Jolley* and I have been to many a concert over the years. I have been responsible for the logistics of almost all of them. Perhaps I enjoy it? Perhaps I prefer to be in control. On the hand, perhaps it was to prevent the inevitability of it all going wrong...
There we were studying at Portsmouth University when we discovered Alexisonfire were performing at the Pyramid Centre. For once, all I had to do was be there. So, we set off into the wet and windy night down to the seafront. Tickets purchased by and entrusted to Jolley's safe keeping.
Halfway there and he turns to me with panic in his face and asked, "You've got the tickets, right?". No, I did not. For once, just once, they were his responsibility. He progressed to search himself like we had just entered airport security and then proceeded to walk very swiftly back from whence we came. He didn't expressly say he had lost the tickets, but it was becoming evidently clear this wasn't a joke!
We walked very briskly retracing our steps eyes fixed to the floor (whilst avoiding lamp posts of course) for any sight of the white envelope containing our tickets. I think I was too stunned to believe this was really happening to consider whether we'd actually find them. But, several minutes later, there, in the distance, flapping in the breeze on the wet concrete floor on the corner of the relatively busy high street was the envelope containing our tickets - and the bemused faces of two men walking along as we sprint walked to pick up the envelope. They had fallen out of his back pocket - what a silly place to put them!
Sure, we look back and laugh but he has never again been trusted with any tickets.
* Names unchanged to maximise embarrassment