When I lived in Saudi in early 90s Bobby Charlton (RIP) did the grand opening of the country's first KFC. Instead of going to meet the football legend, 11 year old football mad me opted to instead go to the school disco cos Aussie Cathy P from the year above had asked me out. She dumped me that night for being shorter than her and as listened to November Rain on loop that week I instantly regretted not meeting the combover king.
Mid or late 90s my brother was working Wembley stadium for an oasis gig (my favourite band then and still now) and said he could get me in. I was ill and declined and missed it assuming he'd just be a steward on the gates etc.
Turned out he was doing silver service bar work and was serving the Gallaghers, the band and all their other halves etc before and after the gig and I'd have essentially been hanging out with my heroes and talking charlton with Alan White had I gone.
That one still smarts and never got to see them live.
Anyone else got any such missed opportunities/ regrets?
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Not many people at the time knew that the Royal Yacht was in the area. It was carrying out security checks for a future event.
Did manage to get photos of Royal Yacht , but knowing I could have been on the tug at that time did feel I missed out on a experience.
I spent a day in the cheap seats with some 60yr old lawyers watching SA bat all day with barely a wicket, it was fun enough and free so I left happy.
The next day I found out that Bobby Robson had spent the day in my employers box. Each hour he would disappear and return with a sporting legend of the time (Jonny Wilkinson and Martin Johnson are the ones I remember but the list was extensive). At the end of the day he took everyone in the box into the long room and gave them a guided tour!
My stance was ‘sod that, I want to run about firing a gun / jumping out of aeroplanes, and be mega tough nut hard’
If I had done a bit of research, then I would have found out (the teenage me, mid 1980’s) that you can join up with REME or Signals, and then join the Para’s - so best of both worlds 😡
I ended up working for a bank, joined 1987, still working for same bank, been a bank manager since 2004
After all these years, I still wish I had joined the army - hey ho
Earlier, during the same holiday, I'd had a woman in leather on a BMW 900 stop for me (I always hitch with a crash helmet). She was only going up the road but like a fool I turned her down.
Almost all the original team moved on to be world class bartenders or run their own venues and I always wonder where I'd be now if I took the plunge at the time
Still never managed to make it into First class
Early/mid 90’s I was half looking for a new job and got an interview for a senior design role for an upcoming company in Cambridge called ARM.
I wasn’t terribly keen to move and when the missus said her and a mate were going clubbing the night before the (9am) interview and could I pick them up at 2am I said sure
Suffice to say, I screwed up the interview and missed out on a shed load of pre-IPO shares in one of the UK’s most successful tech companies of that time
Also missed applying to the first UK season of my favourite ever foreign game show by a day, not that I’d have likely gotten on the show but I’ll never know. Either the UK version will be crap and there’ll be no more series, or it’ll be amazing and the competition for places on series 2 will be insane.
Third is the girl I really fancied at high school told my mates that she really fancied me but no one thought to tell me until we were all leaving for uni. She invited me over to hers on a level results night but I’d already been out and didn’t want to wake my dad up trying to sneak out of the house for the first time in my life.
Being invited back to the savoy with the 'Grease' cast after their opening night, apparently was an amazing party and both Danni & Kylie turned up.
Not asking Alan Rickman more questions when over dinner with him (wasn't just the two of us!), I was simply chin to the floor most of the time.
Not knocking out the animal who was ^%^$£%^% (maybe best not to say his name, but a famous TV Actor from the 90's, had an affair with someoneelses wife whom may just be very close to Simon Cowell these days) when I had to chaperone him in central London, guy was an utter pig when it came to women...... allegedly.
Those are just some of the regrets I'd care to admit to!
We knew she wasn’t going to last much longer and the nurses said they would call if the end was near.
My dad (understandably) totally melted down and couldn’t cope and had to get out of there. I was sitting with my mum and wanted to sleep in the chair next to the bed. He wouldn’t have it and we ended up having a frayed and stressed row in reception before he pretty much dragged my arse back home. Leaving mum asleep at the hospice.
lying at home that night I just knew I should have held my ground.
Phone rang at 6am. Mum had died and it happened very quickly. And she was alone.
I have never forgiven myself or got over it.
Always trust your gut and never ever forget to tell your parents you love them.