Adopt-A-Minefield Gala
28.05.2005, Neuss, Swisshotel, Germany

Friday, May 27th 2005

10 o´clock in the morning. The journey begun. I already travelled the day before to the home of my parents because it´s nearer to Düsseldorf from them. I was about 11.00 o´clock at the airport in Düsseldorf. The thought was because Heather was the chair of the "Adopt A Minefield" Gala in Neuss she and Paul would maybe arrive already a day earlier because they had to organize some things around the event. 2003 for the german concerts of the "Back In The World" Tour Paul arrived also for his concert in Oberhausen in cologne and now it was also possible that he will arrive in cologne. So a friend of mine arrived nearly the same time in cologne at the airport as I arrived in Düsseldorf. Another friend was at the hotel in Neuss since friday early afternoon.
At the airport I had first to take a look at the GAT-area were the privat-airplanes arrive. It was nearly impossible to get an complete overview about the place at the same time. So I was looking for a place where I could park my car and then I was walking nearly all the time from one place to next one to see if anything happens there. I phoned several times my friend in cologne and at the hotel but until the afternoon nothing happend. Then the "cologne guy" phoned me and told me that there just arrived 2 strech-limousines (one with about 10m lenght) at the airport but I thought that this was "too big" for Paul and so I decided to stay in Düsseldorf. Afterwards it turned out that these cars were for Rod Stewart, who played a concert in the "Kölnarena" (cologne) that night.
Because I heard from a friend that in the afternoon Mark Hamilton (personal security guy from Paul) and some other securities were at the hotel and they were checking some places (also the basement garage) I decided to stay some longer at the airport even I already was "well boiled". It was more than 30 degree celsius the complete day and the sun was shining all day. At the end of the day I already had a bad sunburn at the face and the arms.

Later that evening I heard that Mark Hamilton and some securities had also checked the airport at the afternoon but I hadn´t seen them. Also I heard that Yusuf Islam, his wife and his two daughters had arrived in the afternoon at about 15.00 with a normal scheduled airplane. A few fans which waited there at the airport had some luck and they got an autograph.

At about 9 o´clock in the evening I got a call that now no one from the security was seen at the hotel. I waited until 10 o´clock and because it then already was getting dark I drove back to the home of my parents. Day one without any luck... but with sunburn.

Saturday, May 28th 2005

The next day I drove one hour earlier to the airport and I was there at about 10 o´clock. Because of my subnurn I decided that day only to stay in the car and drive from point to point and wait there for some time. Until about 1 o´clock some more people came to the GAT-area and waited there. I don´t know what time it was but suddenly they all got in their cars and left the place. I was a bit unsecure what to do and so I followed them. But they all only drive to the main-building of the airport. Because I couldn´t believe that Paul will fly a normal scheduled flight for such an event I drove back to the GAT-area. At about 2 o´clock a friend called and told me that Mark Hamilton in a bigger Mercedes Benz and a police motorcycle just left the hotel. So if Paul would arrive in Düsseldorf I should seen them in about an hour. Until 3 o´clock still nothing happend. Half past four also nothing. 4 o´clock nothing. So I thought they wouldn´t arrive in Düsseldorf but somewere else. But they also didn´t arrive in cologne.
At about 4 o´clock I phoned another friend and he told me that I should come to the normal airport very quickly because there were 3 security people with a sign "Sir George Martin". So I drove there and I was just in time for the arrival of Sir George, the Beatles producer. He and his wife checked out at about 16.15 and after they left the door all the waiting fans (about 10 I would say) walked in George´s direction. As he saw the fans and the first asking for an autograph he said something like "I first have to find my man...". The security hadn´t seen him, I would say because of the fact they didn´t know what he was looking like. So one of the fans went to one of the securitys and told him were they should go... Then George gave about 6 autographs and then the securitys told the other waiting fans that they had to go and that they don´t have the time for more autographs. I didn´t got one until this time and I already thought that I wouldn´t have the chance either. But I walked right side behind Sir George and followed him and as he nearly reached the car I asked him kindly for an autograph. He then first sat down at the back of the car and then I had the chance to give him my LP-cover of "In My Life", his last recording with Beatles-songs played by other artists. He signed it with a golden pen I had bought specially for my trip. You should have this pen in your mind...
 

