Micheal Jackson meets Whitby Man

This is my story how an electrician from Whitby comes to meet Michael Jackson twice!

I have had the pleasure of meeting Michael Jackson on two occasions , and one of those days was the most bizarre days of my life on a journey to Exeter in the same train as Michael.
http://www.roger-moore.com/micheal-jackson1.htm
On Friday morning 26 June 2009 at 8:20 in the morning I was awoken by telephone which was the local paper ringing to ask my thoughts on Michael Jacksons death! I was totally
shocked and upset because I had not heard the extremely sad news which had broken late the previous night. The reason they were ringing little old me was I had the pleasure of meeting Michael a few years earlier.
I am just a local ordinary self-employed working man installing CCTV security alarms in Bradford but I met Uri Geller when he was promoting his autobiography in Bradford’s Waterstones bookshop 2000.

Pauline and Alan next to Uri's car


Uri asked me if I and Mark Nicholls, my partner Pauline's son if we would consider becoming his Webmaster's, which we did and this led to us becoming good friends with Uri and his delightful family staying at their mansion house in Sonning Berkshire house on many occasions.
The first time we met Michael was in March 2001. We were invited to a lavish ceremony when Uri was renewing his wedding vows with his wife of 30 years Hanna. What made this event a massive news story was the fact that Uris best man on the day was his friend Michael Jackson.
We drove down to Sonning near Reading and arrived at the electrically opened iron gates that lead to Uri Geller's Mansion house on the banks of the River Thames. On this particular day in this usually quiet sleepy picturesque village things were not t quite the norm, there were people milling about everywhere and outside the gates was a crowd of fans and photographers who were photographing everybody that went in. They even took pictures of Pauline, Mark and myself on the way in which I thought was extremely funny and said to Pauline they'll be destined for the waste bin when they realise we're not even the Z list :-)
We pressed the intercom and was allowed into the private grounds with its meandaring driveway down to the Mansion house. As we drove through the private grounds we noticed in the distance just beyond the perimeters there were photographers climbing trees to try and get a position. As we approached the Mansion house there was an enormous white marquee which stretched all the way from the large private gardens which lead to the River Thames all the way up to the Mansion house so that Michael and the other celebrity guests would be undercover and away from the lenses of the paparazzi.
Guests of honour included broadcaster Sir David Frost, Eurhythmics musician Dave Stewart, Formula One motor racing driver Nigel Mansell, David Blaine magician, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Justin
the event which was going to be officially covered by Hello magazine.
Eventually over two hours late a helicopter approached and landed in the private helicopter pad in Uri's Garden, Michael Jackson had finally arrived and there was a buzz of excitement.
Michael had damaged his foot and was on crutches and he was taken into the private house. Shortly afer his arrival it came over on the PA system that everybody should go into the private marquee where there were seating for over 100 guests and in the middle there was a stage for the event surrounded by liliies and roses and orchids. Michael Jackson sat at the front row and the actual service was conducted by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach another friend of Uris and Michaels.
It was an extremely lively event with loud Jewish music and dancing which at one point Uri and his wife Hanna were seated in wooden chairs only to be hoisted up and jigged about to the music. We enjoy the ver yhumerous and entertaining speech by Rabbi Shmuley and towards the end of the ceremony after the vows were taken Michael passed the wedding ring to Uri to place some his wife’s Hanna's finger.
It was now time for everybody to leave and the bouncers surrounded Michael as he made his way through the tunnels of the marquee towards the manor house where the photo shoot for the magazine was to take place. On the way up Uri whispered to me I will try to introduce you to Michael as he leaves so please stay near the front entrance of the house. And sure enough keeping to his word even though Michael had been continually surrounded by the bodyguards throughout the entire afternoon with virtually nobody getting the chance to meet him as Michael was leaving the event outside the front entrance to the house Uri beckoned for myself, Pauline and Mark to go forward to meet Michael. I had been preparing my master plan to get a photograph with Michael and I had asked Mark if he would use my digital camera and do the honours, so as we approached Michael I moved to his side to try and catch the treasured shot but unfortunately the digital camera was slow to respond and Pauline moved forward thinking the shot had been taken to shake Michaels hand only to totally blodk the shot of me stood next to Michael with the back of her head :-) not to worry it was an accident.
Uri said to Michael this is Alan Davidson my Web manager and he also is the Web manager for Sir Roger Moore, and I said to Michael “the biggest pleasures I get from being Sir Roger's Web manager is the fact that I am helping to highlight Sir Roger's work as a UNICEF ambassador”, to which Michael said “I love UNICEF”
Inevitably because Michael had stopped for a moment the crowd was moving forward and Uri did his job of protecting Michael and moved in forward towards the limousine ready to take him away from the event
. That was it Michael the King of pop had left the grounds.
We have had a great and unusual day and would like to express my thanks to Uri and his family.
Part two our day out on the Michael Jackson and Uri Geller Express !
I was lucky enough to spend another extremely bizarre day in the presence of Michael Jackson a little while later on Saturday 15 June 2002 there was a special train going to Exeter football club with both Michael and Uri and luckily my wife Pauline and myself were invited again.
It began when Pauline and myself arrived in London and couldn't find a close parking spot to Paddington Station and ended up being slightly late to the designated platform where Uri had told Pauline and myself the Royal train would be taking Michael Jackson to Exeter football club of which Uri was a director.
So we were slightly tense due to our rushed arrival and as soon as we got to the platform the tension didn't stop because there was something going wrong it was obvious there seemed to be a whirlwind of people in the centre of the platform which turned out to be the fans surrounding Michael along with some paparazzi. We later found out the police had not turned up as instructed which basically meant there was a frenzy of activity very reminiscent to the scenes of hysteria the Beatles used to generate years before, but without the protection that should have been there.

