Fame is a fickle beast indeed. I’ve been run ragged over the past week by an assortment of bagmen, “yes” men, “no” men, money men, door-openers, press people, event people and more. One minute they’re your best mate, the next you’re something to be scraped off their expensive Italian footwear.
I want everyone who has paid money to know what’s happening about the Big Night Oot.
Now, if we rewind to lunchtime last Monday, at the point I wrote the page about getting 1,000 pints, I had all of five pints paid for, and to be perfectly honest I thought 1,000 was a ridiculous goal.
Your goodwill proved me wrong, and how. 1,400 are now paid for, and I certainly feel the weight of expectation to get something done about it. The response has been overwhelming – thank you all.
Holiday Inn Here Today Gone Tomorrow
I’ve been in pow-wows with the airport Holiday Inn, but they need paid for room hire, drinks, security, the whole 9 yards. And they don’t want a mass rally of supporters chanting “Smeato…Smeato…Smeato…” and carrying him aloft through the corridors of the hotel (appealing as that image might be).
And nor does The Man himself. He wants any events to be low-key, to involve the other guys from the day as far as possible, and he wants to emphasise that he wants a proportion of the pint money pledged to go to a charity that supports the forces guys who have fought in Iraq. He’s also feeling a bit stressed out by things at the moment too, as reported today in the Soaraway Sun.
I personally don’t think it is in the spirit of the money you have pledged, to be spending that money on a big event. I think you simply paid up to show your appreciation of The Smeatonator and that’s what you want done with it. I hope you agree.
Smeato 2.0
Basically what I’m saying is, that my original flight of fancy of a thousand pints behind the bar of the Holiday Inn and a big open bash probably isn’t the best thing to do in reality (perhaps unsurprisingly).
I am working hard to set up some sort of event where I can hand over the cheque to the man (he has already made me write out the Paypal password in my own blood), but that it’s probably going to be very small and necessarily private, where he and some of the others involved that day (hopefully including Mary-Amy-Mamie) can have a laugh and let their hair down without getting stressed about it all.
I know this may come as a disappointment to some of you who hope to meet the Big Man. However, rest ye assured that whatever happens, ye shall get pictures and a report on johnsmeaton.com. The possibility of meeting The Wingman, Paw Broon and Kit Kat is too big a thing for me personally to pass up.
Thanks again for all your support and I hope you agree with this course of action.
Mark Tortolano
johnsmeaton.com Admin