George Martin looks defintely a bit ill. I heard later that there are some rumors that he does have cancer but I can´t say anything about it. It may nothing than a rumour. Thanks to Dirk from Germany for posting that Sir. George will be celebrating his 80th birthday on January 3rd 2006.

 
 
Special thanks to Bernd Gier from Germany for providing these pictures from Paul´s arrival at the hotel
 
 
Now I had to hurry up to drive to the hotel. In the meantime I heard from a friend from the hotel that Paul already arrived at about 15.50 at the hotel. Mark Hamilton did collect there about 10 - 12 items from waiting fans and after about 20 minutes he brought them back and they were all signed by Paul.
I´m still not sure which airport the McCartney´s took. I can´t believe it was Düsseldorf. Also nothing in cologne and my friend who stayed in cologne was driven in the meantime from there to Düsseldorf but he unfortunately just missed George Martin.
 
I now had to change my clothes for the event. I had bought specially a black suit for the evening; originally they were asking for a smoking on the invitation. I think I was about 17.30 at the hotel. I had changed my clothes on a parking place because I hadn´t the time to go to my hotel-room. I went inside and after showing my ticket I got inside. I went over the red carpet (which wasn´t red at all…) and behind a barrier. Behind this barrier lots of photographers were waiting but nobody made a picture of me; seemed that I´m not famous enough ;-) What I hadn´t seen is the fact that at the end of the red carpet Paul and Heather were giving some interviews. Seemed that I had too much adrenaline in my veins. But the good think. I was filmed as I walked there after them and I should be able to upload this video shortly.... I then had to show my ticket again and now I was inside the restricted area. No security checkings at all until this place. You only had to show your ticket. There were different some different colored wristbands. The normal people got a black one. I saw also some red, white and yellow ones for press, VIPs....
 
At the floor now they offered some drinks. A few "Adopt A Minefield" posters (the known picture with Paul & Heather) were placed on a special board. On two places they had a board with an overview about the tables inside and a name-list which table you had to take (see scan). I had to sit on table No. 48; completely left side at the back but it was no problem to see what was going on at the stage and the good think was that I was able from my table to see what was going on at Paul´s table (No. 1).
 
There have been lot´s of celebrities there that evening. And there were even more who had bought a ticket themselfes and didn´t stay offically on the guestlist. I will complete this list shortly…. This is only what I do have in my mind right now.
Guestlist-celebrities:
 

Table 1

Paul & Heather
Boris Becker (tennis player)
Katharina Witt (famous german ice figure skating sportswoman)
Robin Gibb & wife (Bee Gees)
Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens)
Armin Müller-Stahl (german actor)

 

Table 2 (which was near to table 1)

George Martin & wife

Table 33

Mark Hamilton (personal security Paul)

Asmaa, Maymanah & Aminah Islam 35 (family of Yusuf Islam)
Nina Ruge (host of the german television-show / ZDF: "Leute Heute")
Pierre Brice (actor; "Winnetou")
Marius Müller-Westernhagen & wife 39 (actor & famous singer in germany (Blair Cunningham, drummer of Paul´s 1993 tour also played with Westernhagen live on a tour some years ago)).
Heinz-Rudolf Kunze (famous german singer & songwriter)
Dirk Bach (comedian & actor; he moderated the auction)
Wolfgang Suttner & wife 14(he made the "paintings" exhibition with Paul 1999 in Siegen, Germany)
Klaus Voormann 14(who made the cover-artwork for "Revolver" by the Beatles and who played base on some Lennon recordings)
Till Brönner (great german trumpet player)
Anoushka Shankar (sitar player & daughter of Ravi Shankar)
Nadja Auermann 14 (famous german fashion model)
Hans Klok 20 (magician from the Netherlands)

Celebrities I have seen who wasn´t on the offical guestlist:

