h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was 6 years old.
My mother entered me in a talent contest on Cleethorpes Pier.
I was last to perform.
I recall the compere sticking a huge microphone under my nose and asking me my name, and what did I want to do.
I said my name was Ann and I wanted to sing.
"What are you going to sing, Ann?"
"Cockles and Mussles" I replied (I was just learning that at school).

He gave me the mike and I started to sing.

The compere stood to my right, but still in view of the audience.

I heard him exclaim, and saw the curtain behind us move, and some women squealing.
It was the dancers, they'd found him from behind the curtain, and were prodding him or poking him.
The compers reactions were noticed by the audience and they started to laugh.
This egged the dancers on, and the compere played up to the audience.

All this while I was trying to sing!!

I finished and left the stage.

Then the compere brought us all back on, and held a hanky over each of our heads in turn, for the audience to clap.

When he got to me, the place erupted, and he declared me the winner.

My prize was an L.P. of "Hans Christian Anderson" soundtrack of the film. The compere autographed the back for me "To Anne, (spelt wrong) July 1961" but his signature was unreadable and I've forgotten his name.

I can still vividly recall being stood on that stage, and the giggling dancers, and the audience laughing.

Then there was the time I won a darts trophy at Butlins...but that's another story. Maybe later