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Good for hymn! Preacher sleeps out to get new iPhone
A gadget-loving preacher queued up from 1.30am to make sure he was the first man in town to get hold of the new iPhone 4.0.
Sam Neves, 28, came equipped with a mattress to the O2 shop on Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, early this morning.
Mr Neves, of Elstree Road in Woodhall Farm, was first in the queue with fellow Adventist and friend Jader Feijo, 23, who lives in Harlesden, North London, and a full-time software developer.
The Brazilian pair, who also came packing iPads, develop apps for the iPhone, and are releasing one next week which is an electronic hymn book.
"I had to make sure we got here first – I've got a flight to America at 3.30!" said Mr Neves, who is a pastor at a church in Wimbledon.
"It was really cold. I couldn't get a hot chocolate anywhere I had to drive down to the BP garage by the M1 in the middle of the night."
There were around 70 people queuing outside the store by the time it opened at 8.02am.
Groups of people could also be seen clustered around the Orange, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse stores in the town centre.
Charlie Payne, 28, of Bronte Crescent, Woodhall Farm, arrived at the O2 shop 6am but found he was 10 places back from the front.
"I thought I would be first but I didn't expect those guys to be there at 1.30am!"
O2 Staff had to turn customers away because demand was so high.
Paula Cave works at O2 head office but was in Hemel managing the phone's launch.
She said: "We had to turn a lot of people away unfortunately but just directed them to website, where they can find out more about when the product will be available."
What lengths did you go to to secure your iPhone or something else you desperately wanted?
Let us know by calling 01442 898443.
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
