Part 3 - Up North

Welcome back everyone!!  Thanks for the comments, hope your all having a lovely weekend :-)  Here's Part 3.  (I'm thinking about doing two entries tomorrow - I'll see how I feel :-)

After the show ended the queueing group met up, got back some tickets and a few of us decided to find the bands hotel.  Michelle (who I shall tell you about later), found out they were staying at the Hilton.  (Remember in the first part I mentioned it - see I was right LOL.......) Apparently they had been staying there for the last 3 days (whether that's true or not is another matter - but if they were then they were there when I pointed at it!!) Anyway back to the topic, Sarah had her car and 6 of us managed to pile into this fiesta.  We hid Michelle under my coat so the police wouldn't stop Sarah for having too many people in her car!!

It seemed like ages that we had been driving round Newcastle.  All I knew was that if we headed towards the bridge we wouldn't be far away - but trying to find the bridge was a nightmare.  Eventually Sarah asked some random people and we managed to find it   By this point it had started raining again grrr.......but there was shelter so we got out of the car and went and stood under it.  There were other fans there too, such as Jamie and Alessia.

The first to turn up was one of the Beat-the-street buses and Jim Beach (manager) stepped out.  He looked at us and said "Don't get cold." LOL......Next Roger's car turns up.....aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, I had in mind I wanted a photo - well the last one was taken in 1999 time for an update, this was my moment !!  He got out of the car with his girlfriend and PA.  His girlfriend went inside and a couple of people, including Sarah said hello to her.  I didn't coz I was too busy concentrating on Rog!!  He stood by the boot of the car just talking to someone for ages, then he was mobbed by us lot.  Sarah showed him some photos I think, and at some point he said jokingly but with meaning, "I don't like photos."  So that put an end to my idea then!!    Sarah tried to have her pic taken with him but he wasn't looking up and smiling underneath his hat, it's quite a funny pic!!  I was determined to see him and kept switching ends to get a better view.  In the end I gave up but Trina thrusted a ticket at me and told me to get it signed.  So I went back and ended up standing in front of him and said "Roger pleaaaaasssssseeee" I don't know why I said that lol.......I handed him my ticket and kept hold of it as he signed it.  Whilst he was signing it he also held the ticket so our fingers were touching the whole time  aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.......Then when he finished he looked at me for what felt like ages (lookin back on it I could've said something to him but I was dumbstruck and just stared into those gorgeous eyes :-)  He then said, "This is the point where I'd usually say 'Oh look there's Brian'".  I fell for that and glanced round to see Brian's car LOL........Doh!!  I felt like such a muppet.  Anyway he started to make his way inside and was saying goodbye to everyone.  Gavin and Sarah said 'see you tomorrow' so I copied them and he put his thumb up and said 'take care.'  He was so lovely and sweet, I expect the person whose ticket I have is kicking themselves right now LOL.......

 

Another beat-the-street bus turned up next.  An American guy got out and said that Paul would give autographs if we formed an orderly queue inside.  So that was good coz it got us all out of the cold with a promise of something.  Paul got out of the bus and made his way down the queue.  I wanted a piccie, not an autograph so Trina took one for me and got herself an autograph.  Paul was lovely and seems very sweet and genuine.  Wasn't sure about his entourage though, they appeared quite mean, but at least they get the job done I guess!!

  When Paul was finished the rest of the band got out of the bus eg: Spike and Jamie (no idea where Danny was!!)  Jamie was pissed and quite a laugh watching him and Sarah have a chat then have his pic taken with her.  He was literally grabbing hold of her so he didn't fall down I think LOL......then when he spotted Cat he pulled her into the pic too.  I touched Spike on the arm and asked if he was enjoying himself.  He said he was, bless him!!

We made our way back outside and eventually Brian turns up.  He says he doesn't want to give autographs or photos.  That was until Gavin started a conversation about the bloke who was videoing earlier.  That softened him up and a few of the people there managed to get photos.  Unfortunately Trina didn't!!  :-(

 

Trina and I then said goodbye to all our new found friends and walked back to our hotel which wasn't that far from the Hilton.  We decided to get up by at least 5ish to get to the queue early enough the next day.  Yeah I know we're mad!!

04/05/2005 - MANCHESTER - EVENING NEWS ARENA

Managed to get up fairly early and caught the 6.15am train to Manchester.  Was not amused that we could see the Hilton from the train.  I just kept thinking how Roger was probably still in bed fast asleep, it wasn't fair!!  Eventually we got to Manchester just after 9ish I think!!  Trina managed to sleep on the train, but as we had no idea where the stop was I felt inclined to stay awake.  This did not bode well for the rest of the day!!  We got into the taxi and it took us to the Stays Inn.  I had booked this online twice.  Once through multi map and once through another site which I received an email from a fellow Queen fan (regular journal viewers may remember that!!) So I cancelled the booking through multimap and confirmed the booking with the guy on the email.  When we got there they had a different version of events and that I had cancelled it altogether!!  I was not amused, probably coz I was tired!!  Luckily though they did still have a room and if we wanted breakfast we had to pay extra again!!  (Where and when did hotels get the idea ofcharging for breakfast??)  Dropped off our bags in asmoking room, the only one available to check into at that time and walked to the venue.  Got there at 10ish.  All the people who were there in Newcastle were already there apart from Alessia.  There was also 3 Maltese people and a young lad by the name of James and his mates.  James was lovely, he's only about 17/18 and he's obessesd with Brian, plus it was his first Queen gig so he was really excited.  We all wanted to mother him...........

So do we??  Will Manchester be any better than Newcastle?  Will I EVER hug Roger??   Find out tomorrow............

Take care peeps.......