Corabar Steve
29-10-2006, 12:19 PM
I had a blinding gig at Paddington Hilton last night (last minute booking for a medical college reunion, I was due to do a wedding & we had a bit of a re-shuffle & Mark didn't get the night off he thought he was going to), but the run up was anything but blinding.
I knew the function was on the first floor so I made sure I got there in plenty of time (I arrived at 5:10 for a 7pm start). I knew there was loading bay & goods lift involved, but didn't know where it was so I pulled up on the forcourt & went to ask at reception. After spending about 10 mins trying to explain to the chap on reception who I was & what I was doing there http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/tweetz/wiggle2.gif he told me I needed to see the Concierge. So off across reception I trot, to have the concierge say to me "Lazy little **** sent you over here did he? I'll get someone for you" Someone arrived about 5 mins later to tell me that I had to drive down the side of the hotel, and go in the second gate.
WHY COULDN'T EITHER OF THE OTHER 2 NUMPTYS TELL ME THIS?????
"& there'll be somebody there to show me where I'm going then?"
"Oh yes, if there's not just buzz the buzzer" http://smilies.vidahost.com/cwm/cwm/uhoh.gif
Anyway off I go around to the side entrance, guess what? the gate is closed.
I buzz the buzzer & go through the whole who are you what are you doing malarkey again.
"Somebody will be down in 2 mins (5 in reality) to let you in"
Oh look it's the fellow who told me to drive around the side & he's opening the gate, hang on, he's opened the gate & he's walking off!
http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/edoom/Thinkingof_.gif
"Here mate what about dropping these bollards, so I can get in?"
"I haven't got any keys for those, you'll have to drive round them"
Fair enough, the kerb's low & there's a big enough gap.
Just as I start to reverse into the loading bay some jobsworth in what I now know to be railway uniform comes flying out of nowhere & bangs on the side of the van, with such speed & force I think I'm about to run somebody over!
"You can't park that in here"
"I know that I'm just unloading for tonight's function & then I'll go and park up"
"No, you can't come in here"
"But he's just let me in"
"You can bring your stuff in, but you can't bring your van in"
"Why not? it's a loading bay"
"You Can't come in here"
"So what do you suggest I do? there's a double yellow line all the way along the side if the building."
"You can't bring your van in here" & with that he wanders off into his little office (obviously feeling very important & peering out of the window to make sure I don't come in).
"So can I bring my stuff into the loading bay, you shut the gate & I'll go & park?"
"No, you'll have to take it upstairs you can't leave stuff in the loading bay, somebody might need to unload something"
(YES, ME YOU PILLOCK) "How when they can't come in???? I'm not prepared to leave my van unattended with my gear in it, parked on a double yellow while I take it up one trolley load at a time"
At this point I phone both the client (on his mobile) & Angela to explain the situation, as it's getting touch & go as to if I'll get set up in time.
Angela then has what seemed like a 15min conversation with the guy who's opened the gate, resulting in him going to get his manager (but not before he's shut & locked the gate again!
Eventually (it is now about 6:40) another chap (manager) turns up, & I go through the Can't I bring it in then park then take it upstairs routine with a different partner http://smilies.vidahost.com/cwm/3dlil/ugh.gif
At this point I'm about to loose my rag
"Look, I've been here since 5:10 & I'm due to start in 15 mins, in the time I've been here, I could've driven in, unloaded, carried the stuff upstairs one piece at a time, come down, gone & parked, come back, set up, got changed & been ready to start by now!"
"We've been ready for you since 3 O'Clock, it's not our fault if you leave it til the last minute"
http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/dvv/po.gif
"By the way I've been on the phone to the person who's booked the event as well as my office, & they're fully aware of how long I've been here & how much your staff have been mucking me around. They've been in contact with each other too"
At this point he gets on his walkie talkie & 4 porters/waiters??? appear with 2 big trollies & unload for me & take it all away.
"We'll take it upstairs while you go and park"
"Great, where's the entrance to the station carpark?" (We'd established the carpark was adjacent to the station (as was the hotel) prior to leaving base)
"Go up there, turn right, turn right again, & it's on the right, at the end of the station"
"On Eastbourne Terrace?"
"Yes"
"So that'll be about 1/2 mile walk back then?
"Yes"
Oh well.
Off I go in search of the carpark. It's not on the right & it's not on Eastbourne Terrace, I get to the end of the station & turn right assuming that he meant turn right at the end of the station & you'll be there.
Sod it! It's over there (should've turned left! http://smilies.vidahost.com/otn/other/11doh.gif ) (< That says Doh!)
Anyway I eventually get parked & figure out the credit card payment on the pay & display machine trek back to the hotel & meet the client.
To his credit he was very understanding, the first thing he did was offer me a drink & tell me not to hurry myself, they actually sorted out having the champagne reception in an adjacent room so I could set up in peace. They were just extremely pleased that we had stepped in at the last minute when their original DJ had let them down and that I had perservered and perservered with the hotel staff to make sure that they got their entertainment for the evening.
Got everything up & running in time to start background for the meal at 8pm.
As I said at the begining (if you can remember that far back) what a great gig it was. The hotel staff actually took photos of folks on the dancefloor coz they couldn't believe it. The client was very happy at the end. Great gig, nightmare begining.
Turns out that the basement & loading bay are owned by the railway & NOBODY but the railway staff gain vehicular access due to increased security since 7/7. BE WARNED if you take a booking there, the hotel didn't inform our client of this when they booked the function.
