An Open Letter To Robbie Williams

Hi Rob!

 Let me start by congratulating you on a very well-deserved Brit Icon Award! As you noticed last night in the Troxy and on social media, we (the friendlies) are very proud of you! I couldn’t come, but I watched video’s and read stories of my fellow-friendlies that were there. I can’t wait to see the show on tv, or perhaps dvd / blu-ray?

 Let me take you on a little journey… I’ve been following you ever since you left Take That. I always say: I like TT’s music, I love Rob’s. :-)
In 2003 I had tickets for the tour but I got a nasty flu and wasn’t able to go. Needless to say I was bummed! In 2006 I got tickets again and yay, it was time to go to my first ever Robbie Williams concert! Then a week before that, my mum died unexpectedly… I was devastated and unable to queue at the time my friends and I had planned. But thanks to my fellow-friendlies (then called F-gang for Forum-gang, your RW-forum) I could come a bit later to queue and they got me the best possible spot in the venue, right in the middle in front of the stage, in front of you. Just as my mum would have wanted I had a great time!
I also went to the live broadcast of The BBC Proms in 2009, the Take That & Robbie concert in 2011 and the Take The Crown Tour in 2013.
 In 2014 I bought tickets for the Swings Both Ways concert in Amsterdam. I was so happy when I won the Upfront Meet & Greet on May 4th! I went there with my husband; remember the tall guy that made you stand on tip-toes? ;-) You almost ignored us at first because you thought we were just from the record company, but then made up for it big time. We all laughed when your security guy accidentally put out the lights. We chatted and thoroughly enjoyed the time you spent with us, and the concert was great too of course!
When the LMEY-tour was announced we heard it would be different venues and festivals. In The Netherlands you came to Pinkpop. Unfortunately I have some medical issues that make me unable to stand for a longer period of time, so I knew I couldn’t make it there. My budget didn’t allow me to travel abroad to go to one of the concerts there that did have seated tix. Of course I was a bit disappointed but I still enjoyed it by watching you on Periscope while chatting with other friendlies on Upfront and by video’s, pics and stories of others. There were already rumours of a new album and a real stadium-tour in 2017 so I promised myself I’d definitely see you there!

That brings me to the present day. The last week it was Robbie-time! :-) I tried to get tix for the intimate gigs/tv-things you did over here in The Netherlands. No luck, not a problem. I watched you on tv and liked it almost as much! I got the new album and I really love it! I put my holiday plans for 2017 on hold in anticipation of the announcement of the HES-tour dates. Yesterday I was anxiously checking your website, Upfront, Ticketmaster, Twitter, etc. And YAY, finally… they were there! I was surprised to see Nijmegen in the list, but anywhere in our country would be okay. The Goffert Stadium is beautiful and a great place for a concert. Then I suddenly noticed it said GoffertPARK. O no… that’s an outside venue, just a green field in a park. I really don’t understand why they chose these venues and not one of the many suitable stadiums in The Netherlands: Arena, Kuip, there are many… Is it too much to ask for stadiums on a stadium tour? I don’t think so… I’m just a genuine long-time fan that wants to go to the concert! Belgium got the same with Werchter. This means no seated tickets… I won’t be able to go… Again… I felt sooo disappointed… gutted, in pain even. :-(

Years ago you asked me and my fellow-friendlies to grow old with you. I said YES then and I still say YES today with all of my heart and soul. But you know, when people get older some get little infirmities, ailments, medical issues. More than that, even young people too… Not always too serious thank gods, but still stopping them from doing what they were used to. No Inner Pits for me and that’s a shame, but I still enjoy the concerts! Yes, I need a seat, but I won’t stay on it for long. I dance, I cheer, I even jump, but in between that I just need to sit down for a while. And I’m not the only one. I’ve read several similar sentiments everywhere.

Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame you! I know you probably don’t hand-pick the venues, you’ll have people for it, and that makes perfect sense of course. But perhaps you could have a talk with them…? So maybe next time, next tour it could be different. In the meantime I’ll be looking into possibilities to see if I can manage to do a concert with seated places in Germany. A girl can try, can’t she? ;-)
I understand you can’t do a lot right now for this tour, but you’ve always been open and honest with us friendlies so I thought I’d return the favour.

Much love, Cora (TinkNL on Upfront)

Farewell to Aims

Amy Louise Cartwright 
August 13, 1983 - August 21, 2014

Last week I got a message from a friend, that our mutual friend Amy had died peacefully in her sleep. It was a big shock, she was just 31... 

We all got to know each other online in the original Robbie Williams forum on his website years ago. We called ourselves the F-gang (forum-gang) and had almost daily contact as regular posters there. We had a lot of fun, but also discussed serious matters and supported each other through good and bad times. Amy, or Aims as we knew her, was the only one that lived in Stoke, Robbie's place of birth. She happily sent out postcards and shared the recipe for oatmeal cookies, a local snack. She was ever there with a friendly word, advice or virtual hug for everyone. She talked about Robbie, her life and her passion for hamsters. On her birthday and for X-mas I always tried to get her a card with hamsters...

In 2005 I met Aims for the first time when she traveled to The Netherlands for the first F-gang meeting. It was a lovely weekend with a group of friends.
In 2006 a smaller group came together for a few days to go to the Robbie Williams concert in London (later transferred to Milton Keynes). Aims booked a room for all of us in a youth hostel behind Tavistock Place. At the concert we met a few others. We had a great time together, both in London and at the concert! Read my report here.

Although the old forum doesn't exist anymore I always kept in contact with Aims (and other F-gangers). First by e-mail and later on Facebook. Not frequent, but on a regular basis. We also exchanged birthday and x-mas cards, though we both missed a few. That was never a problem, lives get busy. A few weeks ago I almost forgot her birthday and placed a card on her wall. I didn't know her Facebook profile had been hacked some time ago and she didn't spend much time there. The next thing I heard was the sad, sad news of her passing...

