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Summer 2009
Donna donation
Robbie showed his soft side again, when he offered a huge donation to the charity based in Stoke for children with life-threatening diseases - the Donna Louise hospice. I know he loves this charity, so he must have broke him up when he couldn't get to the charity's big annual bash (though Jonny Wilkes and Pete Conway did make it) on July 11th.
Robbie - who is a patron of the charity - said that, no matter how much the event raised (and it could be as much as £25,000!), he would match it.
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Very sarmy
While Robbie takes his hols in the Bahamas in June, I was wondering how Trevor Horn (producer of new album) was getting along. It's VERY quiet out there, and there's nothing on his website or even on the site of his Sarm Studios (weher the tracks are beign mixed).
But there is a sweet photo on Sarm's front page (http://www.sarmstudios.com/) of Gary Barlow and the staff all with Comic Relief rednoses. The staff raised money for his achievement in climbing Mt Kilimanjaro
Donna video
It's a long long wait for the new album, isn't it? I've worn out my fingernails waiting!
It's nice to see Robbie's softer side is still working. On his website, he's recorded a video supporting the work of the Donna Louise Trust, which has its tenth anniversary this year.
The Trust runs a home in Robbie's home-town of Stoke on Trent for children with life-threatening illnesses, and he is one of the patrons.
The film will make you shed a tear or two, I'm sure
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Spring 2009
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GIS gives
Thanks to Robbie's Give it Sum charity, the Under 10's team of Newcastle Albion and their coach received a grant of £650, which has bought the team warm jumpers and coats as they often practise football in the cold! There was also a grant for a Coaching Course for their Coach Andrew; they were presented with their gear at Port Vale at the end of April.
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Happy Birthday Pure!
On the 4th of April 2006, somewhere on the outskirts of Sheffield, England a forum was born - www.PureRobbie.com, the concept of Shellspeare and entirely dedicated to Mr Robbie Williams.
PureRobbie is one of the best sites out there, and Shell told us that over 25,000 Robbie Williams fans visit every month, with full membership touching 8,000.
And if the new album emerges soon, then Pure could go through the roof!
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Take That - NOT
It's a real puzzle this one, isn't it? The 'Daily Mirror' newspaper here in the UK had a front-page splash, quoting our Rob as saying there was definite progress on him and G Barlow and the rest all getting back together again, and we could expect Very Good News in the next couple of months.
And THEN, on his own blog, Robbie says... nope, it was all made up.
I believe Robbie.
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Robbie in a dress - AGAIN!
Rob must love dressing up, because he's repeating his Red Nose effort from 2007. Yes, this time he will play Candy Marie-Candy (a little girl with pink ribbons) in a new Little Britain sketch for Red Nose Day (March 13). Rob plays the devil-possessed little girl... almost too well!
David Walliams said, about the Robster's 'tendencies' that: "...we have found that the best way to tempt him back into the spotlight is by putting him in a dress!"
The sketch was shown on BBC1 on Friday March 13... Brill
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Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to Robbie for his 35th which is on Friday 13th February... and Marielle and Nina have really gone for it!
Marielle is a helicopter pilot from France and she has done a BRILLIANT birthday video for the Robster that you can see on YouTube. This is the URL, just copy it into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlczgW_37fU
And she and Nina have added some TOTALLY brilliant photo-montages to the 'Images Of Robbie' that all of you creative-types make. You can look at the images and also read Nina's 'Birthday Wishes' letter by clicking on the links below...
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The Wanderer Returns
Robbie is back at last! He is staying with friends for a few days and then will move in prop to his new home in the UK. His pets will come after as they have to go through Pet Passport Laws I expect - and that will be the proof that he is Back For Good, when the Dogs are here as well, to me.
Welcome back Boss … as I like to affectionately refer to him as, although he is not of course. But I call him mine, and not the other one, Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen.
A word of warning though guys. I think the whole of the UK knows where RW`s new house is and there have been media hanging out there weeks ago I am told - but although everyone’s first thoughts are to go there and say hello, give him a bit of space, otherwise he will be back to LA before you can say Private Jet!
