My husband had booked this for me last September but I knew nothing about this until Christmas Day. I first saw Barry in Las Vegas in February 2006 when we went to Vegas on holiday simply because Barry was there and I just had to see him. I remember being sat in the airport waiting to catch our flight home back to England and seeing a lady showing her friends her photo with Barry. I turned to my husband and said 'I don't know when, how or where but one day I'll have a photo of me with Barry'. Now I have and a whole load of memories too! 

The day finally arrived and I have to say that I didn't feel a bit nervous but I also didn't have a clue what I was going to say as everything I thought of sounded corny and as the day progressed I did start to panic a bit because I didn't want to waste my time with him.

Having taken 3 outfits to Vegas with me my husband bought me a new one that afternoon so by the time I had done my hair and makeup I felt a million dollars.

We took the monorail to the Hilton and the nerves began to kick in. What if something went wrong and my name wasn't on the list? I needn't have worried.

I arrived at the VIP area about 20 minutes early and eventually our two escorts came out checked our names and photo ID and then gave us our VIP passes and tickets to the show. After briefly explaining what would happen we were led through the empty theatre and taken backstage down three flights of stairs and into the green room.  Having watched (many times), the making of Music and Passion DVD it felt great to finally be there knowing Barry was close by.

Once everyone was settled we were all offered champagne (or fruit juice) and were told the champagne glass was ours to keep along with our VIP passes and other goodies they gave us. Exactly what would happen was then explained in detail and we were told the order we would be going in. I was last!

We all started talking nervously to each other when someone (I can't remember who) came in and said Barry was ready. It finally hit me like a bombshell. I was actually going to meet Barry, something I had thought and dreamed about for thirty years. As people started gradually coming back into the green room I just quietly wandered around the room until I was told to get ready 'you're next'!

Then it was time and I was led down a short corridor, up a small flight of stairs and told to wait a few moments. The girl escorting me checked whether I wanted to be called Pam or Pamela and then the door opened, we went in and there he was looking very relaxed leant against the bar. When we were introduced Barry said 'Hi Pamela nice to meet you, I hope I having kept you waiting too long'.

The setting was perfect with low lighting and candles and although there were other people in the room he never looked at any of them making you feel as if there was only the two of us in the room. We chatted about the weather in Britain and Vegas, had I seen Music and Passion before, how 'wild' and loyal his British fans were and how he couldn't believe how many had made the trip to Vegas and the fact that many like me had been several times. We chatted about all sorts including my favorite songs, which I found difficult to answer as so many have a special meaning for one reason or another. He was so nice that the nerves just disappeared and I found myself chatting easily to him without making a fool of myself. In what seemed like no time at all (in actual fact I was in there in just over 10 minutes) he said 'lets have the photo' and with that he put his arm around me and pulled me in close, asked if I was ok (as if I was going to object!) and then we looked into the camera. After the photo he signed my programme and then thanked me for donating to his fund and hoped that I enjoyed the show. I thanked him for giving up his time to do the Platinum experience and for the enjoyment he has given me over the years through his music.

I collected my personal belongings and souvenirs, was given my disposable camera (which I had developed first thing next morning), and we were led back into the theatre to our front row seats feeling like celebrities as everyone seemed to looking at us, ready for the show which, it goes without saying, was absolutely fantastic. As the curtain came down our escorts came and gave us our photos and again thanked us on Barry's behalf for donating to his fund through the Platinum experience.

Although my experience is over the memories I have will stay with me forever. He is just what you imagine him to be. Kind, considerate, funny, sexy, good looking and yet very humbled by the effect he has on people and the devotion his fans have after all these years. He said during our chat that over the years he has found that  there is no middle ground, that people either love him or they don't. I love him. He is everything I thought he was and more. I thought I would feel really down once I got back home and it was all over but, although I wish I could do it all again, I'm still on a high because I experienced something relatively few people have or will experience and no-one can ever take that away from me.

Pam Brown