About Me — Lydia Carrick
Queen-obsessed Marketing Consultant from Essex, England.
I’m seven years old and hiding behind the sofa.
The TV is on, the volume blaring, and it’s dark outside.
And I’m hiding behind the sofa because of the ghostly, skeletal creatures on the TV.
Lit from beneath, their skulls on display and singing a strange operetta.
Eventually, I make a break for the living room door and up to the safety of my room.
Alas, the strange skeletal creatures appear on my screen the next night and the night after that.
On the fourth night, however, something changed. Rather than cower, I watched, and, more importantly, listened. And I got past the ghostly skeletal creatures, and they soon turned into musicians with beautiful costumes singing beautiful songs with guitars and harmonies. At the end of the hypnotic video, a banner appeared.
Top of The Pops 2 presents Bohemian Rhapsody.
And from there, my love of Queen was born. Queen taught me a lot and defined my path.
My name is Lydia. I am a marketing consultant from Essex, UK and a massive Queen fan.
Stone Cold Crazy
My parents noticed my rapt attention at the screen and dug out Queen’s Greatest Hits I. I played it on repeat until they got bored and gave me the rest of the Greatest Hits albums for some variation. I saved up my pocket money to buy any Queen albums, videos, and merchandise I could lay my hands on. I even came back from a holiday to America with a huge poster that I found in a record shop.
When I got a DVD player, I spent hours watching all the behind-the-scenes and audio commentary I could get. The 70s and 80s became my favourite periods, and I spent hours listening to interviews on YouTube and Googling any names, music, film, and TV shows mentioned. I wore flairs. I bought a Red Special and took guitar lessons. I dragged my parents to seven Queen gigs and to watch We Will Rock You five times.
I was obsessed.
One of the stories that always stood out to me was the story behind Queen and their identity. The meaning behind the Queen crest representing each band member (each creature is the zodiac sign, with the Phoenix representing Freddie) put me onto a love of logos. The tale of why they chose Queen threw me further into the brand. The conversations about lyrics and poetry ignited a passion for copywriting. And marketing pulled all these things together into one neat career.
Except, I felt very unfulfilled.
And the Show was struggling to go on.
Don’t Stop Me Now
But in the summer of 2016, something happened.
I’d been plodding along in life. Different year, same routine. I was bored, depressed, and confused.
Pokemon Go had just been released in the UK and i was out taking a stroll through the beautiful Essex countryside by myself. The first day alone for months. I’d forgotten water and suncream. I was getting burnt and delirious from dehydration. I was just heading back home when I got a phone call.
“Can you come back to the house? Just get back quickly”
So I ran the last few blocks to my house only to be shoved into the car by my frantic mother.
“Your dad’s been in an accident.”
What followed was several hours sitting on the road while paramedics helped my dad. He’d been hit by a car while riding his motorbike. He was conscious. But his foot was… well…flat…
After 4 hours laying on the road, we head to the hospital.
We’re in the UK, where NHS wait times were through the roof. But Dad goes straight in. He’s top priority. Suddenly, things get scary. I put my headphones in and hope Queen can get me through the night.
Three blood transfusions, and a transfer to another hospital later, and my gym-loving, mountain bike-adoring dad loses his leg below the knee.
We thought it was game over.
But my dad said thought otherwise. 1 month later, he’s out of the hospital and back at the Gym. 6 weeks after the accident he’s walking. The following year, he’s cycling around France.
Nothing stopped him.
But something was stopping me. He was putting me to shame. And the answer to my conundrum lay in Queen.
Spread Your Wings
Dad’s accident taught me two things:
- Things happen at any time.
- Things should not stop you.
One day, on my lunch break with my iPod on shuffle, Freddie’s voice came across my headphones: “You can be anything you want to be“ (from Innuendo, if you want to know)
He was right. So, I quit my job with no plan. I spread my wings. I started freelancing and going to museums. I traveled around to Comic Cons around the UK. I got out of my comfort zone. And most importantly, I learnt a lot.
I found a better job. I started Uni at 27. Won a business pitching event at 28. Achieved my dream of becoming a marketing manager and became a marketing consultant for small businesses too. This year, I’m launching my app aimed at helping Amputees. I’m getting over my fear of the unknown.
I’m spreading my wings, just as Freddie Mercury sings on the News Of The World Album.
The Show Must Go On
Queen has been a source of strength for me over the years. It’s been my savour and my muse. And now I’ve found my stride.
I’ll top the bill. I’ll overkill. I have to find the will to carry on with the show.
And carry on, I certainly will.
