meeting2

Meeting Jon and Hugh

Dec 9th 2000..was a big day of ‘Firsts’ for me!
It was the first time I had taken time off work for Jovi, the first time I had met up with any of the chatters, first time I had waited in hope of meeting the guys and the first time that I actually DID meet some of them! The day proceeded in this way…..
Early morn..I get on the train…and meet a few stops later with Melissa and we travel together to London. We are due to meet with Jas, Suey, Maryann and Marika because Bon Jovi are in town to do some promo work at MTV and a local radio station. We head over to the place where they usually stay and meet with Suey and Jas but there is no sign of any activity there…after trying a few more places that they have either stayed in the past or would possibly stay in without sight nor sound of them we are becoming a little disheartened and start to think that maybe today is just not the day to see them. We then head over to the MTV studios - we know they are definitely due there – and we meet Donna, Julia, Louise, Maryann and Marika. Let me just point out that the day was cold…and we had already spent a few hours walking around London! After waiting what seemed an age…we see the cars arrive and watch the guys as they go into MTV. No opportunity to approach any of the band at that point as they were driven right up to the door and went straight in. It was at this point we learned of the hotel that they were stayin in on this visit – and that the guys were on a tight schedule so probably wouldn’t have time to stop for pics/autographs until their ‘duties’ were over with later on that night.
We retired to a nearby pub to defrost and chat a little in the warmth and then returned to the MTV studios. The information we had been given was correct…the guys came out of MTV and were taken immediately across London for the radio interview.
We again went to a put (hehehe) to defrost, met up with Cheryl and Claire and decided what to do next.
Unfortunately, one of the girls was not feeling well and needed to go home – she had travelled by coach so we split into 2 groups…one group to go over to the hotel and wait for the guys….the other to accompany our friend to the coach station.
It was getting late at this point…and we were sure that we had missed any chance of seeing any of the band.
After seeing our friend safely to the coach station we headed back across London..(ps..it was also raining by this point…about 8.30pm ish….) to the hotel…and…talk about timing…as we arrived out of the underground we were met by the others to find we had just missed Richie!!! He had gone into the hotel already!!
However….as soon as we learned that Jon was still to arrive our spirits lifted a little!
And then the car pulled up…!! Jon got out…and spent some time talking with Donna and Julia…we waited patiently and didn’t interrupt – but to see Jon so close up for the first time like that was slightly unreal. Firstly…the guy is tiny!! There is nothing of him!!! Secondly…he was really tired..you could see it in his face and just by the way that he was carrying himself.. Finally, despite being tired….he signed all the autographs that he was asked for AND he spent about 5 minutes posing for photographs.
Once he had gone into the hotel..we each went our separate ways..agreeing to meet again in the morning.
True to plan..we met up..at what we thought was the entrance to the hotel….it was certainly the place where we were the night before!! We watched some of the equipment being loaded into the van – including Richies guitar which didn’t go in the back with the other stuff…but had pride of place on the front seat!!!!! We watched various crew members go out and return with coffee and snacks (hmm..room service not any good??) but no sign of any of the band. We then overhear someone say.. ‘No the other exit’ OMG..there was another way out??….we raced around to the back of the hotel – to see the usual cars lined up at the kerbside and Hugh standing near one of them. Hugh very kindly posed for photos until he got the nod that the cars are ready to go. Its at this point we realise that Jon, Richie, Tico and Dave must be in the cars already – we missed them coming out of the hotel by minutes!! Anyway…the cars move off…and we each start to head our way home…mixed highs and lows – highs that we got some pics with Jon and Hugh…lows that we missed the other guys.
We head off into London to do some shopping and pic up the Crush Import with the extra CD….asking a policeman to take our pics!! – we were “SO” tourist!! Whilst walking about that lunchtime we hear a car beeping its horn at us…wondering who on earth it could be we turn around to see Jon’s driver stopped at the traffic lights!! He had recognised us in the middle of Londons busiest shopping area and was returning from dropping the guys at the airport.!!! We then headed our separate ways..and returned home…an amazing few days…it was great fun!