OF GEORGE RR MARTIN & THE BROTHERHOOD WITHOUT BANNERSWhen we arrived at Eason’s there were some 80 -100 people in the queue. George was seated on a little platform toward the back of the store, so the queue twisted in and among the shelves. I recognised some faces lurking in the corner as various young members of the cast. When Richard Madden arrived looking very handsome and dapper, George introduced him as “our Robb, and the best dressed man in Scotland.” My very good and patient friend Siobhan (who has not yet read the books, but plans too) took photographs with my camera. When I reached Mr Martin I told him I’ve been posting on his Live Journal as JC_Jewel, he smiled indulgently and said “oh great”, though I’m quite sure he had no idea who I was as hundreds of people post there!
Next I spoke to little Maisie Williams (Arya). She is tiny and possibly the sweetest little girl in the world. She is twelve but looks younger. But she is very chatty and friendly and has a big personality. Her Dad was staying close to her, no doubt worried about his child being surrounded by loads of mad fantasy fans. Sophie Turner (Sansa) also stayed by her side. Sophie, at thirteen is very tall and pretty, and is also very friendly. I asked the girls if they knew what they were letting themselves in for and they both said that while they had not read the books their parents had and had given them pointers on what to expect. Maisie is having horse riding lessons and has not yet begun sword practice. Sophie is glad she doesn’t have many scenes with horses as she is allergic to them!
Next I spoke with Alfie Allen. I said “so you got out of bed and got a job” (referring to his sister’s not very flattering song about him). He laughed and sighed, obviously hears that a lot! He said he was glad to have a day off as they have been working hard but they are all loving it. I asked him if he would be joining us for a drink later but he confessed to having a hangover after a skin full the night before, he also gave me a very suggestive and charming wink!
Next came the gorgeous Richard Madden (Robb Stark). His Scottish accent is heart-warming and he is a truly lovely person, very friendly and relaxed. He made me feel like we were old friends! When the series airs he will undoubtedly be all the girls favourite and be catapulted into the heart-throb category, I would bet my pension that he will be compared to Orlando Bloom, who he does bear a resemblance to.
Next I spoke briefly to Ron Donachie (Rodrik Cassel, Winterfell’s Master at Arms, not Jorah as I said in my bleary-eyed post last night!) who is a charming gent and to Kit Harington (Jon Snow). Kit seemed very shy and quiet and a somewhat reluctant star, but he is very good looking, behind those Clarke Kent glasses. But I later learned that he was exhausted from three seventeen-hour days, so his reserve is entirely understandable.
Later at the moot..........as I am a mere lurker on Winter is Coming and Westeros, I didn’t know anyone, but was surprised to notice that almost everyone else there did know each other! A group of ten from Westeros had travelled together to the event. I was introduced to the lovely Silverstar, who posts a lot on that site. I also met Rimshot who was integral in organising the moot, and is a good N Ireland man! The lady at the next table to me (Hi Suzie!) was with her son and daughter (Sean and Nicole) all huge fans of the book, but Suzie confessed she was really there in hopes of catching a glimpse of Sean Bean. Well, Id found a friend! Our discussion drew some laughter from the die-hard fantasy fans, am I bovvered? By then I was too drrrr..merry to care! George and Parris had arrived by now, also Maisie, Sophie, Ron, lovely Richard and Esme Bianco. I tried on several occasions to speak to Esme but found I was unable to break through the hoards of men surrounding her! She is lovely and very tall but I couldn’t help marvelling at just how very ordinary she looked. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying she didn’t look attractive but I was surprised by her girl-next-door quality. It seems she has that enviable quality of being loved by the camera, because having seen some pics of her taken by others on the night she looks totally glamorous and gorgeous. (I must have that quality too, only in reverse! I’m very glamorous in reality but photographs make me look scruffy!)
George made a short speech and then opened the floor to an American guy who proposed to his girlfriend! She accepted! George joked that the guy obviously wasn’t worried about the curse on weddings in Game of Thrones! I then wandered over to George’s table to shake his hand and tell him how nice it is to meet a favourite author who isn’t dead! I asked about Dance with Dragons, and said I hoped that would not be the last we hear of Westeros. He assured me there are TWO more to follow, I was so delighted I kissed him (yeah, I know, don’t even try to count the number of times I embarrass myself!)
I chatted some more with Maisie and Sophie who were working the room like true professional actresses (closely watched by their Mums). When I asked them how they like having Sean Bean for a Dad, both sets of eyes lit up and they gushed about how lovely he is! Outside for a smoke with a young guy who thought I was about 25, and refused to believe I am 35 (all good!), Parris came along. I don’t think she smokes but she stood with us anyway. I asked her if she’d met SB and again, eyes lit up. She told me that when she met him he kissed her on both cheeks, “I can still feel it, the brush of his beard on my face”
“And you haven’t washed your face since?” I ventured,
“Too right!”
Then lovely Richard came along again, while we were talking about the books, he begged us not to tell him anything about Robb as he isn’t very far into the books. Then he and I headed in again, chatting all the way, I swear he is the nicest person, every woman there was half in love with him by then, myself included.
There was a book raffle for charity, Siobhan won a book. Got chatting with Alex, a really nice German bloke who had travelled alone to the event, and also an Australian couple. The Australian bloke had turned up at Doune Castle and begged to become an extra; they had to give him a job! Met JacMac30, who is also on set, she blogs on WiC. What could she tell me of the Bean? Well, he’s much shorter than you might think, and is very popular with pensioners! Also, as he was walking on set she wished him luck and he didn’t respond! I got to apologise for him at that point, explaining that he would have been “in the zone” by then and would not have heard her!
Met some more folks, had many more drinks and then realised we were the last people in the bar and the staff were giving us dirty looks! So Siobhan and I and two or three others headed to Thompsons, which is a bit of a dive, but we danced the night away, and had more drinks!
Siobhan woke me at 7am to say she was heading home as she had a class to get to. I woke at 12 and headed to the bus station with a pounding headache but a song (of ice and fire) in my heart.
Me and George RR Martin
Maisie and Sophie
Alfie
Ron Donachie
Lovley Richard Madden
Me & Lovley Richard
Kit Harington
The prized autographs