Uri was trying to drag Michael towards the train but in the jostling hysteria by the fans at one point he fell to the floor with photographers reaching over to try and catch the undignified photograph, Uri looked extremely strained trying to protect his friend and he shouted to me to help himself and shipi his manager and brother-in-law to get Michael on the train. We managed to push our way through and lift Michael up onto the train which was similar to the classic getaway car when the robbers run from the bank in the fact that the locomotives engine was running and it was moving slowly out of the station to get away from the crowds.
Now that Uri and Michael were safely on the train I panicked and was frantically looking for Pauline to get on the train before it was too late. We both managed it and were slightly nervous wrecks due to the ongoing stress, which didn't unfortunately totally go away.
Michael was in carriage number-one along with Uri and we were in carriage number two which was seemingly for the VIPs and the rest of the train was taken up by the hundred fans who had paid to join the extravaganza.
During the trip it became extremely frustrating because the fans continually pushed forward through the train clutching their pictures of Michael and desperately pushing past the guards to try and get him at the front only to be driven back time after time. This was frustrating Pauline and myself because we were trying to eat a very fine meal only to be surrounded by fans pushing their way through. At one point the train stopped in the middle of nowhere and the announcementl was that if the fans did not return to their seats they would be immediately ejected from the train and left there. This did the trick for a little while but inevitably they were to return.
When we eventually arrived at the Exeter train station and the organisers of the event obviously had heard about the attempted lynching at Paddington and there were police in abundance. As the locomotive came to a halt the police pushed past the Exeter diehards and pulled open the doors and were asking the fans if they paid or had they got in for free back at Paddington during all the mayhem.
Michael was escorted to one of three limousines waiting outside, while the crowed were chanting we love you Michael and holding banners up.
At one point the first limousine with Michael, Uri, and David Blaine the magician on board was ground to a halt by the sheer number of fans in front but eventually moved off. Pauline and myself were instructed to get into the third limousine and we were whisked away from the madness that was engulfing the station We all arrived at Exeter football ground and were escorted to the directors box where drinks and food were waiting.
The football ground was full to capacity seemingly for the first time in many years and this event was organised by Uri to try and promote and make money for the third division football team.
I remember the compere at the event was James Whale broadcaster and at one point he came on the PA system to the ground “ Will this be the real Michael Jackson”? Seemingly this was fuelling a story which have been around Exeter prior to the event that the real thing was going to be a stand in lookalike.
There were a number of acts to start the event one of which was an entire tribe of African dance and drummers which were I remember surrounded by the bodyguards with their karate club tracksuits making the old firm but rather bizarre, a bit reminiscent of Louis Theroux’s weird weekends. Things were certainly going very well and Exeter football ground was enjoying a great event, it had been stated on the local radio that tickets for the event had been exchanging hands on the Interne for £700 each the previous day. We then enjoyed the number of pop bands finished off by Patti Boulet the singer. It was then time for the main event!
Michael Jackson the superstar came into the grounds being shaded underneath an Umbrella on the back seat of a veteran open top car. I remember at one point he jumped out of the car and picked up the nearest child and the crowd went ecstatic as he dashed about in a black cat suit adorned with some kind of ornate patterning over the shoulders. Eventually he took the stand and was introduced by the broadcaster James whale. Michael was on stage with Uri, and David Blaine and started to conduct a very moving speech about trying to help children suffering from AIDS and malaria in the Third World.
Michael then left the stage and drove round the ground in the classic car greeting fans and children before leaving Exeter football ground on this special day.
Some people in the crowd were even convinced that Uri had fixed the weather considering the large black clouds that surrounded the stadium the sunlight broke through on this bizarre day all in a good cause. Maybe Uri had even managed to fix the weather with dark clouds being kept at bay
Pauline and myself then were instructed to make our way back to the limousine where we were joined by Uri's son Daniel and his daughter Natalie to make our trip back to the railway station. On the way Daniel decided to have a joke and hung a Michael Jackson type glove with sequins out of the car rear window, and it certainly did the trick immediately there were fans mobbing the car every time we stopped, and luckily they couldn't see through the smoke tinted windows that Mister Jackson wasn't on board. When we arrived at the station even though there were fully prepared with police bodyguards we witnessed a kind of mass hysteria once again taking over the crowd. The fans were surging at the train climbing on top trying to find where Michael was. It took quite a while for the bodyguards and police to pull the fans off the train to safety and allowing us to make our getaway once again.
At last we could all relax on the train on a journey back home. Michael was going to Uris house and we were on our way back home to Bradford. During the trip Uri came up and down the train meeting the fans and at one point there was a young boy that had been recovering from cancer and he was given the privilege of going back to meet Michael privately.
A fantastic day was had by all on this most bizarre Michael Jackson extravaganzas.

