So last Thursday I was just closing down the shop and the phone rang and the lovely girl on the other end of the phone said she was from the BBC One Show and asked for me...now two things went through my mind, 1) It must be a mistake no-one calls me on the shop phone, and 2) yeah right pull the other one, and genuinely thought someone was having a laugh, but the more she talked the less I thought that was the case.
So, Ailie a researcher from the show wanted me, yes me to go to the big smoke the following day (Friday) and be interviewed for a piece on colouring books for adults! Now my brains immediate response was... " NO can't do busy tomorrow half term drag Harry on a train? let mum down? NO NO NO NO NO NO" so what did I say??? NO ... now to be fair I had already arranged to take my mum to Bristol as she had some lost property to pick up from Temple Meads station, and the thought of having to drag a 14 year old with tonsillitis on a train to London filled me with pure dread, as he gets travel sick when he's well, let alone on really strong antibiotics....!
OK i'm going to level with you... the REAL reason...I have a stress disorder, it ain't in any way shape or form pleasant, so I will spare the details, but suffice to say, travelling is difficult! and for that alone I turned it down. Now at the point of disappointing her and putting the phone down, rationality kicked in and I walked round berating myself for a full ten minutes about blowing my big chance! By the time I got home I just needed to sit in the corner under a blanket and rock gently hugging my pencils, but my big sister came round and gave me a good stern talking to! and I decided it wasn't meant to be and that if it was then it would happen when it was meant to happen, and just carried on with normal life.
So imagine my shock when telling my Chiropractor those exact words a text should come from Cate my boss at the Mulberry Bush saying she had just heard a message on the answer machine from Ailie at the One Show and that they still wanted me to do an interview!!!... Gobsmacked!
So after much phone call and text tennis it was all arranged for filming to take place on Monday at work, wow I couldn't believe that it was happening and that they were prepared to come to me!
And true to their word they arrived at the time they said they would and Ailie and her fellow researcher Ben ( more on him in a minute!) put me straight at ease, because lets face it inside I was a quivering blob of jelly!
First things first, I needed a microphone, and quickly realised my choice of dress wasn't really a great idea, but there was an upside!!
Now I'm not going to say I didn't like it because lets face it what slightly menopausal woman in their mid forties wouldn't like Mr tall dark and disgustingly handsome's lovely warm hands down their top???
When Ailie had her camera all set up she started filming, and the lovely chap sat and asked the questions and I had to look at his gorgeous face throughout the hour of interviewing....I know, but someone had to do it!!
Its quite tricky staying composed a) while being filmed talking what feels like drivel and b) having to look at him in the eye whilst doing it (talking!!) I told the story of how I got into colouring in, why I do it how much I like it, and told them all about doing the colouring in workshops, and I got through it despite a crackly mike cable and dodgy camera mounting, which made me have to keep redoing the questions but Ailie and Ben were simply lovely and very patient with me, 'cos I fluffed it more than once or twice!
After the hard bit they also filmed me actually colouring in! and filmed various bits and bobs around the shop and were with us around an hour and a half before heading back to London for the tech guys to work their magic.
So at 7pm on Monday evening we all sat down to watch the show, and I just kept telling myself that none of it would be on or they would have cut the feature, but no...halfway through there it was, a whole 20 seconds or so! but they did get a fantastic shot of the Spectrum Noir pencils and for that I was very grateful, and if it raises the profile of colouring then its all good, now if you didn't see it you can view it here!
Oh, before I go would you like to see Ben?
SORRY...yes that's him behind the light stand, neither me or Cate got a picture of him, so you will just have to take it from me...he was lovely!
If you would like more information about colouring in classes or any of the other workshops we run at The Mulberry bush details can be found on the website.
Thanks for indulging me today, I promise I won't mention it again! but as always...
Happy Colouring!
Nicky x
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