I would never have been this sensible a few years ago I must admit, but we all know how anxious Robbie is to have his privacy s`times - which is his right after all. So the only way it will work is give and take. He will be cool and say hello and pose for the odd pics if everyone gives him some privacy when he wants it as well. Fingers crossed anyway.
He is back in the UK anyway, that’s a big thing.
Fearne's New Show
In the summer, Fearne Cotton has a new four episode interview show and RW is her first guest. Brill!
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January 19th...
...is Gary B's birthday - he's 38... Which reminds me, it's Robbie's 35th next month. I wonder how he'll take it? It's a big time for a 'pop sensation'!
(Congrats too to Gary and Dawn, who saw another baby pop out a few days ago. The baby girl is named Daisy).
Jan 19th is also the day of the national release for 'Close My Eyes' - the track in question probably surprised just about everyone, as Dutch DJ Sander van Doorn has a working on Robbie's ‘We’re The Pet Shop Boys’, plucked by Sander from Robbie’s last album 'Rudebox'. It's been around since September, but now anybody can have a bite...
Dec 2008
Get Well Soon, Jan
It's going to be a sad Xmas for Rob, as the papers are saying his much-loved mum, Jan, is in hospital for a heart operation. Rob flew in from LA to be near her, and I've read that she won't be out until New Year.
So, that puts it all a bit differently, doesn't it?
I know I say this for all here, and many Rob fans, when I say - we are thinking of you, Jan
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Blog
Robbie's latest blog on his site is full of painful honesty about how he nearly packed it all in, and felt everything had become too much. "Just a lad from Stoke whose ambition was way bigger than my mental fortitude" he says.
And it looks like he's listening to fans - after reading the 'Pure Robbie' website's unhappy feelings about the subscription fee on Inner Sanctum.. he's told his management to put a stop to it.
So, is Robbie back with us? Hope so. It looks like he wants to be home in the UK too - I just read he has bought a Home in Calne, Wiltshire - near Jonathan Wilkes' home in Wooten Bassett, also in Wilts!
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Robbie Rejoin?
I've been thinking about all this talk that Take That have been making about Robbie and how they met up in LA - so here's my Xmas wish... in poem called 'Robbie Rejoins T/T'!
Xmas is coming, The geese are getting fat
Robbie`s underwater, not alien hunting, But avoiding all Take That
But what is this I hear you say - We have seen them all together
At footie and in L.A, and if they are not pals, To this we will shout never!
Well dear friends you would be right, As this is not the reason
For Robbie`s underwater for an entirely diff thing
Not to avoid Take That, with whom he is now good friends
But the question that`s always asked - will he be rejoining?
To this the answer is yes of course, But to the question when
Robbie been his mischief self, It could be now or then
The chances are when you least expect in some unobtrusive venue
Up will pop The Robster to add his final 5th to the T/T menu!
...Also, good luck to TT, especially after the grand release in Paris of their new album CIRCUS (and big congrats too to Mark and his Fiancee Emma Ferguson who recently had a Baby Girl Willow Rose - a sister to two year old Elwood).
November 2008
RW Italy Fans
Marika tells me that there was a great meeting a few days ago in Milan in Italy. Williams fans came from many Italian cities (Torino, Milano, Savona, Roma, Bari,
Firenze and so on....) as one amazing opportunity just to get to know ppl who meet in internet fansites but never in person, and gave them the chance to join a closely-knit group. The meeting was supported by the biggest italian RW forum (robbiewilliamsitalia.com )
Among them was a guy from Rome, Federico, who sings Rob's songs and has a beautiful voice. A lot of time was spent talking about Rob and his music....and other things of course!
The idea was was to show Rob that, even if he has been behind the scenes for 2 years, he is still loved!
What a great idea. We should do it in England...
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Doug Wilkes - Guitar Master Craftsman!
Doug is a former Pop Maestro from the 60s era (plus still gigging now), who makes guitars from his workshop in North Staffordshire, about twenty miles from where Rob used to live – and he makes ‘em for Rob too!
Doug is a very nice, matter of fact guy - totally oblivious to all the pomp and ceremony that goes with most Pop Stars and Celebs, even though he has dealings with most of them at some time or the other. He makes all sorts of stringed instruments for musicians who can afford custom built instruments.