Verona Feldbusch & her husband (german celebrity; was married with Diether Bohlen from "Modern Talking")
Marjke Amado 18 (televison presenter)
Sandra Maischberger 15 (journalist)
Helmut Zerlett 19 (was band-leader of the "Harald Schmidt show" who is "THE" late-nigh host)
Bill Mockridge (actor famous german soup"Lindenstrasse")
Andrea Spatzek (actor famous german soup"Lindenstrasse")
Dolly Buster (german ex-porn star)
Katja Eppstein (famous german singer)
Prof. Immendorff 34 (famous painter in germany)
Heiner Kamps (has a "string" of bake-stores all around germany)
 
 
The Gala
 

The time-schedule was already late as the first dish came and at this time a lot of seats were still empty. The starter was a salad (see scan of the menu-card). Complete menu was vegetarian. I´m since 1993 vegetarian and since about 8 years vegan. I´ve seen already some tv broadcasts about the evening were some B- and C-celebrities moaned about the food. For me it was not a "breathtaking meal" but it was definetely a good meal. Maybe people who not eating vegetarian food everyday might have some problems with it.... but they definetely won´t die if they have to eat once in a lifetime a vegetarian meal!

 
At about 19.50 after the salad the host of the evening Marco Schreyl (german television presenter / ZDF "Hallo Deutschland) came on stage and opened the event with a short welcome speech. There was a big stage and on it´s left and on it´s right there were some big screens. At about 19.55 a film was shown about landmines and the work from "Adopt-A-Minefield". The film had as background music some pieces from "Standing Stone" and at the end some parts of "Celebration" (also from Standing Stone) from the same McCartney classical tune. Heather was seen a couple of times in that film. Afterwards at about 20.04 Heather came on the stage and she also told some things about the film, the evening and about "Adopt-A-Minefield".Then she announced Anoushka Shankar (sitar player & daughter of Ravi Shankar) and she asked for not eating and drinking during her performance.
The curtains from the stage openend at about 20.10. Anoushka sat in the middle of the stage on the ground barefoot and there were 3 more "band-members" on the stage who did accompany her. She spoke a few introduction words and she said that they will play a improvisation based on a theme. The music piece took about 15 minutes and even you´re not that familiar with the indian music it had a special feeling and they got a very warm-applause. It was announced before the event that also Ravi Shankar would be there himself that evening and that he also will perform but he wasn´t there.
After the performance at about 20.27 they served a soup with mushrooms and directly afterwards the main-course, some smoked tofu with fried rice and grilled vegetables (see scans for complete menu-card above). I have to admit that I as a vegetarian do like to eat Tofu and you could really do some nice things with it but I don´t like this smoked Tofu. It is very herb and I could understand that people who don´t know Tofu at all don´t like this. So I think it would have been better to bring something else on the table.... But the rest of the main-course was just delicious.


After the meal at 21.55 Marco Schreyl the host introduced Katharina Witt (famous german ice figure skating sportswoman) and Nina Runge (host of the german TV-show "Leute Heute" / ZDF). Both told in german language why it´s important to support "Adopt-A-Minefield". Also Katharina Witt was asked how it felt to sit on Paul´s table and she said something like "It´s of course fantastic to sit next to Paul and it´s getting very hot in his area...".
At 22.02 Marco Schreyl announced the "German Pops Orchestra" which was conducted by Prof. Bernd Ruf. First they played the originally for piano written piece from Paul "A Leaf". This one was played originally by Anya Alexeyev and it was only available as a limited Maxi-CD. Years later a orchestral version of it was published on the album "Working Classcial". Second tune was "Mother Natures Son"; a guy with an accoustic guitar came to the stage. He began playing and singing alone with his guitar and then the complete orchestra joined in. Next thing were some parts of "Standing Stone" as a mix, including "After Heavy Light Years" and then ended with "Celebration". After the set Paul came up to the stage and gave the conductor a big hug. He then took a microphone and told the audience that this was a suprise from Heather for him and that he didn´t knew that they would play his classical tunes. He said "Dankeschön" (thank you). "Thank You Heather. Don´t know what to say". "Vielen Dank" (thanks a lot). "Fantastisch. Really Beautiful".


At 22.27 Nancy Rubin, chair of Adopt-A-Minefiled, was announced. She made a little speech and thanked Paul and Heather that they are doing so much for AAM.

