How I shared a table with Cherie Blair, wife of former British PM, Tony Blair

So I was in London last Saturday for the Ghana UK-Based Achievements (GUBA) Awards and it was one of the best organized events I have attended in the UK, especially from the Ghanaian community. From the opening dinner (yes I like my food) to the main ceremony, it was clear that the GUBA team had put a lot of planning into the ceremony. When I got to the venue I registered and received my tag for my seat. I was then ushered into the buffet area where I enjoyed some scrumptious food. I particularly enjoyed the Waakye and Jollof, it was just like my mother makes it back home in Ghana and I wish I had enough time to finish my plate and go for more.

However, since I got to the venue a little late because of my journey from Luton to London, it wasn’t long before the announcement came for us to make our way into the main hall for the award ceremony. When I got to the hall for the ceremony, I showed my red wrist band to the security and they let me in. My tag had number 7 on it so the ushers took me to table number 7. When I got seated, I waited a bit for my table to fill up, and soon it did with many unknown faces- mainly white British folks. I wondered why I was selected for that table as little by little it got filled up.

Table 7 was not too far away from the main stage so I was more than happy – I could sit comfortably and take some photos. Oh by the way, I couldn’t wait to test the new 70-300mm zoom lens that I had bought in Luton, earlier in the day.

As I set up my camera and started taking some shots, a pleasant man who was seated next to me inquired if I were the official photographer for GUBA and that broke the ice for me to introduce myself properly to him and the rest of the table as he in turn, introduced me to his female companion who was next to him. I told him I was a blogger from Ghana and I had come to cover the awards. Soon, we started talking about blogging in general, Ghanaian music, culture and more. I became the go-to-guy when anything unusual to him happened on the stage, and I gladly explained like the expert on culture I am.

As the event unfolded, another woman joined them on the table and although I could tell she was an important personality just by her demeanour, I didn’t know who she was. The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Peter Jones, who was seated on the table next to me, came over to our table to say a quick hello to the woman and went back to his seat.  A few minutes later, the mysterious lady was accompanied to the backstage and before she could leave the main hall for the backstage, she had been besieged by many people who wanted photos with her.

I observed with keen interest, tempted to find out who she was from the pleasant man next to me. She later emerged on the stage when she was introduced as Cherie Blair, to present an award to the CEO of UT Holdings, Dr Prince Amoabeng. At this point I said to myself that I would have my photo opportunity with her when she returns to her seat. However, she never came back to her seat and soon the ceremony came to an end.

On Sunday afternoon, TV chat-show host, Nana Churcher called me to find out why she had not seen me at the event the previous night, and I soon realised why I got to mingle with top British public figures during the ceremony, without even trying. Nana told me that she had asked after me during the awards and was told that I was on table 17, but whenever she went to that table she couldn’t find me.

Then I realised that my wrist band actually was for table 17 but when the band was being wrapped around my wrist, the figure 1 was covered (I guess because I am skinny, it had to all the way around my wrist) so instead of 17 it was showing 7. So there you have it; that was how I got to share a table with Cherie Blair, wife of former British PM, Tony Blair!!!!HAHAHA