I really wanted to go to the funeral to pay my respects and give my condolences to her family and friends. Unfortunately I can't afford to go. The F-gang and other friends from the forum got together and we decided to raise money for a flower arrangement and a donation to a charity in her honour.
Around the world several people will light a candle today at the time of her funeral, and again next week for the woodland burial of her cremated remains. Some of us also lit a candle online here.

Rest in peace, Aims....

as Robbie sings it: 

You're one of God's better people 

And you don't know 

That's why you're special

You were a truly special, amazing woman

who touched the hearts of everyone who knew you

You'll be missed

gone but not forgotten

~*~*~*~*~*~

Meet & Greet with Robbie Williams

Some weeks ago I got an e-mail about Upfront with Robbie Williams, a paid membership section of his website to ‘accompany’ him on the Swings Both Ways tour. For just 3.99 pounds a month members are treated to phone calls from Robbie, regular text messages, online chats and access to exclusive photos, videos and audio clips that can’t be found anywhere else. I joined immediately. At first I didn't even notice the possibility of winning a meet & greet with Rob during the tour, but once I did I entered and forgot all about it…

Last Wednesday I got an e-mail that said: Congratulations - you'll be meeting Robbie in Amsterdam! I couldn't believe my eyes. Read it, and read it again, and again. Googled the name of the person I had to contact just to be sure. ‘Artist & Celebrity Security’, that sounds about right… And then it sunk in…. OMG OMG OMG OMG Oh My Gods OMG OMG OMG OMG, I won!! I’m going to meet Rob!!! And I won two tickets too. I had ordered tickets months ago. It was the first time that Ron would go with me to a Robbie concert. He likes Rob and his music too, especially the swing songs. We sold our tickets to friends. And then the waiting started… I wasn't really nervous, just very much looking forward to it. I didn't expect too much of it, but that was totally okay! Who cares if it doesn't mean to him what it means to me…? Even if it would be just 5 minutes, they are MY 5 minutes with Rob and 5 minutes more than a lot of other fans had!

So last Sunday was The Big Day! We left well on time, wouldn't want to get stuck in traffic! We arrived early and talked to some friends that were waiting in line. We collected our tickets at the box office and met the other winner and her friend. Around 6.30 pm two security guys came to pick us up and then suddenly I got really nervous. I was so glad Ron was there to keep me grounded! We walked through some corridors and were led into an empty dressing room to wait for Rob. The jitters worked overtime in my stomach, but I managed to calm myself down a bit.

Rob entered the room with Josie (his PA), security and a photographer. One of the security guys touched the light switch with his bum and the lights went out. We all laughed about it, especially when he seemed a bit awkward! At first Rob thought Ron and I were from the record company and just gave us a quick hand. Then he kissed and hugged the other girls. I was too flabbergasted to say anything, but when he was pointed out his mistake he more than made up for it! It sort of broke the ice though, and my nerves faded a bit. He kissed and hugged me real tight.

He asked all of us where we were from and how long it took to get to the Ziggo Dome. While chatting with us he was standing very close to me. Part of me couldn't believe this was really happening, so I consciously used all my senses to record this experience… When he heard what we had to do to win this meeting, he laughed and joked “What?? That’s all? Just click a button? That’s not much, is it?” He was relaxed and really took his time to talk with us. He radiated a general sense of happiness.

The photographer was taking pics all the time. The dressing room had a blue wall, in front of which she took the ‘official’ pictures. First with each of the other girls, and then it was my turn. Rob put his arms around me and pulled me close to him. I didn't resist, on the contrary, haha! He gave me a soft squeeze, whispered something in my ear and put his cheek to mine. He smelled intoxicatingly sexy…

Ron joined us for another picture. He bent his back and knees, but Rob still had to stand on tiptoes to get his arms over our shoulders. After the pic was taken he asked Ron “Man! How tall are you?” When Ron said he is 2.04m Rob grimaced impressed and shook his hand again.

And then it was time to say goodbye. I thanked him from the bottom of my heart, we all did, for this wonderful and intimate meet and greet. It was fabulous and I enjoyed every single second of it for 100%! Wow, just wow….

Security escorted us back to the general corridor. I asked about the pictures. We will get them emailed later. Josie had made a few pics with her mobile phone for Upfront, so at least we have that one already. We talked about this unique shared experience, cried out happily and bounced around. I was quiet though, had a bit of trouble landing. I went to the bathroom and just sat there for a while, silently enjoying reliving that 15 minutes. Then I put a happy status on Facebook and went out again.

In the corridors Ron and I met our friends, who of course were very curious. We drank something and went to our seats. We had great view from second row. Around us were mostly English people, behind us sat the choreographer of the show. A man next to us made a picture of Ron and me and we made ‘selfies’. Just before 8 pm the speaker announced two minutes silence. May 4^th is our national Remembrance Day and at 8 pm two minutes of silence are observed throughout the country. It was very impressive to witness complete silence in a venue filled with thousands of people.

And then…. The concert!!! I won’t write a minute-to-minute report of that, you can find those anywhere. I very very much enjoyed it. Loved the sets, loved the outfits (esp. the captain’s jacket), loved the songs… Opening with ‘Shine My Shoes’ is a great choice, as it does for a swing concert what LMEY does for a pop concert.

Although I missed some of my favourites from the swing albums I really liked the medleys (the one with ‘Shout’ was awesome!!). The swing versions of some of his pop hits were wonderful, although for some songs it worked better than for others.

‘That’s Amore’ was great; I’m a Dean Martin fan and hope Rob will do ‘Sway’ too one day… The whole wedding scene was very funny. He said he couldn't kiss a random fan on stage anymore, being 40 and a daddy and all… So he proposed to a fan,  married her on stage and then kissed her full on the mouth. J

I wasn't too impressed by the female singer that did ‘Empire State Of Mind’ (too piercing and shrill to my liking), but loved Rob’s  ‘New York New York’. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a Next Generation Rat Pack with at least Rob and Michael Bublé doing the old songs…? The close harmony part with Guy Chambers and the others was sensational too. I want more of that!