At 22.34 Marco Schreyl announced Vera Bohle. Heather and Paul came both on the stage to honour this german lady who worked for german televison in the past but some years ago she decided to work against landmines and since then she´s living in countries like Afghanistan to clear minefields. Paul read a laudatio about her from a piece of paper. Then a little break of some seconds and Paul said something to Heather. Then he said "It´s Me Again" and he read the rest. I´m sorry I can´t tell what exatly he said. I can only say that he talked the rest in german language and got a big applause for this fact. Afterwards Vera Bohle came on the stage. She got a little painting from Paul ("Amnesty" which was also later on auctioned as a bigger lithography) inside of a translucent plastic item. Then Paul said to Vera "Now it´s your turn" and he and Heather left the stage. Then she told about her work and that she only arrived one day before from Afghanistan were she right now is busy working to clear minefields. She thanked specially her parents and she said that she was very proud about this price.

At 22.42 they served the dessert; some variations of strawberry and crème brulee.

At about 23.05 some introductory moderation for Hans Klok. He´s from Amsterdam and one of the best magicians we do have in Europe. His show lasts until 23.22 and he had some really great imaginations.

 
The auction started at about 23.25 and it was held by Dirk Bach (german comedian & actor). He is not very tall but very corpulent not to say "fat". He was wearing a blue/green dress and the first words he said was that he was wearing his "golden vegan shoes". He had a big wooden hammer and then he was asking for a desk. A few minutes later he got a translucent plasic or glas lectern and then he said "a very clever idea". First item for auction was a lithography from Paul´s paintings pictures. It had the titel "Amnesty" and it was No. 63/100 and it was also signed by Paul. First bid was 500 Euro and every next step was announced to be 200 Euro more. Because the bidding was some "dragging" Marco Schreyl told the audience that Dirk Bach would maybe take off something of his dress if someone would pay some more. Dirk Bach then said that he would getting naked if someone would pay 5000 Euros for it... (Dirk Bach did already a printing photo ad with some other actors for the PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment Of Animals) campaign "Better naked than wearing fur"). At the end it was sold for 3000 Euros. Dirk Bach asked Paul if the price was OK and he said in german language "gut. unsagbar gut" (good. unutterable good). He already said this sentence on one of the the cologne concerts 2003 I think. The buyer came on the stage (Gregor Staub) and told that he would have been willing to pay 5000 Euros if Dirk Bach will promise that he will hold on his clothes ;-)
Second item was a signed motor-sports jacket from Paul Newman. Bidding was also not going that well. At least Sandra Maischberger (a journalist and host of a show a bit like Larry King in the states; political and celebrity themes but with main-view on journalistic/political themes) bought the jacket for 3000 Euros. She also came to the front of the stage and tried the jacked which did fit well.
Third item was a Gibson Ephipone accoustic guitar. That´s the one Paul´s also still using at his concerts for the accoustic parts. This one was one of the new edition of limited numbered made guitars with Paul´s name on it. It came together in a "Paul McCartney" guitar-softcase and Paul signed it with "Paul McCartney" "AAM", "Düsseldorf 2005" and a smiling face. Beginning bid was 15000,- Euros. Again bidding was not going very well. Paul came to the stage and said "See if it´s in tune"; and it wasn´t… He then tuned the guitar while Dirk Bach tried to get some more bids. After he was ready with tuning Paul played some notes and did a short "improvisation" "If you buy me... save this little guitar...". Suddenly a man on my table directly on my right placed a bid for 18.000 Euros but unfortunately it then was sold for 20.000 Euros to the chair of "Adopt-A-Minefield", Nancy Rubin. Would have been great to see that guitar on my table and to take some closer pictures but you can´t have it all and my own purse wasn´t that big that night ;-) Right now I´m not sure if it was really intended from the lady to buy that guitar or if she only wanted to raise to amount of money but now she has a nice guitar and in any other case they could auction it again on the next charity event....
Afterwards they announced a flight to Singapore incl. hotel for one week / two persons. This one had a starting bid from about 3000,- Euros and it was sold for 4500,- Euro. This package was a donation from Singapore Airlines.
Next item was a gift coupon sponsored from the Montreux Jazz Festival. It included the abidance in Montreux incl. entrance to some concerts and some CD-packages and stuff like that. This one had a starting bid from 1000,- Euro and it was only sold for only 1500,- Euro.
At about 23.55 Yusuf Islam was going out of the hall. I was able to see it because he left on my side of the hall. Only one or two minutes later Paul was going in the same direction and followed him.
Last item of the auction was a litography from Klaus Voormann which showed Paul in the style of Elvis Presley. The art was named "Elvis McCartney". This art is known to fans from the "Run Devil Run" promotion. Starting bid was 5000,- Euros. Biddings again were quite bad and after Dirk Bach already announced end of the auction Heather stood up and took a microphone and she said some serious bits that the evening would be a "charity thing" and even the people don´t like the items which were offered they were sold to raise money for "Adopt-A-Minefield". So, the point would be to getting money and something like "she wouldn´t like to buy it herself!!!" These were really some clear words and afterwards it was at least sold for 7000 Euros to the mayor of the city Neuss. I could understand that Heather wants to raise a lot of money but the prices were already not that low (for normal people) but maybe they collect more money on kind of these charity events….
At least the main-act of the evening came and it was definetely Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens). He had a little band with him on stage with musicians he announced personally. He said that they already had played with him in the past until the time he decided to stop with the music. Then he said some words that he stopped with the music because he had to find something and now he had found it. Also he said that things change in life so that he will now make again music. He said his main reason to be at this event is to help to do something against landmines and against war. Markable to say I think for every Beatles fan is the fact that the bass-player of Yusuf did play a "Höfner violin bass 501" like Paul do; the legendary Beatles bass. He played it with the pickguard which is not on Paul´s bass he´s using these days.
Set-list of Yusuf Islam: 1. "Where Do The Children Play", 2. "The Little Ones" (new song), 3. "Peace Train", 4. "Maybe There´s A World (That´s Still To Find). He ended this song with lyris from "All You Need Is Love". This was absolutely brilliant and it seemed that Paul was also very surprised about it. As he finished Paul also stood up and clapped his hands above his head. A few seconds later Yusuf told Paul to come at the stage and he did. They played the ending again with Paul also singing. This time it ended with the "She loves you, yeah yeah yeah...." thing from the original Beatles recording from "All You Need Is Love". It seemed that this wasn´t planned and not rehearsed before. It was fantastic to be able to attend this.
Then the "midnight surprice" came, even it was already much later than midnight. Of course it was nobody else than Paul himself; he went to a piano which stood on the complete right of the stage and they played together with the band "Let It Be". It seems that it was a half-playback. Can´t say it for sure. Vocals were of course live. Shortly after they had begun with the tune most of the people stood up and then walked right in front of the stage. Unfortunately this was the only real song they played together and Paul also didn´t play anything else. The audience was completely thrilled and they both got some standing ovations after the song.
 

