A Nice Day Out

For Maisie, the annual TV awards ceremony was an emotional moment, one she wouldn’t miss for the world

- SUE BARTON

WHEN she heard the cheer go up, Maisie squeezed herself through the crowd, nearer to the metal barrier, and leaned over to see who was getting out of the long black limousine this time.

She’d queued since the early hours of the morning to make sure she got a place at the front, and had brought her fold-up deckchair so she'd be able to rest her legs while she waited.

She’d packed carefully for the day: a flask full of strong, hot coffee. Not only would that keep her warm, but she hoped that the caffeine would keep her awake. She’d hate to be caught having a quiet nap, let alone snoring, when the celebrities arrived. She’d packed sandwiches too: potted beef on white breadcakes and plastic-looking wafer-thin ham that you could practically see through.

They weren’t her favourites, but she didn’t want to smell of cheese and onion or roast pork and stuffing if she happened to be able to reach over the barrier and plant a kiss on an unsuspecting recipient.

Bearing that in mind, she’d also slipped a small mouth-freshener spray into her pocket, just in case.

MAISIE loved the awards ceremonies, the Television Awards in particular. She recognised more of the celebrities for this. This would be the 11th year that she’d come – 11 years!

She was a regular now and knew just what to expect: she knew what to bring to make herself comfortable, how to dress for the differing weather conditions she might encounter, and, more importantly, how to make sure she got the best view of the celebrities as they arrived.