Together with his dad he sang ‘Do Nothing Till You Here From Me’. He looked so adorably proud when his dad walked on stage, aww… It’s no mystery where he got the entertainment genes! I really like those personal touches in Rob’s concerts.

I understand why Rob felt he had to do ‘Angels’ and although I like it a lot, it felt a bit out of place for me. A well-known and powerful swing ballad would have been better, but I’m afraid a lot of people wouldn't put up with missing ‘Angels’…

From time to time while I was enjoying the concert it suddenly hit me: hey, I talked to that man! Our bodies touched. We kissed and hugged, and there are pics to prove it. As if I’d ever forget…

I want to thank RobbieWilliams.com / Upfront, the crew, security and of course Rob himself for an incredible night to remember….!

The big 4-0 for Robbie

Happy Birthday Rob!

40 is just that, 40... 39 and some extra days. Nothing special, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to feel different. Just carry on doing what you're doing, because you're doing great. :-))

I hope you'll get the privacy to enjoy this with family and real friends!

See you in May, let's swing!

Favourite music

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Kickin'It Old Skool, Day 16
"It was so much fun sharing our movies last week. In fact, we're sure many of us have filled our wish lists and our Netflix queue's with all sorts of fresh options! Let's do the same with our playlists. Share with us some of your favourite songs!"

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Wow, I like so many kinds of music... I can never be complete. I like pop, folk, classical music, jazz, swing, 80's and sooo much more! It all depends on my mood and what I feel like at the moment I'm listening. I have a lot of favourite artists and songs too, old and new. :-)

~*~

I can always listen to Robbie Williams though. He is a pop singer, but also does swing / rat pack stuff with side-steps to rock, rap and more. He is an all-round, born entertainer. I love his music, both the albums and live. It would be impossible for me to pick one favourite. I'll just pick one of them and give you the official video:

~*~

My favourite Dutch band is Rapalje, a celtic folk band. Their website explains it better than I can: "Irish, Scottish (and Dutch) folkmusic with a difference. Dieb, William, Maceál and David sing and play on instruments like fiddle, tin whistle, gitouki, squeezebox, mouth organ, bodhrán, Highland pipes, border pipes and tea-chest bass. This diversity of instruments, a varied repertoire and an original presentation make a concert of Rapalje a special act. Dressed in medieval kilts, Rapalje performs in every conceivable venue." Ron's favourite song is "The Rattlin' Bog" by Dieb. Voice-wise I like William the most, especially in songs like 'Caledonia' and 'Loch Lomond' but also his solo-album. The up-tempo songs are great too, as are their live shows.

~*~

10 Things About Me

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Kickin'It Old Skool, Day 5
Today's idea is a classic, simple as that: "Tell Us 10 Things About You". Sounds easy peasy, but is it? What to tell? Try not to state the obvious, or perhaps I should exactly do that. 10 things, pfew... Let me think...

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If you don't know me yet, I'll share 10 things you should at least know about me...

If you do know me, can you predict which things I'm going to share in this list? Stop reading, make a list and tell me afterwards how many you had correct. :)

1. I'm married to the love of my life, Ron. Next Saturday is our 18th wedding anniversary, but we are together for more than 25 years. We met at a local marching band: he was on drums, I was a majorette/twirler. And the rest as they say is history... and present, and future! :)
2. I'm pagan, more precisely I call myself an eclectic heathen witch. Interested why or what that means to me? Read more here and of course you'll find lots of pagan stuff on this blog.
3. I'm a Robbie Williams fan ever since he left Take That back in the day. I have all his albums, dvd's and more. I've been to several concerts. This year I went to his Take The Crown Tour and just yesterday I scored tickets for his Swings Both Ways Tour next year. Woohoo! :) Read my posts about him here.
4. I love reading, I love books. I have a lot of books; you can see a small portion (appr. 1200 of them...) in my LibraryThing. I breathe books, like the smell, sound, feel, etc. of real books. My all time favourite book is The Lord Of The Rings, but there's so much more...
5. I'm a Trekkie! Love, love, love Star Trek. I like The Original Series and love the rest. I have all seasons of The Next Generation, Voyager and Deep Space Nine and all movies on dvd. I would love to have Enterprise too. Years ago I've been on television talking about Star Trek. That same day I've met Patrick Stewart, my favourite actor (not only as Capt. Picard).
6. I'm very fond of (all!) animals. I'm a cat-lover and a dog-lover. Some say you can't be both, but I am. We share our home with 3 cats (Freyja, Bastet & Maia - goddess names) and two dogs (Foofur, a crossbreed Welsh Corgi / Jack Russell, and Arwen, a Bernese Mountaindog). Read and see more of them here on my blog.
7. In the past I have been struggling with eating disorders and depression. For some years now I use my experience to help others. I tell my story, educate and give information to different groups of people: teenagers, students, fellow-sufferers, nurses, etc. I coach social workers and medical professionals in how to be of real help to a patient on the way to recovery by showing them a different point of view. 
8. I'm a computer-addict. :) Internet, social media, downloading, digital photography and lots, lots more. I like to learn and try out new things. It's my window to the world.
9. I love all seasons, but especially winter. Snow, ice, cold sunny weather... I've written about that yesterday, so I'll leave it at that here.
10. I like to make herbal home remedies. I'm a reiki master. I make my own candles. Ron and I brew mead. I collect Dutch stamps. I miss my mum and dad. I'm a hobby-genealogist. There's always more to know... And yes, I know this is cheating. ;-))

Time Capsule

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Kickin'It Old Skool, Day 2
Today we are capturing this moment in time by answering a few questions. So let's start!

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What are you reading?
I'm always reading multiple books, so here are the ones for now:

• The Fishing Widow by Amy K. Marshall - I got it for free through LibraryThing Early Reviewers Giveaway and I like it a lot! I'll write a review later.
• Heilige bronnen in de Lage Landen by various authors, a Dutch book about reclaiming holy wells in the Lowlands. I attended the book presentation last Saturday.
• and there's more: a thriller by Jo Nesbo, several pagan reverence books and some magazines.

