A couple of devoted Status Quo fans who fell in love at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 16 years ago have received the perfect anniversary present.
Inland Revenue officers Julie and Pete Snape, from Bersham, near Wrexham, have won VIP tickets to see the legendary rockers in concert when they bring the festival to a close on Sunday, July 13.
The competition to see band that opened Live Aid in 1985 with ‘Rockin’ all Over the World was organised by the award-winning Village Bakery who are sponsoring the concert.
They were the tickets that money couldn’t buy because the concert had been sold out for months.
There were two pairs of VIP tickets up for grabs in the competition that was run on Village Bakery packaging and online.
The other set went to British Aerospace worker Lee Parsonage, 46, from Brymbo, whose wife, Michelle, a catering supervisor at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, is also a huge Quo fan.
Julie, 41, recalled how she had fancied Pete from afar as they were colleagues at the Inland Revenue office in Wrexham.
She said: “I heard he was going to the Eisteddfod and I went to see if I could get him out on a date so I went with a gang of friends and by the end of the night I managed to set up a date with Pete – and the rest is history.
“I’ve always liked Status Quo and I know most of the songs because Pete used to have a lot of the albums.
“I was in shock when I found out I’d won the tickets, I burst out laughing and when I told Pete he looked absolutely gobsmacked.
“It’s a perfect anniversary present and it’s going to be a fantastic night – we’re looking forward to it and we’ve got the babysitter sorted for our nine year old daughter, Scarlet. We know the songs so we’re going to have a good boogie.
“They’re tickets you can’t buy. We tried to get hold of some four or five weeks ago and they had sold out.”
According to Pete, 43, he thought Julie was pulling his leg when she revealed she’d won the tickets.
He said: “We met 16 years ago on a night out in the Jenny Jones pub in Llangollen so it’s going to bring back a lot of memories. It’s going to be a nice romantic evening with thousands of people!
“My first ever album was 1982 by Status Quo so we’re going full circle.”
Lee Parsonage has earned “20 years of brownie points” by winning the tickets.
He said: “My wife is even more of a Status Quo fan than me – she’s got a Status Quo on her back and she’s going to go back for the crossed guitars. She’s a member of the Quo fan club and she’s got about 30 tee shirts.
“I am the most popular person in the world at home. She couldn’t believe it.
“I tried to hide it because it’s her birthday a few days later but she saw the message on my emails.
“I can’t believe it – I never win anything. Now we’ve got VIP tickets so we’ll get food and drinks and even the chance of meeting Status Quo.”
Village Bakery director Christien Jones presented the tickets to the winners.
He said: “I’m delighted the competition we ran online and on our packaging has been won by such keen Status Quo fans.
“As a locally based family firm, we’re proud to have supported the Llangollen Eisteddfod for a number of years.
“Status Quo have rocked all over the world and now the world will be able to rock with them in Llangollen. It promises to be an absolutely fantastic night.
Llangollen Eisteddfod Chief Executive David Neal said: “The Village Bakery is a fabulous success story that is flying the flag for Wales.”
