King's Cross Station - part 2**

[flying_ford_anglia]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C3576
From: flying_ford_anglia
Subject: King's Cross Station - part 2**
Date: 7/8/00 11:06 am  (ET)

**

I'd left BabyNick further back and settled myself in behind the press
gang, so I had a really good view of JKR as she posed by the train.

"Joanne, over here JoANNE!. Here...HERE!!! Oy, Joanne!" bellowed
one boorish cameraman. "Give us a smile, Joanne. Think of all that
money!!!" JKR rewarded him with a withering look, before cracking a smile
for the crowd. She looked as if she were facing a boggart, as she stood
meekly in the train doorway; in doorway with book; head out of train
window; head and arm out of window; arm waving; smiling; not smiling;
head spinning.

The milling crowd featured very few children, but there were a few baby
pointed witch hats dotted around, and cries of "Is that her, Mummy?",
"It's JK Rowling!" and "There she is!!!" A journalist picked her way
through the front line, thrusting a microphone into it at random. "Why
do YOU like the Harry Potter books?", "Are you excited to be here then?",
"How old are you?"

"I'm 39."

The platform show was over, and JKR moved inside the train to face more
questions about single motherhood, scribbling in caf's, and being the
most popular millionairess in human history. Nick and I moved onto the
iron bridge above the platform to take more snapshots of the train,
from above, and to marvel at the sea of bodies arranged along the
platform. Then I made my way down to the front of the train to get some
shots of the departure.

[continues in next message]