What are you watching?
Besides my all-time favourite Star Trek there are several tv-series I like: Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, NCIS, CSI, Bones, Castle.... and so much more. We recently watched Under The Dome. I also like movies, documentaries, detectives... really too much to sum up here. Did I tell you I love television and dvd..?

What are you listening to?
In my car, computer and cd-player there's one cd on repeat... Swings Both Ways by Robbie Williams. Here you can hear samples of all the songs on this great album, Rob's second swing album. Wonderful new songs, old songs and duets with Michael Bublé, Kelly Clarkson, Lily Allen, Rufus Wainwright and Olly Murs.

What are you loving?
I love.... Ron of course! :) But I also love nature, books, music, internet. I love my pets, my friends and family. I love snow and ice, the cold season. I love walking my pagan path. I love the beach and dunes, trees, stones. And I could probably come up with a lot more I love!

What are you wearing?
Same as always, because i'm comfortable in it: jeans and a sweater. A new black jeans this time, just bought it a week ago, a size smaller than last time, yay!

What are you creating?
I'm busy writing a new column for PaganPages. For the December/Yule issue (coming any day now, soon!) I've writen about creative witchy stuff. My latest creation was a rite-of-passage-cord for the daughter of a Craft-sister. You can see it here.

What are you looking forward to?
I'm so much looking forward to the end of the financial crisis. In general, but especially in our own personal situation... I can't wait for it to finally end. I know there's light at the end of this very long tunnel, but I wholeheartedly hope we get there real soon!

Robbie Live 2013

Towards the end of 2012 Robbie Williams made an announcement: in 2013 he would finally make another tour. Of course Amsterdam was in the list of concerts. I was over the moon and very sad at the same time. Our financial situation didn't allow me to buy a ticket of almost € 100...

Disappointed as I was I poured out my heart on my Facebook wall. The comments were heartwarming! Me not going to Rob's concert was out of the question, I just had to find a way! The solution presented itself when a dear friend offered to go together; she would pay in advance and I could pay her back whenever possible. I hate debts, especially with friends, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse!

We decided to go for seated tickets, because unfortunately my chronic fatigue prevents me from standing in the field. During the 2006 tour I had the best spot possible: front row in the middle. Bittersweet memories because it was only a week after my mum passed away...

Then finally.... Saturday July 13th was RW-day! I drove all the way back from a festival I was attending and off we went to the Amsterdam Arena. We were in our seats 20 minutes before the support act started. This time it was Olly Murs, a nice guy but better on tv than on stage. Ah well, it was enjoyable when getting ready for the Real Thing!

The concert was great! Rob seemed so relaxed, happy and comfortable on stage but still funny and as cheeky as ever. He performed a wonderful mix of old and new songs, chatted in between and all that in a stunning setting I won't even try to describe... He is an entertainer pur sang and doesn't need it, but it made the show even better.

The setlist as I remember it (wrote it down afterwards):

• Hey Wow Yeah Yeah (instrumental) 
• Let Me Entertain You 
• Monsoon 
• Not Like The Others 
• Minnie The Moocher 
• Kids (with Olly Murs)
• Sin Sin Sin 
• Bodies 
• Come Undone 
• Everything Changes 
• Strong 
• Gospel 
• Be a Boy 
• Millennium / Better Man / Sexed Up 
• Me and My Monkey 
• Candy 
• Hot Fudge 
• Rudebox 
• Rock DJ

and of course in the encores my all-time favourite Feel, She's The One and the inevitable sing-along Angels.

The Kids duet with Olly Murs was funny, but not a success. Please sing it with one of the wonderful backing singers next time, Rob... During Me and My Monkey I sent Ron a text message; it's his favourite Robbie-song. My friend recorded Candy for her little daughter who loves the song. So many songs, so little time... Afterwards I picked up the 3cd-recording of the concert so I can go back and relive it whenever I want!

I lost my voice a bit and had a sore throat from yelling, but boy o boy was it worth it!! I had been looking forward to this for months and I wasn't disappointed, on the contrary: it was amazing! The magic never left Rob, he carries it with him inside and shares it freely during his concerts. The magic was tangible all around. A concert by Rob IS magic and that is high praise coming from a witch...

Just one minor mishap: he wore way too much clothing! LOL! He has trained for the tour and from pics we know he has a very fit body. Pity we didn't see much of it. But if that's all, well... I'll survive. ;-))

Thank you Robbie!

Yesterday, the big day arrived! The Robbie Williams (and Take That) concert in the Amsterdam Arena! I checked the website all day. The 2nd concert in Denmark had to be cancelled last Saturday because Robbie had food poisoning. Thank goodness our concert wasn't cancelled!

Because we had seated tickets we didn't have to go early. We entered the stadium when The Pet Shop Boys had just started. I love those old songs, brings back memories. The sound wasn't very good though, but fortunately that was solved before the main act arrived.

Take That as a foursome opened the concert with some lame songs. Didn't really catch me until 'Patience' and then 'Shine'. I've never been much of a TT-fan, especially not the quartet. I like it, enjoy some of the songs, but that was not what I went for. Sorry, boys...

Then suddenly there was a familiar face and a familiar sound.... Robbie!!! The whole stadium came alive and the sound-level multiplied big time. He knows how to make an entrance and started with 'Let Me Entertain You'. Now that's how you open a concert! Followed by 'Rock DJ' and 'Come Undone'. In between Rob chatted. He looked very good, although sometimes there were little signs that he wasn't back to complete strength yet. That didn't stop him from giving it all. My all-time favourite 'Feel' was great:

Of course 'Angels' couldn't miss on the set-list:

After a break with dancers Take That returned in original setting with Rob leading them in 'The Flood'. The podium looked magnificent. It did so all evening, the set was really awesome! They started high up in the air. Rob was lowered upside-down like he started the 2003 concerts, spectacular! After some of the new hits they gathered around the piano for the old stuff. Unfortunately not 'Could It Be Magic', but still some great ones like 'Everything Changes'. Mark is my favourite person of the other TT-ers but his voice has changed and I really don't like the sound of it anymore. Gary has a wonderful voice of course. Pity he didn't sing 'Shame' with Rob. In the encore they sang 'No Regrets' (rather hear the original) and 'Relight My Fire' (sounded like a new remix, not bad).

