July 1984

A few days later I received a letter from the fan club announcing the venues of the tour. I scour the list but cannot find Liverpool on it. Disappointment hits me like a bucket of icy cold water. Why aren’t they playing Liverpool? It’s not fair! Then as I read the list again I notice something. Tickets for the Deeside Leisure Centre concert will go on sale at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre box office and coaches will be laid on, on the night of the concert from Liverpool and Birkenhead. Tickets go on sale from Saturday 25^th of August. Damn, I’m going to Anfield to the match on that day. How will I be able to get the tickets for myself and my two younger cousins now? Wait a minute! I could ask mum to go. So I wait for a good moment and say to my mum ‘ Mum. you know I love you lots don’t you?’ mum looked at me suspiciously and says.

‘What are you after?’

‘Please could you go and get the tickets for the Spandau Ballet gig at Deeside, I’ll love you forever if you do? I have the money and you said you were paying for Tina and Debbie, Please?’

‘When and where do I have to go?’ Mum replied.

Yes! Mum has agreed to go on the Saturday with my Nan to get the tickets and a picture disk single from Paul Young. I am going to Deeside to see Spandau, Yes! Yes! Yes!

Saturday 25^th August, I left the money with Mum and Nan before setting off for the match. The excitement of the Liverpool game was nothing compared to the nerves and excitement at the thought of getting the Spandau tickets. But what if they couldn’t get them?, what if they have sold out? Lord, please let them get the tickets and if you can help Liverpool to win too that would be great.

Liverpool won! Hurray! It must be a good omen. All the way home, my mind was running through every scenario. How will I be able to get tickets to see them if Mum couldn’t get them? As the car pulled up outside the house I quickly undid the seatbelt and ran into the house to see if mum and Nan had got the tickets.

‘Did you get them mum?’ I asked throwing my jacket on the settee.

‘Well’ mum said, ‘the thing is love….’ She starts and my heart begins to sink as disappointment sets in, “they haven’t got them” I think to myself. I hear my mum continue ‘As we were handing the money over, this man reached over us from behind and stole the money. The ticket office man and I ran after him but we lost him in St. John’s Market’

‘Oh no!’ I was so shocked and all my hopes were dashed. ‘He didn’t hurt you did he?’ I asked belatedly. My mum replied that he didn’t hurt them and both mum and Nan went on to tell me the full story, about being questioned by the police etc and ended the story by saying,

‘and the manager of the Royal Court was really good. He knew how disappointed you would be so he gave us the tickets anyway.’

I couldn’t believe my ears. I’m still going to see Spandau at Deeside. Oh Thank You God! The following week, I went to the Royal Court Box Office and thanked them personally.