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A New store at Whitby Woolworths site

WHITBY'S old Woolworths store is going to re-open next weekend after an outdoor clothing giant acquired the premises.
Scottish-based Outdoor World plans to open two stores, Wilderness and Pine Valley, on both floors of the vacant premises, selling outdoor leisure wear.

The company told the Whitby Gazette it plans to open its doors for the first time next Saturday.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "Outdoor World is pleased to announce it has acquired the use of the former Woolworths store in Whitby.

"The store will be over two floors and will be called Pine Valley and Wilderness and will stock outdoor leisure wear.

"We are proud to be moving into Whitby and hope we will be of benefit to both the people of Whitby and the tourists also."

The company has stores in other tourist resorts in England and Scotland including the Lake District and Glasgow.

The opening will help to fill some of the 26 job losses that occurred when the Woolworths store closed in December.

Dalton Peake, chairman of Whitby Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said he welcomed the store to the town.

"I think it is great news for Whitby," he told the Whitby Gazette.

"There have been rumours floating around for a while now about what it might be and I'm glad it is now sorted.

"We need more places in the town centre for people to shop and I think the store itself provides a vital link and will boost the businesses on Flowergate and Skinner Street also.

"Not to mention it will brighten up the harbour front which looks a little scruffy with the building boarded up as it is."

The store is currently being fitted out ahead of the big launch next weekend.

MBITIOUS plans for a multi-million pound development including a cinema !

There are AMBITIOUS plans for a multi-million pound development including a cinema and tall ships museum to replace the disused cargo shed on Whitby's Endeavour Wharf were unveiled on Friday.

The Whitby architects BHD Partnership have been working on the designs for Artopia – which is likely to cost in the region of £10m – at the request of film-maker Nigel Ward from the town's Church Street.