Afterwards I was dog-tired, very thirsty and had a sore throat but man oh man was it worth it! WOOHOO!!!! Rob must have been exhausted, but I'm sure behind the scenes Ayda has received him with a lot of TLC and that's the best medicine for him. :-)

Here are my pics:

Concert Robbie Williams (& Take That)

Catching up

The last few weeks have been very busy. First Ron had a very nasty flu. Just when he was recovering he got an acute cystitis, which is very painful especially for a man. On top of that his knees are aching again. In between all of that Ron is working hard to get his own business going.

A friend invited Ron and me to celebrate Samhain with a group we know from a pagan forum and former meetings. First it wasn't possible because I had a ritual planned with my coven on Saturdaynight, but that was delayed. In the evening we did a beautiful ritual and afterwards there was a Halloween party in the big hall. Everything was decrated and looked great. I wore a Caspar the Friendly Ghost mask and a witches' hat. Ron stayed up late, but I went to bed earlier because I was very tired.

November 16th I went to the first viewing of the Take That documentary "Look Back Don't Stare" in Theater Tuschinski in Amsterdam. It's about Rob's return to the boy... eh... manband. I had won tickets! If you're interested in Ron and Take That I can recommend it. At times I was surprised there eventually came a cd. :) I understand why Rob has so much fun being back with the boys. If this is the way for him I'm okay with it. I already bought a ticket for the concert in the Amsterdam Arena on July 18th next year and I'm looking forward to it!

Last weekend I spent another weekend in a yurt with the Lowland Systers. This time it wasn't as cold as early this year. We had a wonderful time! The first day we used to catch up with each other and make plans for the weekend. Saturday we slept in. I woke up at half past 10! The last weeks had asked a lot of my energy, so I had to use the weekend to recharge my battery. In the afternoon we did some magical groupwork and when it was dark we walked into the woods to do our ritual. We found a stump that was perfect to use as an altar. Afterwards we had dinner in the yurt. It's such a great accomodation! It has a lovely atmosphere, especially by candlelight. Sunday morning we packed our bags and said our goodbyes. We already have plans to return there next year. :) You can see my pics in my Facebook album "Yurt 2".

Congratulations to Rob & Ayda!

Rob and Ayda got married yesterday at his LA mansion. They planned to marry somewhere else, but some stupid guest couldn't keep his/her mouth shut and leaked to the press. I hope they had a wonderful wedding, the most beautiful day of their lifes, that they'll look back at for years to come. I'm so glad for Rob he finally found the love of his life and Ayda is one lucky lady! ;-) I wish them all the best and a lot of privacy away from the paparazzi!

About Rob re-joining Take That... I'm still not decided about the reunion. For Rob it seems to be what he wants, so then basically it's fine with me. But he is so much more than Take That and I'm afraid we'll miss a lot of that... I never really was a huge TT-fan, so maybe that plays a part too. I like Take That, I love Robbie Williams; that's the difference.

Morning Sun

Robbie Williams has given his new single “Morning Sun” to Sport Relief as their official charity single for 2010. The song will be released on March 8. He said: “I am very happy to donate my time to help Sport Relief and I thank my co writers for doing the same. Please join us in helping this very worthwhile cause”. All of the record company profits and artist royalties from digital single sales of the track in the UK will go to the charity, as will income from the writers and their publishers.
You can donate to Sport Relief by visiting their website.

The music video is directed by Vaughan Arnell, director of classic Robbie videos including Angels, Feel and Bodies. Watch Robbie rocket out of space on an intergalactic voyage through the stars here or here.

How do you rate the morning sun
After a long and sleepless night
How many stars would you give to the moon
Do you see those stars from where you are
Shine on the lost and loneliest
The ones who can’t get over it

And you always wanted more than life
But now you don’t have the appetite
In a message to the troubadour
The world don’t love you anymore
Tell me how do you rate the morning sun

Stuck inside the rainbow years
And you could happen to me
‘Cause I’ve been close to where you are
I drove to places you have seen
It all seems so familiar
Like they’d been sent to kill ya

It doesn’t take an astronaut
To float into space is just a thought
The morning brings a mystery
The evening makes it history
Tell me how do you rate the morning sun

And the village drunk
Sadly passed away
It was a shame
I never knew his name
I wonder if he sat there every morning
And watched the sun rise

How do you rate the morning sun
It was just too heavy for me
And all I wanted was the world
If you are the starlet in the sun
Don’t go wasting your time
‘Cause there is no finish line

And you don’t see anything
Not even love not anything
The night could take the man from you
A sense of wonder overdue
The morning brings a mystery
The evening makes it history
Who am I to rate the morning sun

Written by R. Williams, D. Spencer, K. Andrews, R. Scott, S. Ralph, D. Black

Rob is back to stay!

Tonight I went to the live broadcast of Robbie Williams' first live show after three years. He was opening the BBC Electric Proms in London. He played old songs and new ones from his forthcoming album Reality Killed The Video Star. This was the set list:
1. Morning Sun
2. Come Undone
3. Blasphemy
4. Starstruck
5. Feel
6. I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen
7. Supreme
8. Deceptacon
9. No Regrets
10. Won't Do That
11. You Know Me
12. Angels
13. Millennium
14. Video Killed The Radio StarI could see Rob was a bit nervous in the beginning, but he still is that amazing singer and entertainer! Not that I ever doubted he wasn't... ;-) I loved the show, especially when he sang the song he wrote for Ayda and she was singing back to him. Definitely a happy couple, great to see! I really like the new songs, I'm looking forward to the new album. There's a lot of hit potential in it for sure! Video Killed The Radio Star isn't on it though and that's a big miss in my opinion; the last song of the evening was a smash hit for Rob!

