Error Converting Datatypes

Hello,



Firstly, i need to work out why I cannot change my datatypes(please see query)






Code Snippet

SELECT * FROM (

SELECT top 10

ref,

RecordDate,

TransactionID,

StatusChangedTimeStamp,

TransactionStatus,

PartyTransactionStatus,

BadDeliveryReason,

TradingDaysRef

FROM (

SELECT 1 seq,

'ref' ref,

'RecordDate' RecordDate,

'TransactionID' TransactionID,

'TransactionStatus' TransactionStatus,

'StatusChangedTimeStamp' StatusChangedTimeStamp,

'PartyTransactionStatus' PartyTransactionStatus,

'BadDeliveryReason' BadDeliveryReason,

'TradingDaysRef' TradingDaysRef

UNION ALL

SELECT 2 seq,

cast(ref as bigint),

RecordDate,

TransactionID,

StatusChangedTimeStamp,

TransactionStatus,

PartyTransactionStatus,

BadDeliveryReason,

TradingDaysRef

FROM dbo.ParticipantTradeStatusChange

) x

order by seq, RecordDate

) y



The error returned is:



Server: Msg 8114, Level 16, State 5, Line 1
Error converting data type varchar to bigint.



The reason for me doing this, is exporting both column names & data to a xls file.



Secondly, once i get the query to complete...I kindly ask, how would i make this query a little swifter in which, i mean, select the top 100 from the table then SELECT the columns...when i do



SELECT top 10 * FROM (

SELECT *



It falls over and dies



Help much appreciated

thanks,

i