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There was never a nicer girl on the club scene than Nicola Bateman. She'd only come to London from Hampshire as she felt like "living and breathing" the way she looked. Indeed, dressing up was always an innate thing for her. She did look odd - considering - as she buried her head under various bathing caps, a black school teacher's hat, a green hair piece and the trademark diamante Dame Edna glasses. That's certainly the look she worked on her first visit to Taboo, complete with a 1940s printed swimsuit and a pleated skirt. That night she had a bit more pocket money than usual. So she decided to give Pyramid, her regular Wednesday night haunt, a miss (she'd get a weekly comp from The Bell for that) to try out that infamous new venture she'd been told about, run by one Leigh Bowery. She had a boyfriend in tow, but ruthless door whore Marc Vaultier denied him entry as he didn't like his look. Undeterred, she ditched him and went in alone only to find the place was almost empty. Leigh was mincing around with a can of Pils in his hand when he spotted her sitting in the cocktail bar area. Strangely enough, he went up to her, knelt on his knee to introduce himself and ended up writing his phone number using her lipstick. Little did she know that that short encounter was about to change her life forever (indeed, she ended up marrying the guy). Only, when she rang him, he typically pretended not to know who she was. She ignored the humiliation and he put her name on the guest list for the following Wednesday. 'It was a long courtship,' she laments, as if still exasparated, 'as he never phoned me. But I was hooked and determined to be part of his life. Eventually, the phone rang and he invited me to a Bodymap fashion show. He took me back to his house afterwards and I met all his friends. Then I didn't hear from him for about 6 months.' Suddenly Leigh remembered that that keen little provincial girl was studying printed textile design at the Middlesex Poly and he would need her services. So he rang and asked her if she wanted to work for him. The excellence of her labour led to her working for other scenesters, the likes of Rachel Auburn, Pearl and The Royal Ballet's Matthew Hawkins. Nicola was in seventh heaven as she could at last be close to the object of her obsession. 'We had a mutual interest,' she ponders apropos, 'HIMSELF'. Was romance ever on the card, you might wonder? 'We did get it on, possibly to get the issue out of the way,' she reveals rather candidly, 'and that turned out to be a fling for about a month. Then he chucked me like a soiled glove, 'cos I wasn't a challenge anymore, and I got quite hurt by that. Thankfully, the friendship survived. He kept me amused by being so mischievous. When we were skint, we'd get home on the tube or the night bus. Leigh would pull his wig back to shock people and say things out loud like "Pull your knickers up Nicola!". One night, he dumped me in a rubbish bin in Piccadilly Circus. Everything was a game to him. He loved lying, plotting, scheming, cheating and misleading people. He was rude to a lot of them as well, especially to Philip Sallon. I think he felt threatened by him. They antagonised each other. I used to have to apologize for him all the time. But if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I loved Leigh with all my heart. I think he was loyal to me and he involved me in everything he did. I think he chose me very wisely ...' Nowadays, Nicola lives in Brighton, brings up two children and naturally manages Leigh Bowery's estate.

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