Just one heartfelt tip for Rob:
Please, PLEASE, find another stylist!! When you are in great shape like this you shouldn't wear baggy trousers and some vague shirt.

pictures: property of BBC Electric Proms
(to see more follow the link)

Rob is back!

New RW site!

Last week there suddenly was a countdown on www.robbiewilliams.com. A new site was on it's way! Monday I visited the totally renewed website and may I say: it's a lot better than before. Well-organized, easy to browse, no Flash-content and... the official forum is back! I haven't been forum-ing for a long time (any forum that is), but after my first visit I was hooked again. Oops, oh-oh..! I've kept in contact with some of the regulars on the old forum through social networking sites, but that's not the same. One by one everyone is returning to the official forum, the F-gang (F for Forum) is back in town!!
A new album is in the making and rumours say Rob will go on tour in 2010. I can't wait!

Robbie always does the trick! :-)

This morning I was feeling down. Not sure why, just woke up that way. Happens sometimes. After my Wii Fit training and breakfast it wasn't much better. I decided to appeal to Robbie Williams and his music to crack me up! Often I go for a DVD Robbie-marathon, this time I plunged into the 100+ GB of Robbie on my computer.
I started with a (slow) live performance of Take That's version of "Could it be magic" followed by a (upbeat) remix of that same song mixing TT and Donna Summer. I never was a huge TT-fan, I just liked a few songs especially. Later I discovered those were exactly the songs in which Robbie did the lead! I watched some videoclips, listened to a lot of songs, sang along, danced... Of course my favourite "Feel" but also less-known ones and golden B-sides. And yes... in the end I felt sooo much better! Thanks, Robbie!

Unfortunately most of the news we hear about Rob these days is gossip and paparazzi stories. If we're "lucky" it's new gossip, but most of the time it is news with a beard as long as Methusalem's... You know, if Rob himself tells something I'm always interested. For the rest, let the man have some privacy! It would be great if he found the love of his life, but I'll wait until he introduces her. His spare time is just that, HIS spare time; I hope he enjoys himself. :-)
I often visit his official website to see whether there is real news, I'm also an Inner Sanctum member. Last week I read that a famous Dutch DJ (Sander van Doorn) reworked one of Robbie's songs. The new track is called "Close My Eyes" and I could download it for free.
Sure, I'm waiting for really new material. A second swing-album would be great, any new album and/or single would be very welcome, a new tour would be fabulous... I'll just sit and wait! ;-)

Kerstin Fritzl wants to see Robbie

The oldest child that Josef Fritzl fathered by his own daughter is on the road to recovery, has been reunited with her family and the first thing she asked for after a lifetime of being held in a dank cellar was to go to a Robbie Williams concert.
(...)
“I am especially proud that [she] could walk the distance to her new residence and into her new life,” Dr Reiter added. Ms Fritzl saw daylight for the first time in her life after she awakened in the intensive care ward of the Amstetten regional hospital. According to Dr Reiter, the first wish that she expressed to her carers was to go on a boat trip and to attend a Robbie Williams concert.
“Even immediately after she awakened and still had the tracheotomy intubation for the breathing assistance in her throat she would listen to Robbie Williams until 3am. I then would have to intervene for her to turn down the music and get some rest,” Dr Reiter said.
(...)

Read the full article here.

TT #64: random

Thirteen random things I want to share So much to tell, so little time to blog... Friday last week I broke down. I cried and let it all out. Let's face it; I have another depression. That makes two of us here at home, not the nicest situation. But somehow we'll come through this helping each other along the way. We were supposed to go to a fair in Alkmaar on Saturday and we had also planned to go to the belated Halloween party of friends in Den Haag in the evening. We decided to cancel everything so I could rest and charge my battery. Not an easy decision, but it was the good one. I slept a lot and did close to nothing. I'm still not back to "normal", but it's getting better. Baby Dominique has come home to her mother Monique. She was doing so well she could leave the hospital early. She has grown a lot, although to me she's still so tiny! (pics by IJs) My brother and his girlfriend have a puppy, a Border Collie named Doggy. She is such a cutie!! During the day Gerard takes the little one with him to his work. We visited them last week. We played until she fell asleep on my hand. When Sylvia celebrated her birthday at home I saw Doggy again. I think I'm in love... ;-) This saturday there is a meeting of the Ara-group. We are going to dye our robes. I still hadn't finished the sewing though. I don't like it, I'm not good at it, it isn't and will never be my hobby! The stress of wanting to do it perfect nevertheless was killing me. Ron took matters out of my hand and put the robe together with his sewing machine. On one hand I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted to do it by hand, but on the other hand I'm soooo happy it's done! I didn't want net curtains in front of the kitchen window, but I also didn't like the fact that passers-by could look right at what's on our kitchen unit. Gerard made a special sticker screen that does let light in, but keeps out the glancing. To break the line there's a cat too; it looks great! See from the outside and inside. Wonder and I are busy planning a special meeting for Beltane 2008. Together with Mol and Aphro we are making planns. The location has already been booked. It will be two days: Wednesday April 30 and Thursday May 1. For my birthday money I bought a planner for 2008 with a beautiful leather binder. The planner is from Seasons of the Witch, with colourful pages and gorgeous images. I had seen the binder on their website a long time ago and it never left my mind. It was expensive, but worth every cent! If you live outside the USA I wouldn't recommend ordering the binder though: I had to pay almost € 35 import duty to customs! We are invited at the home of Ron's eldest sister for Christmas. The rest of the family will be there too. It's going to be a brunch and thank goddess the dresscode is casual. Some time ago I bought the CD/DVD Forever Cool featuring Dean Martin together with a selection of artists, singing his songs together. Among them Robbie Williams (a big fan of Dino) on "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", but also Joss Stone, Kevin Spacey, Charles Aznavour, etc. I listen to it a lot! If you click the link you can listen to samples of the songs. The DVD contains 25 minutes "making of" and interviews. I bought 2 new DVDs last week: The Jungle Book and Harry Potter 5. We have watched them both. Jungle Book will always be one of my favourite Disney-movies, I love it! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was good. I'm looking forward to 6 and the final year! Over here in The Netherlands the little children are excited, because Sinterklaas has arrived. On December 5th he brings all of them presents. I wrote a TT about the tradition of Sinterklaas last year. The Christmas rush has already started too, but it only gets going after Sinterklaas. I love wordgames and puzzles. I've been addicted to games like Tetris and Mahjongg. For some time I've been playing BookWorm online in Dutch and English, but now I have BookWorm DeLuxe and I just can't stop. It's a bit like Tetris with letters. You are supposed to make words. I received another postcard for my bloggers' postcard exchange. If you like to send and receive real postcards from around the world, feel free to join in! If you send me a postcard from your town/region of residence, I'll send you one from mine. Send me an e-mail through the link on my site to exchange addresses and we'll have a deal! ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Holly ~*~ Mocha Mom ~*~ Mar ~*~ Nap Warden ~*~ SJ Reidhead ~*~ Amy Ruttan ~*~ Joyismygoal ~*~ Nicholas ~*~ The Gal Herself ~*~ Yuriko ~*~ shesawriter ~*~ thecabinet ~*~ Nicole ~*~ Lori ~*~ Greatfullivin' ~*~ Susan Helene ~*~ Janet ~*~ Rae ~*~ Wacky Mommy ~*~ grace ~*~ Gattina ~*~ Sassy Lucy ~*~ Robin ~*~ Dallas Meow ~*~ Kate ~*~ Darla ~*~ Kat ~*~ betty ~*~ Aline ~*~ Di ~*~ Natalie ~*~ Xakara ~*~ Iamthediva ~*~ cajunvegan ~*~ Tina Kubala ~*~ Yummy! ~*~ Damozel ~*~ Candy Minx ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

