A CHALFORD based Mel C superfan will see her dream come true when the spice girl performs at Chalfest this weekend. 

Ecotricity worker Sharon Humberstone, aged 57, says she has been to see Mel C over 40 times, but none as close to home as when the 'Sporty' spice headlines Chalfest on Saturday. 

Sharon said:" I have lost count of the exact number of times I have seen Melanie performing live now, but it’s definitely around the 40 mark.

"Although I have been to so many gigs and concerts, I have never met her. 

"I also often joke that I must be the ‘oldest Melanie C Fan’ at the ripe old age of 57.

"Hardly a day goes by that I don’t have her music playing at home or in the car.

"I live in Chalford, so I obviously love Chalfest, and have often joked over the past 5 years or so, with all my long-suffering friends and family about how amazing it would be if Melanie headlined Chalfest.

"When it was announced that she would be headlining, so many friends, family, acquaintances, who all know how much I love Melanie, messaged me or called to see if I had seen the news.

"I don’t think I believe it even now, just a few days before it’s due to happen.

"Unlike most of their fans in the mid to late 1990’s, I was way older than a ‘typical’ Spice Girls teenage fan, as I was the grand old age of 30 at the time, but I just loved all those memorable pop songs.

"I went to see her perform live for the first time, in the early 2000’s at the newly renamed ‘Bristol Beacon’ venue - I was hooked. 

"Having seen and heard Melanie perform live that first time, I then followed her career closely and whenever she was touring, I got tickets for the closest venues to home.

"When I say ‘close’, normally that was London, Birmingham or Manchester, so not really that close to home at all.

"As well as these big city dates, in 2018, I saw Melanie perform her, as yet unreleased album at the time, Version of Me, at a one-off gig ‘Under the bridge’, literally underneath Stamford Bridge, Chelsea FC stadium. 

"To list just a few of the other times I have seen Melanie perform, there’s Pub in The Park in Bath in 2022, at the Boisdale club in Canary Wharf in 2017 and at Tamworth Castle last year, as support for Jack Savoretti and of course, plus at the O2 in 2008 for the Spice Girls Reunion Tour, and again with Spice Girls in their amazing 2019 tour.

"When on stage, Melanie is energetic and engaging. Her voice is always powerful, and she always gives 100%.

"All those miles I’ve travelled, hours of time spent in a car to get to lots of different venues all over the country, and now, Melanie will be playing just a 10-minute walk from where I live.

"This is truly amazing, and still a little unbelievable to be honest.

"Thank you to all at Chalfest for making this happen.

"I am beyond excited to have Melanie C play a gig so very close to home."