It's easy to forget just how important Sheffield is to the world of snooker when you live in the city. I have been to the championships on several occasions soaking up the atmosphere of the hushed arena at the Crucible. People come from all over the world whereas all I do is jump on the tram at the bottom of the road.
The seating is comfortable, the air warm and dry, the audience 'oh so quiet' as Bjork sang. So quiet in fact that my brother-in-law soon fell asleep and only awoke when he started to snore.
While he slept, O'Sullivan was scoring yet another century. Ah, missed it.
Walking around town you get used to seeing world champion Mark Williams with his pals, or Steven Hendry being interviewed in the Winter Garden by Hazel Irvine.
When I was a volunteer presenter with Sheffield Hospital Radio I entered the Crucible via the stage door seeking an interview for my 'guest request' spot. A quick word with the BBC production team and they dashed off to find me someone to chat to about their favourite music. A few minutes later and they came back to ask whether Steve Davis would do! 5 times world champion and one of my heroes? Needless to say, Steve was perfect.
My latest book, A Mere Mortal, still in editing, reveals more about how the interview went, his views on cheating, Sheffield, and soul music. Ironically there is also a paragraph or two about the time I met Hazel Irvine herself at an athletics meeting in Don Valley and left her in a panic.