Right after the end of the performance german singer Doro Pesch came on stage with 2 guys from the german "american footbal" NFL team Rhein Fire. She brought a Gibson Les Paul guitar with her which Paul signed on stage. Afterwards the guitar was also signed by Yusuf Islam, Sir George Martin, Klaus Voormann, Boris Becker, Katharina Witt, Bonnie Tyler and Marius Müller-Westernhagen. They announced that this guitar should be auctioned on EBAY and that the money will go to "Adopt-A-Minefield". Right now you can find the guitar on EBAY: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=46648&item=7327304835&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW The photos you can find here are taken from this EBAY auction.

The auction now has ended and the guitar was sold for EUR 20.050,00

 
 
 
 
Here the offical EBAY-description:
 
We offer in this auction an original Gibson Les Paul guitar, which is signed by

Sir Paul McCartney!

This guitar also has been signed by:

Yusuf Islam a.k.a. Cat Stevens

Sir George Martin

Klaus Voormann

Boris Becker

Katarina Witt

Bonnie Tyler

Marius Müller- Westernhagen

during the Adopt- A- Minefield- Gala in the Swissotel/ Neuss on May, 28th this year.

* * *

This is the guitar, used during the recording session of the football song "Fire" for the NFL League Club Rhein Fire by the Band The Strangers with Doro Pesch.