The hotel staff were very helpful on the way out (mind you it was different staff:) )
You can go back to sleep now:)
I knew the function was on the first floor so I made sure I got there in plenty of time (I arrived at 5:10 for a 7pm start). I knew there was loading bay & goods lift involved, but didn't know where it was so I pulled up on the forcourt & went to ask at reception. After spending about 10 mins trying to explain to the chap on reception who I was & what I was doing there http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/tweetz/wiggle2.gif he told me I needed to see the Concierge. So off across reception I trot, to have the concierge say to me "Lazy little **** sent you over here did he? I'll get someone for you" Someone arrived about 5 mins later to tell me that I had to drive down the side of the hotel, and go in the second gate.
WHY COULDN'T EITHER OF THE OTHER 2 NUMPTYS TELL ME THIS?????
"& there'll be somebody there to show me where I'm going then?"
"Oh yes, if there's not just buzz the buzzer" http://smilies.vidahost.com/cwm/cwm/uhoh.gif
Anyway off I go around to the side entrance, guess what? the gate is closed.
I buzz the buzzer & go through the whole who are you what are you doing malarkey again.
"Somebody will be down in 2 mins (5 in reality) to let you in"
Oh look it's the fellow who told me to drive around the side & he's opening the gate, hang on, he's opened the gate & he's walking off!
http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/edoom/Thinkingof_.gif
"Here mate what about dropping these bollards, so I can get in?"
"I haven't got any keys for those, you'll have to drive round them"
Fair enough, the kerb's low & there's a big enough gap.
Just as I start to reverse into the loading bay some jobsworth in what I now know to be railway uniform comes flying out of nowhere & bangs on the side of the van, with such speed & force I think I'm about to run somebody over!
"You can't park that in here"
"I know that I'm just unloading for tonight's function & then I'll go and park up"
"No, you can't come in here"
"But he's just let me in"
"You can bring your stuff in, but you can't bring your van in"
"Why not? it's a loading bay"
"You Can't come in here"
"So what do you suggest I do? there's a double yellow line all the way along the side if the building."
"You can't bring your van in here" & with that he wanders off into his little office (obviously feeling very important & peering out of the window to make sure I don't come in).
"So can I bring my stuff into the loading bay, you shut the gate & I'll go & park?"
"No, you'll have to take it upstairs you can't leave stuff in the loading bay, somebody might need to unload something"
(YES, ME YOU PILLOCK) "How when they can't come in???? I'm not prepared to leave my van unattended with my gear in it, parked on a double yellow while I take it up one trolley load at a time"
At this point I phone both the client (on his mobile) & Angela to explain the situation, as it's getting touch & go as to if I'll get set up in time.
Angela then has what seemed like a 15min conversation with the guy who's opened the gate, resulting in him going to get his manager (but not before he's shut & locked the gate again!
Eventually (it is now about 6:40) another chap (manager) turns up, & I go through the Can't I bring it in then park then take it upstairs routine with a different partner http://smilies.vidahost.com/cwm/3dlil/ugh.gif
At this point I'm about to loose my rag
"Look, I've been here since 5:10 & I'm due to start in 15 mins, in the time I've been here, I could've driven in, unloaded, carried the stuff upstairs one piece at a time, come down, gone & parked, come back, set up, got changed & been ready to start by now!"
"We've been ready for you since 3 O'Clock, it's not our fault if you leave it til the last minute"
http://smilies.vidahost.com/contrib/dvv/po.gif
"By the way I've been on the phone to the person who's booked the event as well as my office, & they're fully aware of how long I've been here & how much your staff have been mucking me around. They've been in contact with each other too"
At this point he gets on his walkie talkie & 4 porters/waiters??? appear with 2 big trollies & unload for me & take it all away.
"We'll take it upstairs while you go and park"
"Great, where's the entrance to the station carpark?" (We'd established the carpark was adjacent to the station (as was the hotel) prior to leaving base)
"Go up there, turn right, turn right again, & it's on the right, at the end of the station"
"On Eastbourne Terrace?"
"Yes"
"So that'll be about 1/2 mile walk back then?
"Yes"
Oh well.
Off I go in search of the carpark. It's not on the right & it's not on Eastbourne Terrace, I get to the end of the station & turn right assuming that he meant turn right at the end of the station & you'll be there.
Sod it! It's over there (should've turned left! http://smilies.vidahost.com/otn/other/11doh.gif ) (< That says Doh!)
Anyway I eventually get parked & figure out the credit card payment on the pay & display machine trek back to the hotel & meet the client.
To his credit he was very understanding, the first thing he did was offer me a drink & tell me not to hurry myself, they actually sorted out having the champagne reception in an adjacent room so I could set up in peace. They were just extremely pleased that we had stepped in at the last minute when their original DJ had let them down and that I had perservered and perservered with the hotel staff to make sure that they got their entertainment for the evening.
Got everything up & running in time to start background for the meal at 8pm.
As I said at the begining (if you can remember that far back) what a great gig it was. The hotel staff actually took photos of folks on the dancefloor coz they couldn't believe it. The client was very happy at the end. Great gig, nightmare begining.
Turns out that the basement & loading bay are owned by the railway & NOBODY but the railway staff gain vehicular access due to increased security since 7/7. BE WARNED if you take a booking there, the hotel didn't inform our client of this when they booked the function.
The hotel staff were very helpful on the way out (mind you it was different staff:) )
You can go back to sleep now:)