Only Stools and Torsos

Well, that was an eye-opener! I thought the Clothes Show consisted of just models walking up and down on a stage. Never realised that there would be actual SHOPPING there.

(just a few of the samples I was given - always wanted the red glittery lip look! Carole Matthews looked at this pic and asked if I'd been to a drag queen convention :)
The Simon and Schuster stall looked fabulous!

And there were SHOES by Kandee

and they were all SIZE 3 - and guess what size I am? Yep a 3.

I had a major try-on session :)

I was signing books at the stall when we spotted the style goddess and original Ms Clothes Show - Caryn Franklin and I fell totally into giddy kipper mode when she came over and had piccys taken with us - what a lady she is!

AND Jezz Brazier was on the catwalk next to us and was a thoroughly lovely chap - posing by my bookshelf ;)

I managed to give out the YOUNG CREATIVE WRITER award and walk up a catwalk in heels without falling off and breaking my neck. The winner came from Wakefield and is a fabulously talented young lady called Stacey Dove - I'll be publishing her story here when I've cleared permission.

We had lunch in the VIP suite with some more competition winners then went off to see the most amazing models strutting and dancing and generally making me green with envy. They are like creatures from another planet!

Unfortunately a lot of the show consisted of men stripping off. However there was the consolation for that pain in the shape of the most handsome man in the world George Lamb

Oh and The Risk performed (and were bloody good) but I've just got a swanky new camera and by the time I'd found the on button they had retreated!

I had my lips glittered up for my talk on stage. Couldn't get up on the damned stool! There I was having survived the catwalk and had to suffer the ritual humiliation of forty-eight failed attempts to climb a bar stool so high it had clouds on the top of it. Even after the lovely Georgie tried to give me a hand up. Someone, bless them, ran on with two chairs. Honestly - it must be nice some times to have legs like a racehorse!
Oh and here are the gorgeous Mel and Dawn from St Moriz self-tan which is absolutely GORGEOUS stuff and is currently 'tanning the backsides' of other self-tanners in competitions. It's what the people of Geordie Shore love - great people, great company. They're 'modelling' my book - I'm 'modelling' their product - fair's fair :)

Then it was time for champagne and just winding down a little. I can honestly say that I have to go next year whether it's work or play. Yesterday was work - although it didn't really feel like it to be honest (very rarely does in my job). I was absolutely exhausted so the girls manning the stall - who have been there for a full week - must be running off adrenalin and will continue to do so until the weekend I don't doubt - then they will SLEEP FOR ENGLAND.

Fascinating just watching all the youngsters hoping to be spotted by modelling scouts (can't believe I wasn't approached - however, after the stool incident I have been approached by the Carry On team). Absolutely loved swanning around with my VIP badge, seeing some young brilliantly talented designers and writers and being in woman-heaven with all those freebies and bargains.

For the most part I'm sitting alone in my house and writing in this job but when a 'work-perk' turns up - boy is it usually a big one ;)

Milly x