country", yadda yadda yadda. BOO!

This is going to be one hell of a gig!!!