First taste of Fish & Chips

Although an Organisers’ Report has been incorporated into the Light Parade website, there is quite a lot more to be told about the backgound to the 2008 Event, so for those who might be interested, I have decided to write this Blog.  A light hearted way to start will be to relate some of our experiences hosting the Central Florida Motorcycle Drill Team, who were a great bunch, with whom we had some hilarious moments.

The first contingent of the Drill Team to arrive at Manchester Airport comprised Randy Rodriguez, the Team Captain, and John and Janet Ward. Neither John nor Janet had ever left the States before, so they were carrying their shiny new blue US Passports.

As the three of them approached the Immigration Checkpoint they queued together but eventually lined up in front of different Immigration Officers.  Randy was in the lead; he is an experienced traveller, had been to UK before and he had made all the arangements for the trip, so he had all the right answers at his fingertips and got through Immigration without difficulty.  John on the other hand, although he had been briefed with the necessary information, had had just experienced his first overnight Eastbound transatlantic flight and had therefore had no sleep at all.  He was just a little bit on the groggy side.

When asked why he had come to UK he said “We’re a Drill Team.” “Oh really, what does that mean?” said the Officer.  “We ride motorcycles around in small circles, close together” repled John, adding after a pause “in front of a crowd.  We give a performance.”  “So you’re a performer?” said the Officer, presumably thinking of work permits and things. “Well yes” replied John.

“Where are you performing?” said the Officer; “Don’t rightly know” said John, then added after a pause “it’s a vacation centre at a place called Big Pool.”

“And where are you staying?” said the Officer; ”Stuart’s Place” said John, adding after a pause “Someone’s picking us up.”

“Who is that?” asked the Officer.  “Don’t rightly know.” said John.

At this point John started to realise that things were not going well.  He had also just seen Randy disappearing through the exit ahead of him, just before it occured to him to say “We’re staying at the same place as Randy Rodriguez, the guy that just walked out the exit”.  John and Jean were ushered into a holding area and it took quite a while before the Immigration Officers were convinced that John and Janet were merely novice travellers to UK with an entirely innocent agenda, rather than cunningly disguised members of Al Quieda.

Fortunately for us they did eventually get through Immigration and the rest of the plan to collect them went  smoothly.  Within an hour of leaving the Airport they had arrived at “Suart’s Place”, they were drinking their first cup of tea with milk in it, eating their first bacon butty and we were all laughing out loud as John told us the story of how he nearly got sent straight back home.

The process of Anglising out “former colony” guests, about which more later, had begun.

So next time you are arriving a Orlando Airport to start your holiday and you are facing the daunting queuing, fingerprinting and grilling you are likely to get before being admitted to the US, comfort yourself with the though that we sometimes do something similar to Americans when they come over here.