* * *

The band gave the guitar to support the removal of incalculable burried landmines.

The proceeds of this auction will be donated 100% to Adopt- A- Minefield.

* * *

Please help us and place a generous bid for this precious guitar!

* * *

NO SHIPPING OF THIS ITEM!

The guitar will be handed over personally!

Paul & Heather spoke some nice goodbye words and Heather tried to hug Yusuf but he only smiled but then rejected her attempt two times. Don´t know if this has to do something with his islam religion. The performance ended at about 0.39
All I could say is that the performance from Yusuf Islam was just fantastic. It really hit me. Also it came in my mind the fact that last year Yusuf was flying to the states and then they had redirected the airplane to another city, arrested him and brought him back to europe. OK, you could only look before someones head but this man is really not a terrorist….
After a few minutes the stage was then ready for the performance of Bonnie Tyler. She performed on half playback (music from disc and live vocals; she seemed not in that good voice or maybe she´s sounding live every time that way…) the following songs: 1. It´s A Heartache, 2. Don´t Turn Around, 3. Destiny 4. Hero. What definetely surprised me was the fact that Paul & Heather stood directly before the stage and when Bonnie was singing they both were dancing, Paul was singing with the music and showed with his hands from time to time to Bonnie. I´ve never seen Paul that relaxed. Mark Hamilton was all the time directly after Paul & Heather. Paul was completely between the other "normal" audience which were also enjoying themselfs. Of course most of the views went to Paul. Also a lot of people had a little digi-cam and making pictures and no one of the securitys, even Hamilton, did something against it. They just let it happened. You could imagine that I was a bit angry that I didn´t took any camera with me which was announced were absolutely prohibited.
Now they had to change the stage and a 16-year old female german newcomer came on the stage; Valentine. She sat on a keyboard and she had a little band with her. The complete evening was also supported from EMI germany and she is a EMI newcomer which is releasing it´s first single these days. She played 3 songs which were all very ballad like but it sounded very well. Paul & Heather stood directly in front of the stage and listened to the performance.

At least the "Wheather Girls" went on stage. They opened with a A-Capella Version of "Blackbird" and the microphone seemed to explode. Paul must have left his place before the stage after the performance of Valentine. I wasn´t able to see him during "Blackbird", even Heather and Mark Hamilton was still there. After "Blackbird" they played some more songs and also all in "halfplayback". 1. I´m So Exited, 2. Born To Be Alive, 3. We Are Family, 4. Tonights The Night, 5. It´s Raining Men & 6. Don´t Leave Me This Way. Paul came back after the second or third song. He had a glass in his hands with some coke and I think another drink ;-) He danced and made the same moves as just before during the performance of Bonnie Tyler. A lot of people made pictures of him and also some people were dancing in his direction and then made a picture. So I asked someone which I get known that evening (I had made a picture from him and Boris Becker and Robin Gibb together with his camera) if he could make a picture from me and Paul. So I asked the guy next to Paul if I could move a few seconds away from Paul and he agreed. And so the new known guy made a picture of me and Paul; dancing (see scan). In the same moment he had taken it Mark Hamilton has noticed that I made a little private photo-call with Paul and he pushed me to the side. I didn´t got to near the rest of the evening in the direction of Hamilton. The performance from the "Wheather Girls" ended at about 1.35.

 
 
We stayed there some longer and collected some programs which were left over. Paul & Heather were gone directly after the performance of the "Wheather Girls". Also most of the other people went home afterwards.
 
Here is some more "small-talk".... Anoushka Shankar turned on the whole night Boris Becker by dancing very close to him and making him nice eyes. And they left together the party after the "Wheather Girls" :-) I was able on their way outside to asked Anoushka for an autograph, even it looks a bit like a fast one...
 
Every visitor got about midnight a present; a bag with some various items. The man got a nice pen, a maxi-CD from "Valentine" (see above; EMI newcomer), a restaurant guide (I had one from milan) and a european pressing from Pauls "Back In The World" double album. Everyone had to show his ticket to get this back and it seems that I lost my ticket afterwards ;-´(
 
Sunday, May 29th 2005
 
 
 
I was in bed about 3.30 early in the morning. But I wasn´t really able to sleep; I was only able to doze a bit. I was completely awake at about 6.30 and at 7.30 o´clock I decided to stand up. I took a shower and afterwards I drove back to Paul´s hotel. I think that I was there at about 8.30 (Paul mentioned at the end of the Gala that it was already late and that he had to leave about 9 o´clock). I was just a few minutes there as Klaus Voormann (who made the cover-artwork for "Revolver" by the Beatles and who played base on some Lennon recordings) came out of the hotel. He was only wearing some short sports trousers and a t-shirt. Already about 5 fans waited at the hotel to this time. Nobody asked him for an autograph as he left but someone did as he came back about 20 minutes later. I already was able to get an autograph from him a few weeks ago at a Beatles-festival in east germany were he also was a guest but then I thought it would also be a good opportunity to asked if he will sign the program from the gala. I gave him my golden pen (!!!) and he signed the program. He then went inside the hotel and about 2 minutes later he came back outside and he asked me if I could give him my golden pen because he had to sign some paintings for the hotel. So I gave him my pen and waited at the entrance. About 5 minutes later he came back and gave me back my pen.
 
 
At about 9.14 George Martin and his wife left the hotel. He gave 2 or 3 autographs and then they left again in a Audi A8 limousine the hotel. There were a lot more people asking for an autograph but they said that they had to go. Afterwards I heard from a fan who was waiting at the airport that the security didn´t helped him to check in and that he had some problems with it. This guy told him then where to go and he got another autograph afterwards ;-)
Half an hour later a manager from the hotel came out and asked: "Who has the golden pen?". I said that it´s mine and he asked if he could have it and I would get an black one instead of it. I said that this wouldn´t be a good trade and that I need the pen in case Paul will leave the hotel and sign some items. The manager then said that he also needs the pen to let Paul sign some items for the hotel. After I was not willing to give him the pen he told me that I should give him one item which I would like to have signed and so I gave him another program from the gala.
Until 9.30 the security once stood at the main entrance of the hotel and then later at the basement garage and afterwards they moved again and every time the fans also moved with them because they thought he could get out at the other place… seemed to be a little game. Then suddenly a few people from the waiting fans at the main-entrance (I was at the garage to that time) shouted that they had seen Paul in the hotel and so I run through the driveway in the direction to the entrance. On half way the hotel-manager with my pen (yes, the golden one…) came towards me and he had my programm in his hands.... and YES, it was signed :-D (see scan). I was abolutely thrilled. I was already able before to get two times a personal autograph from Paul (2003 in Munich and 2004 in Leipzig) but after all these endeavours of the last 2 days this was the biggest award that I was able to get. I hadn´t expect that I will really get an autograph. The manager told that Paul has signed it just before his breakfast. He also said that it´s nearly for sure that Paul won´t give any more autographs later when they left. I thanked the manager and then I wasn´t able to hide my joy. Even I wouldn´t try any longer to get an autograph I wanted to see Paul leaving and maybe I would have the chance to take some photographs. So I still stayed at the hotel.
 
Some later Katharina Witt left the hotel, she only signed one or two items and left also in a Audi A8 Limousine.
At about 10 minutes after 11 o´clock two people of the security went to the basement garage and so all the fans followed him. At 11.16 two Mercedes Benz limousines left the garage. In the first one I could recognize Mark Hamilton and in the second one was Heather and Paul at the back. Heather sat on right side, on which the fans stood. She was waving her hand and Paul did the same. I tried to take some pictures but it was going all that fast. I made two photos by just holding the camera in the direction of the car. I don´t think that there is anything on them because one of the securitys suddenly came in my direction because a guy right from me me moved to the car. I will let you know if there could be seen anything on these photos.
I don´t know which airport they took when they flew home. My friend who waited the two days before at the airport in cologne was already back home. I hadn´t the motivation to drive after them, also I think that it would have been very hard to follow the car and it was also not necessary. I had everything what a fan could imagine for one weekend. So I was very happy with the last days.
All The Best

Markus den Boer
Germany

 

 

 A new star is born ;-)