First published at Christmas 2010…..It was great to catch up with Barry McGuigan again last Monday at The Herald Sports Awards and after such a long time. As I said last week, the last time we met, we were both in a small sweaty room, half naked, being watched by Daniel Day Lewis. Barry told me to explain in this week’s issue. Actually he threatened me if I didn’t clear it up! He was an advisor on the film The Boxer and Daniel, the main star, was following him around to get the feel of the sport and just happened to be in my dressing room before going to Sky Sports and the boxing night big fight….OK! No money changed hands and there were no photographs.
Barry did remember another incident when the phone went beside me at Sky News and a voice asked if I had any make up? I said yes and was asked if I could bring it over to Sky Sports as two guests in the studio were waiting for a little touch up and ‘make up’ had gone home….it was 3.00am!
I trundled over with my personal blusher and light beige No3 and walked into the studio to see Barry, Lennox Lewis and former heavyweight Gary Mason. I left the studio with the words, ‘If you think I am going to touch up those three…..’
Still, it has been another interesting week, starting with my call to a directory enquiry firm looking for the number of a formal dress hire company in Ivybridge. After quite a long search I got the unusual answer, ‘They are ex directory!’ I questioned this but try as I might I couldn’t get a straight answer. I thought I had found the world’s first ‘stealth business’ and thus a main pointer to the start of the credit crunch problems but as ever, a technical error was found to be the blame when I finally spoke to the owner directly.
Later that day I got my own strange phone call with an Indian call centre asking for Mr Fit Lad rang me. Just how wrong can you be?
Tuesday didn’t get any better when I walked into the kitchen and found the enemy, the good lady wife, with a bottle of brandy and the Christmas cake she has made. She has suddenly turned into Mrs Beeton and produced a thing the size of a manhole cover and of about the same tensile strength and colour. In order to moisten it, she has been adding brandy with a syringe….a pet syringe….a syringe I have been using on Pablo, the three legged Siamese to cure his constipation. If anyone reading this is coming to the FitzGerald mansion this Christmas…..don’t touch the cake. The home made Christmas pudding may also give you fur balls.
Wednesday I replaced three of those ‘long life’, low energy bulbs in my bedside lamp. Yep, three of those highly expensive, last forever bulbs, failed to work and in a fit of temper, threw them into the bin with a satisfying smash. Then I discovered I had unplugged the lamp.
Fitz
