Orginally published on ABLE2 in July 2004
The
copper spots us!
Over the years ABLE2UK has been where no other disabled Internet Site
has dared gone before. We have had an article printed in HEAT magazine,
ended up on stage at Brixton Academy and even managed to corner Madonna
at the BBC studios. But all this is nothing to what we managed to wangle
a few weeks ago when we ended up in number 10 Downing Street. What follows
is a report on how we tried to meet Tony Blair so he could sign the
ABLE2 BOOK for Disabled Awareness...
It's Tuesday 11th May and we are talking to a policeman outside the
most famous street in London, if not the world. After giving our name
we eagerly await the return of the man in blue to either confirm that
Yes, we are on the list for the conference which is about to start in
Downing Street or No, and could we please move along as we are becoming
a bloody nuisance
On the policeman arrival it was hard to tell who was more amazed that we were actually on the list! We were asked to make our way through the tight security corridor and make sure we weren't carrying any weapons of mass destruction. After dumping our stuff in a plastic container to be x-rayed we walked through a security post in an airport custom stylee. With no sounds of alarms ringing and our precessions confirmed as 'safe' we were standing in Downing Street itself and it seemed completely unreal.
There was only one policeman in Downing Street itself making the atmosphere very relaxed. Opposite the famous black door was a small group of press setting up their cameras ready to snap any activity which may occur. Over the street were the reporters waiting to be taken into the Commission for Africa. This included us!
The reporters were there to report back on the Prime Ministers efforts to solve the awful effects of Children living in Africa fighting AIDS and examine the country's past, present and future history. Oh and hopefully to sign the ABLE2 Book, which at the moment wasn't on Tony's schedule
You
see, the Africa thing is a bit too complicated for us here at ABLE2UK
we thought we would leave all that to the assembled professional reporters
who had traveled from Africa, the States and other countries worldwide.
Hence why when they all had notepads, cameras, laptops and those snazzy
little handheld electric plasma organisers we had a crumpled up copy
of Q Magazine, piece of A4, the ABLE2 Book and a biro!
We thought that it would had been wrong for us to ask the Prime Minister
to write in the book during the following important conference so we
tried to arrange a short meeting with him afterwards. Although this
proved to be impossible. The Press agent told us that
'The Prime Minister doesn't do that kind of thing, Sir.'
Our
time to arrange a meeting was running out, we weren't going to achieve
it. And it looked like all things Red were going to turn blue through
the eyes of ABLE2UK.
Our
new mate Tony!
We were also aware that we couldn't push our luck, this wasn't a pop
concert we were trying to wangle, it was bloody 10 Downing Street. And
it wasn't a security company we were up against, it was the bloody Metropolitan
Police. Did we forget to tell you that the coppers on the gate were
armed? The best thing was to give it just one more stab once inside
Number 10 itself.
Twenty minutes later than planned we were guided through a labyrinth of stairways and corridors at the back entrance of Number 10 and led to the Conference room where the Commission For Africa was about to start. We were told that there was a spare seat right at the front. This was pretty good news.
Minutes before anybody important ventured into the room we spoke to a lady who presumably worked for the PM and asked her if we could possibly meet Tony afterwards (we couldn't tell her that we just wanted a bloody signature!) This was our last chance, if she said No we were screwed.
She said No.
And
yes, we were screwed as the doors to our left opened and in walked politicians
and opinion formers from Africa followed by Sir Bob Geldof, Blair's
neighbor, Gordon Brown and the PM himself. After a brief introduction
from Tony the conference was open to Question and Answers from the floor.
Blair
Spots us!
All the reporters were asking very complicated and important questions
to the PM and the Politicians. We however had just one question going
round in our head. Have we got the balls to ask Tony Blair to write
in our book during this conference?
Blair
told the press that there was time for just two more questions. Upon
hearing this we had an outer body experience as somehow our hand shot
up. What the hell were we thinking?
Blair spotted us and gave ABLE2UK the last question of the afternoon.
All of sudden our heart was beating like no heart had ever beaten before.
We had three options. One. Quickly make up a question about kids who
have AIDS in Africa. Two. Go ahead and ask the PM to sign the book or
Three. Make a run for it.
Option Three wasn't practical. So we kinda merged the first two options into our question. Which was...
'Prime Minister, We work for The UK Disabled Awareness Company. Can we please ask you a question.'
Tony gave us his famous little smile and allowed us to continue,
'We are working on a book on behalf of Disabled Awareness and have asked over 100 famous people if they would write a sentence on a page. Prime Minister would you be prepared to write in the book please which is for disabled people...and children who are suffering with AIDS in Africa.?'
(We had to add the last line to be a bit topical and not look anymore out of place as we already were!)
The Prime Minister, who had a roomful of worldwide press, photographers and SKY TV monitoring his every move replied,
'How can I refuse such an offer?'
Bearing in mind the present situation he was in the answer was with great difficulty! The PM ended the conference and allowed us to meet him in the next room where he added his contribution to the ABLE2 Book.
So
there we are, Tony Blair is now in the book and we continue our quest
to corner more famous faces. Any idea when the Queen is up to next month?