TT #55: Robbie quotes

Thirteen (quotes from) lyrics by Robbie Williams Rob writes most of his lyrics himself. Love him or hate him, but he has written great songs. He has been nominated and won several Ivor Novello Awards. For "Angels" he won the Ivor for Songwriter of the Year. I thought I'd share some of my favourites. Some go straight into my heart, some are just plain funny, some are amazing... From Angels it's so hard to choose, so I'll just take all of it! - I sit and wait - Does an angel contemplate my fate - And do they know - The places where we go - When we're grey and old - 'Cos I've been told - That salvation lets their wings unfold - So when I'm lying in my bed - Thoughts running through my head - And I feel that love is dead - I'm loving angels instead -- And through it all she offers me protection -- A lot of love and affection -- Whether I'm right or wrong -- And down the waterfall -- Wherever it may take me -- I know that life won't break me -- When I come to call she won't forsake me -- I'm loving angels instead - When I'm feeling weak - And my pain walks down a one way street - I look above - And I know I'll always be blessed with love - And as the feeling grows - She breathes flesh to my bones - And when love is dead - I'm loving angels instead I'm using this quote on a lot of forums in the space at the end of every post: - If you're willing to change the world - Let love be your energy The world would be such a better place if more people lived by that... - Hello. Did you miss me? - I know I'm hard to resist - Y'all can come and help me - Pick the sweetcorn out of this - It's hard to be humble - When you're so fucking big - Did you ever meet a sexier male chauvinist pig? This is the first verse of "The World's Most Handsome Man". The song is often misunderstood. Rob likes to play the cocky entertainer, but in fact he is insecure. He even says that in the same song: - Please don't drop me - I'll fall to pieces on you - If you don't see me I don't exist - Make friends with your past - And you can leave it at last I know from experience this line from "Revolution" is so true... It's a duet, on the video with Katie Kissoon. - How do I learn - To give love and be loved in return - If this is heaven I'm falling - I'd rather jump and run away - Than see it burn - I feel I could die - Before I sleep I kiss your cheek - And say goodbye "Love Calling Earth" speaks to my heart. I feel the hurt, the fear. Better stop it yourself than see it die slowly. It's hard to learn to trust. - Please don't hurt me... - Close your eyes so you don't feel them - They don't need to see you cry - I can't promise I will heal you - But if you want to I will try "Eternity" is such a beautiful song... Music can be a great healer! - We sat and watched the sun go down - Picked a star before we lost the moon - You're one of God's better people - And you don't know - That's why you're special - It must hurt to see your favourite man - Lose himself again and again - And I know that you're my only friend - From way back when Rob wrote this song for his mother. Some say he's a mommy's boy, but he just has a very good relationship with her. - How do you sleep - You've never loved - Why was I never good enough - You thought you'd leave me falling forever - Karma killer This is a great song if you're truly mad at someone and need to let off some steam. It has some harsh words, but that's exactly what you need in that situation. Rob wrote it about his former Take That manager, but it can be used for more people. ;-) - You're so full of sin - Even the devil hates you - I hope you choke - On your Bacardi and Coke - They all say - I'm too restless - But words cut deep - When you're defenceless - And they're killing me, killing me slowly "Killing me slowly" hasn't been a big hit, but I like it a lot. In fact Rob has made more beauties that don't deserve to be relatively unknown. - Know no fear I'll still be here tomorrow - Bend my ear I'm not gonna go away - You are love so why do you shed a tear - Know no fear we will see heaven from here "Heaven From Here" is the kind of song every girl wants her man to sing to her. A mixture of being safe in his arms and his vulnerability: - I'll shelter you make it alright to cry - And you'll help too cos the faith in myself has run dry - We are love and I just wanna hold you near - Know no fear we will see heaven from here - I like to reminisce about a time I've never had, - a book that no one read, - a film that never made me sad - and you remind me of a place I've never been - and something no one said, - when I was seventeen. "One Fine Day" can make you think, but you can also just sing along and say it's funny. Depends on my mood what it will be. - I don't miss you - Just who you used to be - And you don't ring true - So please stop calling me - Your "I love you"'s are ten a penny - You're dropping clues like you've got any - You got to choose - There's been so many... "She's Madonna" is Rob's most recent single. I really like his new CD; it's different, but that's exactly what I like about his music. A new album is never more of the same. I'll finish with the whole lyrics of my all-time favourite song by Rob: "Feel"! Watch the clip until the end, it moves me every time... - Come and hold my hand - I wanna contact the living - Not sure I understand - This role I've been given - I sit and talk to God - And he just laughs at my plans - My head speaks a language - I don't understand -- I just wanna feel -- Real love fill the home that I live in -- Cos I got too much life -- Running through my veins -- Going to waste - I don't wanna die - But I ain't keen on living either - Before I fall in love - I'm preparing to leave her - Scare myself to death - That's why I keep on running - Before I've arrived - I can see myself coming -- I just wanna feel -- Real love fill the home that I live in -- Cos I got too much life -- Running through my veins -- Going to waste - And I need to feel - Real love and the love ever after - I can not get enough -- I just wanna feel -- Real love fill the home that I live in -- I got too much life -- Running through my veins -- To go to waste - I just wanna feel - Real love and the love ever after - There's a hole in my soul - You can see it in my face - It's a real big place - Come and hold my hand - I wanna contact the living - Not sure I understand - This role I've been given - Not sure I understand... There are so many more I could share... Advertising space, his song for Elvis... Toxic, which I play often... Come Undone, great lyrics... but it's Thursday Thirteen so I'll leave it to this. ;-) ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Mama Pajama ~*~ Joanne ~*~ madamspud169 ~*~ Chelle Y. ~*~ busy91 ~*~ Mark Caldwell ~*~ The Gal Herself ~*~ Nicholas ~*~ WAHM ~*~ Susan Helene ~*~ Lori ~*~ Yuriko ~*~ WorksForMom ~*~ Nicole Austin ~*~ Thomma Lyn ~*~ Friday's Child ~*~ Lara Angelina ~*~ pussreboots ~*~ Judy ~*~ Tina ~*~ L^2 ~*~ Amy ~*~ Jessie ~*~ Robin ~*~ Gattina ~*~ Misc-Mum ~*~ mar ~*~ N.J. Walters ~*~ Samulli ~*~ Xakara ~*~ Tilly Greene ~*~ Lori (Cowboy's Wife) ~*~ LA Day ~*~ Tara ~*~ Darla ~*~ Dragonheart ~*~ April Elizabeth ~*~ Dorothy ~*~ Alasandra ~*~ Sandee ~*~ Elisa ~*~ Matthew ~*~ Kimo & Sabi ~*~ julia ~*~ Nancy Bond ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

