Here's me in a Dexy's 'Don't Stand Me Down' pose in New York. Ralph Lauren had his 50th anniversary show under those arches. One of the lads off the now defunct website 'Top Caszuals' tipped me off that Kevin Carrigan (SVP and Creative Director) had seen our photos in nymag.com and was apparently inspired. Who knows?
By this time it was around 4.00pm, and the photographer is getting us to pose around that end of the park, and I had not touched a drop, but was gagging. Next stop was the Mandarin Oriental at Columbus Circle for dinner. We arrived early and went into the bar before our 6.00pm reservation. One of the waiters asked what the celebration was. Wife replies 'It's our wedding day', I followed up with 'And my 50th...' - Waiter brings out a bottle of champagne on the house and another table sent another bottle over - what a city.
I'm scared of heights, something that has only started to affect me as I got older. I get in the lift and the buttons went; 0, then 32, then 33, up to whatever they ended at. I gulped and froze to the spot. Lift speeds upwards, doors open and a big glass window is upon me before I know it. I gingerly walked over to the window, looked down, looked up, looked all around and started breathing slowly and deeply. Voice in my head goes' You'll be alright, enjoy this, take it all in'. And I did. Maybe a bit too much!
I cannot remember post 6.30pm that night. cannot remember what we ate and what we drank. There's pictures of us in a cool bar called Ear at around midnight (so called because the 'B' in Bar of the neon sign had started to fail); http://www.earinn.com
Maybe the happiest day of my life. Friend of ours works for BA and we got upgraded to first class on the way out. You sit in those pods and mine was facing towards the back of the plane - never took off arse first since 😆 Cabin crew passed us a card from our friend and then asked if I'd like a glass of white or red. Cannot remember the flight either!