A handful of invited guests turned out for the daytime presentation at Whitby Coliseum including Mark Firth, renaissance manager for Yorkshire Forward and John Riby, Scarborough Borough Council's head of engineering.

In the evening, Mr Ward said around 200 members of the public watched his multi-media presentation on his proposal.

But Speaking at the daytime meeting on Friday, Mr Riby told the audience a touch of realism was needed to the situation and there was a "faction elsewhere" which disagrees with Mr Ward's plans.

"I appreciate the efforts to make better use of the shed," he said."But we have had a few requests from external businesses who said 'we would be quite interested in taking on that particular site for ports-related use and with that, bring jobs to Whitby'.

"That process is ongoing.

"Tenders are due back towards the end of this month."

Mr Ward said the overwhelming majority – 98% of those present at the presentations – expressed their support for the project, although he added there were three dissenting voices.

He also hit back at Mr Riby saying the council should "give" the building to the town as a gift, despite Mr Riby telling him it is a council asset.

Mr Ward's plans for Artopia include Whale-a-rama – a holographic Whitby whale experience – an educational show played at regular intervals; a bar and restaurant; a cinema; digitally created big fun hall of mirrors; a market; dance studio; post production facilities for film crews which visit the town frequently; a maritime museum; a home for the William Riley Lifeboat and Whitby Archives and a viewing platform to see tall ships.

But although Mr Ward has publicly unveiled his plans for the cargo shed, he said he has not put in a tender for the site, nor does he intend to apply for funding.

He said: "I am neither qualified nor interested in raising funding. I am an artist with some considerable commitment to supporting my community.

"I have undertaken a great many meetings and written and received hundreds of emails in an attempt to get Artopia started.

"My health is not good and I feel I have done all I can for the moment to bring about something wonderful at Endeavour Wharf."

Andy Tordoff, assistant director of environment (tourism and rural renaissance) at Yorkshire Forward said: "Nigel Ward has put forward a number of headline ideas for the cargo shed in Whitby, one of which is a cinema.
“Yorkshire Forward is considering his proposal in partnership with the Local Authority, Business Link and other partners and to date, no decision has been made as to whether this will be progressed further.”

Once the tender applications are received for the cargo shed, Scarborough Borough Council will take a vote as to whether they want to see the building demolished or remain.

If it were to remain and were to be taken over for a non-ports related use, the council would have to apply for a Harbour Revision Order which could take many years and would have to go out to p

CRIME in North Yorkshire the lowest for 10 years

The CRIME in North Yorkshire is now at the lowest for 10 years and there has been a significant decrease in anti-social behaviour, a report by the chief constable revealed.
As a result, public confidence in the local police service is on the rise, enhanced by partnership work with Safer Neighbourhood Teams according to the force.

As reported earlier in the Whitby Gazette, crime in general in the Whitby area fell by 4 VERTISEMENT

% compared with last year but there was a rise in thefts, criminal damage and other crimes including drug offences. The categories of crime which had fallen in the area included autocrime, burglary and violence.

In a performance review for the financial year 2008/09, Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell and Police Authority chairman Jane Kenyon reported a decrease in crime rates to below 50,000 a year for the first time in a decade.

In addition, with Operation Drystone in full swing, North Yorkshire Police also experienced the sharpest crime reductions in its Most Similar Group of police forces in the fourth quarter of 2008/09.

In the third quarter there were 16.74 crimes per population, compared to 15.15 in quarter four which is a significant reduction in crime. The force now sits in second place in its category and in sixth place nationally.

Incidents of anti-social behaviour were also reduced by 907 in the last financial year, with a total of 49,684 cases recorded.

Mr Maxwell said: “While we still face many challenges and performance can be further improved, I am nevertheless extremely proud of the great strides we have made to drive down crime and make North Yorkshire Police the vital and trusted hub of the communities we serve.”

Coun Jane Kenyon said: “These are excellent results and a tribute to North Yorkshire Police.

“We continue forward on the front foot, working with our partners where possible, consolidating the Safer Neighbourhoods’ philosophy whilst aggressively targeting serious offences.

“This approach should ensure that North Yorkshire remains among the safest places in the country.”