Doug has just finished a beautiful PINK electric guitar for Robbie in the shape of his infamous RW logo; it is built from cedar wood and has mother of pearl inlays on it.
When I spoke to him, he said Rob picked it up a couple of weeks ago around the time he also visited Port Vale FC (end of October). In fact, RW’s helicopter landed in a field just by Doug’s Workshop! - and Rob popped in to collect it himself. It’s quite nice for RW to visit Doug’s place because Rob’s sister Sally and her hubby Phil live nearby, and they and Jan drop in on a regular basis to see how things are going with Doug, and he says there is a very sim guitar waiting to be picked up in, GREEN colour this time though.
While we were chatting I inadvertently went to call Doug Graham because of Jon and his family (Jonny Wilkes’ dad was called Graham) because of they and Doug having the same surname – and then we both were saying our respects to Jon’s dear Dad. Doug was saying how he had once met Jonny`s Dad at a large Hotel (Midland he thinks), in Manchester and how Doug says he has heard the two families could be linked, in the past maybe.
To sum up, Doug is a very sweet and unassuming guy who takes his special connections with a pinch of salt and takes very little notice of all the pop-celeb stuff going on around him and concentrates on his work and his own biz. I quote Doug as saying, “I’m not nosey”!
Good on you Doug and good luck with your gigs. Look out for him; he has a broad song sheet from Abba to Metal Rock.
We all thought, I think, that Rob wouldn’t stay in England much; so I’m happy he’s stayed around. Maybe Ayda and Jan have really got on well? Or maybe Ayda just loves England?
Funny though that she wanted to go on a ride on Blackpool Pleasure beach in freezing November! RW and Family had Blackpool Pleasure Beach opened for them with help from Jonathan Wilkes’ friend who is a Boss there.
Shell told me that she is showing Purple Giraffe's video of Robbie, Ayda with friends and family at the rides (on www.purerobbie.com) and it’s v funny! Check it out.
PS Good luck to Take That who are deffo for BBC Children In Need on Friday 14th Nov
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Robbie Williams is staying a lot longer in England than many of us thought he would.
He turned up unexpected at a meeting of Reach4It, a Stoke on Trent council youth project which tries to inspire kids to believe in themselves and their city. They were on a tour of one of the city's most haunted spots, The Leopard pub (only yards from his old home in Burslem), when up pops our Rob! Did they think he was a ghost???
The organisers, who brilliantly kept the whole thing secret, said they were really happy that he had inspired the kids...
Which reminds me - what's happening with Give It Sum, Robbie's local charity there?
On our messageboard, there is another suggestion why Robbie is sticking around England so long. Is he here to pick up his custom made guitars from North Staffs based guitar maker Doug Wilkes? You can see the guitars in progress on the website - just type in Wilkes Guitars...
And one other thing!! What's all this about Robbie being a Man Utd supporter? The papers said after he went to the Arsenal-Man U match with girlfriend Ayda Field that that was what he was. No way! Rob is Port Vale through and through - it was a shame that he didn't see the Valiants on the same day - as his team came back from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in the FA Cup. What a result!
October 2008
Well... what a surprise! Robbie Williams has been spotted here in England on a visit to his hometown of Stoke on Trent - but it was totally unannounced.
He shocked staff at Port Vale Football Club (his fave) by just strolling in and saying "hi"!
Later that day, he even popped into the Sneyd Green Oatcake shop to buy some of the local delicacy, and even had a cup of tea in a Burslem caff, stunning the customers in there.
The thing is that everyone has taken a vow of secrecy it seems - Vale won't comment, and even the oatcake shop owner just stays shtum. Did Robbie make them promise to keep it quiet?
It seems like he is visiting his Mum, Jan, and the rumour is that he may even be showing girlfriend Ayda around his boyhood haunts...
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For Robbie Williams News from 2008, 2006 and 2007, click on the 'Past Features on Robbie' link on our main Robbie Williams page. To access our main Robbie Williams page, clikc on the link in the top right-hand corner of this page.