TT #46: random things

Thirteen random things I have no idea what theme to choose for this week, so I'm doing a random TT! In this post DK Raymer introduced me to the oldest blogger in the world: Olive Riley from Australia, who is... 107 years old! A remarkable woman, as you can see in this You Tube video. I added her blob (as she calls her blog) to my reader. I want to keep track of her! I have ordered a wonderful Freya statue. I found it on Marktplaats, a second hand selling website. The statue is new though and comes from Mystery Gifts, a store in Groningen I'd love to visit. I can hardly wait until the statue arrives! The coming weekend I'll have a two-day workshop with Marian Green in Amsterdam, this time with a little private group about divination and past life. I'll post about it afterwards of course. The first workshop I did with Marian was in November 2006. What's wrong with Photobucket?? Everytime I use it these days, I get bugged by pop-ups to register or log-in, that make Internet Explorer go crazy and in the end shut down. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! I'm a cat-blog fan. I read a lot of them and I love it, especially the pics and videos. For example yesterday I found this splendid picture of Daisy the Curly Cat on her blog and this video & photo of Dragonheart while bird watching. Just a few examples of the joy of visiting cat blogs. :-) Holland is known as the land of flowers. Since May this year we even have stamps with real flower seeds! They are beautiful and have tips on the side. Look here (sorry, text is Dutch). Last Friday it was exactly one year ago that I went to my first Robbie Williams concert. It was fabulous! I haven't seen or heard enough Robbie lately, I really need to get a DVD in the player right now! Wonder is still over here at our home to recuperate from his fall down the stairs. His back is a bit better, but he can't do much. Some days ago he got Tramadol, but that did him no good: he was like a zombie, scary! I was quite worried, but he has other painkillers now and sleeps a lot. This is supposed to be midsummer, but the weather doesn't agree at all. It is cold, wet and windy. I don't want a heatwave either but warm, dry and sunny would be nice for a change! Wimbledon has started this week. My favourite tennis tournament! I don't have personal favourites at the moment so may the best player(s) win! The Tour de France will also start soon (July 7), although without Lance it's not the same. Did I tell you I love to watch sports? ;-) I'd love to go to the Concert for Diana. I don't have tickets though, but I'm trying to win them. :-) I've always been an admirer of Diana, so the cause is close to my heart. And the list of performing artists is interesting to say the least. Rumours are Robbie will join Take That on stage. We'll see... I'm currently reading Rises The Night, the second book of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason. I loved the first book (The Rest Falls Away), but the second is even better! I'm still looking for something to give as a handfasting present. Any ideas? Please let me know! Pfew, coming up with random things isn't as easy as expected, but I found 13 of them... ;-) ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Robin ~*~ Dewey ~*~ Mark Caldwell ~*~ Courtney ~*~ PussReboots ~*~ Crimson Wife ~*~ Alasandra ~*~ Sue ~*~ Toni ~*~ Wylie Kinson ~*~ Susan Helene ~*~ Ben Clapton ~*~ Cheryl ~*~ Colleen Gleason ~*~ Tilly Greene ~*~ Chelle Y. ~*~ Daisy ~*~ Gattina ~*~ Lene ~*~ Darla ~*~ Nancy Lindquist ~*~ MommyBa ~*~ Gabriella Hewitt ~*~ Lesley Speller ~*~ Samulli ~*~ Mo ~*~ JennieBoo ~*~ Chris ~*~ Starrlight ~*~ Rowena ~*~ SlipOfAGirl ~*~ Danielle ~*~ Lori ~*~ Julie ~*~ Titania Starlight ~*~ Thomas ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants