Nostalgia!

Blast from the Past!

My mum recently found this, on the back it has "Marriott 2002".  I think I remember that night.  Vaguely.  I was working for a booking agency back in the day and I think in this photo I am wearing the famous "DISCO DIVA" T shirt.  It was definitely taken in London, I know that much.  There was a dinner and disco for agency staff at one of the Marriott Hotels.  We may have visited a few more hotels on that particular trip.  We went on trips like this quite regularly.  Well, I went on trips like this quite regularly, with my mate.  Some were organised by the company, and sometimes we just went because we wanted to and because we loved it.  Bed and Breakfast in central London for 25 pounds!  Yes, I know!  And we're not talking shabby little backstreet hostels, either!  

"Yeah, we've got a train to catch!  See ya Monday!"

It's not what you know, eh?  In a job like that you get talking to the lovely folks in reservations and promise them that you will personally recommend the hotel to your substantial database of clients, so free upgrades, breakfasts thrown in, use of the gym and spa...if it paid a bit more I may have enjoyed it.  Most of the time I was listening to the radio keeping an ear out for new tunes to buy.  Yes, buy, I had no idea about downloading back then.  Vinyl all the way for this bedroom DJ.  Oh, yeah.

Ok, we went to London as often as we could for the weekend, blagging "agency rates" at most of the hotels in the capital.  This was an excuse to go clubbing.  We'd buy the DJ, Ministry, and whatever other clubbing magazines were about back then and scoured the listings for London.  If Tiesto or Armin Van Buuren were in town, we were usually there.  It was a great excuse to leave work early on a Friday with our little holdalls.  And I always took my little blue stereo with a couple of CDs to play while we got ready to go out.  The atmosphere was always AMAZING in London,  Everywhere we went, there didn't seem to be any attitude in any of the 'big' clubs.  We went to Heaven, Ministry of Sound, The Cross, Turnmills (sadly no longer there, I recently found out).  There was something special about being amongst that many people, all feeling the love, man.  And leaving after an amazing night to dawn breaking as we walked back to the hotel, or maybe even straight to the train station if we hadn't bothered to book a hotel for the night.   

Anyway, back to the Marriott.  Beautiful hotels, beautiful food.  I think there were lots of companies there, similar to ours.

After the dinner, the disco kicked off and I remember the music being naff.  As I have always appreciated my tunes I was quick to let the DJ know that I didn't really like his style, let's say.  There were people of all ages there, so I think he could have played more of a variety.  So I requested "the biggest tune in his box" and he gave me a shout out and played...

Dancing Queen.  

Are you sure?  

I was DISCO DIVA,  I certainly wasn't going to be seen throwing shapes to Abba, thank you very much.  

Not quite what I had in mind, so I found my way to the bar and found myself saying "another vodka, barman!" quite a lot.