Stephen's Album Signing (22/06/00)


Thursday June 22nd 2000, Stephen's Album Signing and the first time I properly got to meet him - but it was soo cool he was even looking out for me to give me a special little message - aww how sweet!

OK so after unbelieveable hassel from my parents and being told I shouldn't be going etc etc it was finally agreed I could go (but not very nicely). So Thursday morning came, so I got up at 7am - had to leave at 7:30 to go for the train - eventually left at 7:45 with Dad who was dropping me at the train station on the way to work. So I got the 8:47 from Southampton to Waterloo (where there were loads of people dressed up all posh for ascot hehe - what a sight!) and got in about 10:10 and all the loo's were out of order agh! Anyway, so I got the tube to Picadilly Circus and rang Jo who I was meeting up there, and we managed to meet up. She was waiting outside the tube station for me so then we went to Burger King to find some loo's lol and then joined the queue. There were only about 20 people in front of us which was quite cool...and we sat down and chatted to everyone sat near us and got up a few times to go and get magazines or stuff and then were let back into the queue obviously, so we didnt lose our place : ). So the 6 hours (yes I think I'm mad too!) went really quickly and we even seemed to be a bit of a tourist attraction with loads of Japanese tourists taking pics and videoing us... hmm ok then?! Ok so we were told we would be let in about quater to four - so that was ok.... So while we were waiting I rang April to let her know I was there and everything as I'd promised she'd was get a call after I had met him anyway, so I thought I'd let her know where I was in the queue (and I was bored). Anyway so about 3ish Jo and I went to see how long the queue was and saw Katherine and Susan and a few others we recgonised - so we chatted to them for a while then went back into the queue and about half 3 everyone stood up and we shuffled up all ready to go in; and then about 4 we were let in (after some guy from the press had taken pics of us lol - opps hmm so how would I explain that one if anyone saw me lol as I was 'ill' off school hehe - had stephen-itous or erm the gately bug as someone at school put it hehe!). As we walked in I could hear Stephen's album playing - it was just at the start of New Beginning, and we were marched in little groups of about 20 downstairs to where Stephen was going to be and lined up round the edge of the store and in pairs...then when the queue was right round the store and they had replaced all the cd racks in front of where Stephen was going to be sitting with cd's of his album - and the album was still playing so we were kind of singing along quitely and looking at the little table he was going to be sitting at. So then at last (after what had seemed like forever - the last half an hour went soooo slowly) THE man arrived hehe. Met by quite a bit of screaming by some people...(not that many though as I mean we were just about to meet him so it was either stunned silence from some or why bother blowing his earholes out and looking silly when you're going to be talking to him in about 2 mins!) So he posed for a few press pics with copies of NB in front of the table - looking lovely - he was wearing a white t-shirt and black top and red trousers. Then he went and sat down and they started letting people go up and see him - and in no time it was my turn hehe (at this point my brain completely disconnected itself from the rest of my body and everything I had thought of to say had just gone oops!) Anyway so I said hi to him and asked him to sign my album cover and took a couple of pics while he was doing that then he looked up and smiled so I could get a pic of him looking right into the cammera - aaww how sweet : ). So then I asked if I could have my pics with him and he was like yeah sure - so I leant towards him and he leant towards me over the table and we were cheek to cheek (but not in the pics as that was as I was standing up again doh!)

Pic 1 of me and Steo:

(well at least he looks nice hehe) Oh and a slightly bizzare observation but he smelt really nice too!

So then he gave me a hug and a kiss - aawww he's really lovely! And I said thank you again, he smiled and said thats ok thanks - so then Jo got her cover signed and a pic with him which I took while trying just about successfully not to drop everything - and then as she had asked for it to be to Jo, I said oh yeah could you sign mine to Julia please. And he was lovely again saying yeah sure and took it back and said to who? and so I said to Julia - and he signed it with a little grin on his face and goes 'oh hi Julia by the way April says hi' (with the cutest grin on his face!!). Ok so at this point I was even more shocked and dumb struck than before - thinking how on earth?! huh?! what?! - so I was like ok then thanks - I think I said something anyway but must have looked very shocked as he then looked all concerned at me and goes you are the right Julia aren't you (aawww hehe) and so I managed to get my brain slightly in gear again and said oh yeah sorry yeah I am - thanks or something like that. (All this time I'd had the letters - one from me and one from a friend - in my hand doh) and so then I picked up my bag and said thank you very much Stephen and he smiled at me with one of *those* smiles - like the one he did for the pic before and said no problem thats ok and thank you - aawww bless - so then the security guy told us to go and to go over to the doors which were the way out - and then we got to the doors and I realised oh no I still had our letters in my hand - agh! oops! So I ran back over to right near him and gave it to the security guy and stayed there while he put it on the table and Stephen looked up and asked who it was from so the security guy pointed me out and Stephen waved and smiled again while mouthing thanks. And then still kinda in a dream we went outside and promptly went to join the back of the queue again hehe - so we went back outside and round to the front and there was pracitacally no queue at all by that time so we got let in again almost strainght away - by now it was about hmmm nearly five or a bit before I reckon - not sure wasn't really looking at the time...

So we got let in again - hiding the signed copies just in case- and I found my photo I had taken with me from the concert in Dublin, just in case we managed to go through twice hehe - not that we had planned the attempt at all or anything...

So we queued round the inside of the shop and I spotted Katherine doing the same as us not far behind so I said hi to her and chatted a bit - she was also a bit confused about Stephen's little message for me hehe - but how cool was that - he'd been looking out for me aww!

So we got back round to the front of the queue again (and a few infront had been in before as well lol) after getting our free cans of virgin coke hmm....anyway so he recognised me again instantly and said hi again with a little grin then hmm..so you're another returner! So I kind of smiled and said yeah had to come and see you again - and he smiled and signed the pic and was about to sign the other pics I had had in my hand and put on the table but I moved them just before he did doh! (cos I didn't want to look really greedy wanting loads and I was only expecting him to sign the one again). Anyway so this time I went round the table to his side and got a hug and another pic - and he was lovely again. I said thanks again - but just as Jo took the pic one of the instore people started talking to him (which he tried to ignore - but thats why his head is turned that way....but he was like I cant now I'm doing this, to whatever they had said aww) and then Jo got her pic signed and a pic with him - and he smiled again as we left for the second time - and i said thanks again to him - I think it was one of the few words I was managing to remember... and he said bye.

julia&stephen pic 2 hehe:

And so then we went out again and didn't try and go in again' cos I thought 3 times might be pushing it hehe. Anyway so I rang april and babbled down the phone at her - and she asked me if I was shocked and i was like yeah!! and so she told me how she got the message to him. She'd sent a fax about ADB to the store and said about being there in it - but aaww how sweet was it of him to remember though! He's so lovely, but seriously there was no wiping the smile of my face - it was fixed!

So then we went round the back to see if we could see him coming out - and his car got a parking ticket I think, while we were there - oops! I saw 'katerine' and 'rose mary' hehe and 'rebbeca' lol and erm a few others and I rang helen and babbled down the phone at her - not sure if either her or april understood a word of what i was trying to say - or even if I did at the tie really! But i was under orders to not wait around and go straight home so I had to go before he left because I had to get the 7:30 train home - waited as long as I could but... so I said goodbye to everyone and made my way home - very happy and listening to the album all the way home lol

I will probably look back on this and find what I've written very embarassing but hope u enjoyed reading it! feel free to ask lots of questions and whatever via the message board or email me
love and gately grins, hugs, smiles, winks, waves etc etc hehe
Julia

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