Sunday March 8 2009

Last night at the hotel we heard rumours that Michael would be leaving early the next morning, so we decide to get up early and head out. Me and EM, who was staying in my flat get to the hotel about 8am. We do a circuit of the building and are kinda surprised to find no other fans there. We come back to the back entrance of the hotel and stand at the corner, just underneath Michaels windows. We notice a car parked beside the hotel and wonder who it is. After awhile, a guy gets out of the car and comes over to us. Its a PAP, who has been tipped off by hotel secuirty that Michael would be leaving around 10am. Well as soon as we heard that, both me and EM get on our phones, texting and calling as many fans as we could, to get here NOW.

By 9.30am, we managed to get around 15 fans there,not bad for 1 hours notice . By this stage Michaels big white car had appeared at the hotel entrance, and we all took up positions along the barriers. It was a really sunny morning, cool, but not cold and the atmosphere among the fans was soo nice. We all knew each other, everyone was happy if majorily tired, we were talking about concert tickets and making plans for the summer.

I noticed the way the car was parked and that when the door was opened that it would be very close to the hotel building, so I managed to get a spot at the barrier which was directly in front of the car door. This ment that I was at the very end of the barrier, with the building wall on my left. The other fans were further along the barrier, not near me, and so one of the PAPS stood in the space beside me on my right.

At about 10.15am, the hotel door opened and security came out and put some hand luggage bags into the car and the driver got in and started the engines.

At around 10.30, the driver opened the passenger doors of the car, and Michael and his children walked out of the hotel. I was directly in front of Michael, screaming his name and waving a card,trying to get him to come over to the barriers to us. He looked right at me, smiled and started to come over, but then he saw the PAPS and changed his mind. He instead stood up on the car door frame, waving and blowing kisses to us.

The he got into the car and closed the doors. Almost immediatly, he opened the window where he was sitting in the car, and as the car started moving out of the car park, we were able to walk with the car, “posting” our letters and cards though the window to him, and telling him “goodbye” and “see you in July” and “have a safe journey”. The car turned out of the hotel property and into the London traffic. I just stood there, waving and blowing kisses until I couldnt see the car anymore.

That was the last time I ever saw him, 10.45am, Sunday 8 March 2009……….