From 1979 to 1984 I was the cellar-man at the Corn Exchange entertainment complex in Ipswich. A superb job that had me, as well as all the in house events, running all over town setting up mobile bars for everything from concerts, council meetings, parties, weddings, shows and big "in the park" events..... crap wages but brilliant job....
While I was there the Tolly Cobbold Classic (also 1979 - 1984 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolly_Cobbold_Classic ) snooker tournament was happening I would just like to impart the one, out of many, memory of that event.
Alex Higgins had won the first "Classic" event in 79 and he was late for the start of the second..... quite a bit late.... in fact he was still in a helicopter, with Kirk Stevens, when the first match started and he was meant to be playing in the second....
If I remember correctly the two Taylor's, Dennis and Graham, were playing the first game and they did make the game last allot longer than it needed to, as they had been told that Higgins was late.
I was in the technicians office at the side of the stage when up the back stairs, literally, staggered, Alex and Kirk. the were swaying away, holding each other up, and everyone was looking at each other thinking....
hows he going to play... what do we do....
when......
Alex Higgins was a star, a true showman and a brilliant, if eccentric, player.... The man just stood upright, shook himself and said "give me my cue" and went from drunk to sober in the seconds it took him to assemble it.
And then he simply strolled out the door to a crescendo of applause and even went on to win the classic for a second year.
Meanwhile Mr Stevens was slumped in a chair, holding a basket..... he was playing to....
I have many memories of Alex but watching him transform and then perform that day is the one that truly stands out.
ttfn
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