[Edit: Late addition of bonus picture. Scroll to bottom]
Today the RAflash fan event “I saw something fine” comes to a close. With Europe a few hours ahead of the US I may be a bit early with my personal conclusion to our little in-fandom event. Apologies! There will probably be more posts during the day, so keep your eyes out for #RAflash.
In the last day or two a fine “seeing” occasion has been much discussed and shown within the fandom. The staged reading of Pinter/Proust in New York was certainly a true “I saw something fine” moment, from what I can gather. There was “seeing” an exciting dramatization of a novel, as reinterpreted by Pinter and then staged by director Di Trevis. But then of course there was “seeing” an amazing actor getting on stage again – and not only cutting a hot nice figure up there, but apparently acting convincingly and stirringly. As well as that, we saw some very nice fan-RA-interaction after the event, with Mr A kindly engaging with his fans and insisting on seeing all who wished to see him, despite security intervention. All of which certainly has reinforced the “fineness” I originally perceived when I initially became interested in following Mr A’s career more closely.
I’d like to bring my contribution to RAflash to a close with a last post that is inspired by the interaction at the fringe of the Pinter/Proust performance – my observation of RA’s interaction at the Hobbit Premiere in Berlin. I’ll make it short because I have written about my own remote encounter at the red carpet in Berlin before (here and here) and at this point it looks like I am flogging a dead horse. In truth, I just came across a couple of pictures that I have been meaning to show on my blog, but never got ’round to. So I am appropriating them for a post in this series with however tenuous a connection.
I saw something fine. I saw an attentive, patient actor who made an effort to fulfil his fans’ well-wishers’ demands hopes for attention and autographs, for selfies and smiles. And all that in a fine drizzle *shudders* and with the knowledge that 70 metres of red carpet were still ahead of him, plus an interview looming. While possibly wanting nothing more than to be with his family who were attending, too.
The moment a certain sign catches RA’s attention
Picture by A___ aka richards-smile on tumblr
[Click pic to get to her blog’s archive for Dec 2013 and more Berlin pics]
Goodness, Guylty has quite a pointy proboscis, too, just about visible on the right.
Picture by A___ aka richards-smile on tumblr
[Click pic to get to her blog’s archive for Dec 2013 and more Berlin pics]
Right. That’s it for moi and flashing. It’s been a hoot – and I can only say it’s been great to see people responding to the impromptu fan event. I’ve learned a lot about my fellow fan’s own descent into hell, which characters enthralled them and when the obsession hit, why they have a soft spot for the man behind the characters and what made them turn their quiet sobbing admiring into public drooling fangirling. Personally, I have loved finding out that it was such a similar story for a lot of us. And I have found a few new blogs to subscribe to. Bonus: I have seen more examples of fine-ness to sustain the lasting fascination. Worthy? Deffo!
All the RAflash goodness has been kindly collated by the creator of the event, RAFrenzy, on the RAflash.com site. A massive big thanks to Frenz for suggesting it and for taking on the organisation of it. I think it has been worth it!
BONUS: The hoped-for “seeing” of the sign – image by the lovely L___, the Cumberbabe with whom I bonded on my bench and whom I nearly converted to the Army 😉
“So, what does that mean?”
R___ A___ looks at “The Infamous Sign” 🙂
Image by L___ who was standing immediately to the right of me
Guylty Pleasure 
What a gorgeous shot of him in that first photo. Judging by that smile, the sign was a winner. 🙂
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[Where did my previous comment go???] Yep, gorgeous smile there. From the very aptly photographer richards-smile *ggg*
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Lovely pics to end a lovely week! And RA’s contribution to the event was fantastic – he made sure we really did see something fine. 😀
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His contribution, hehe. He looked at the web again and decided to take part 😉
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It’s been a fun week in many ways- thanks for your contributions, Guylty. Good to get a glimpse of you there- the hands that wield the camera!
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I love such events where I get to see the people behind the name. Sorry, you only got to see the nose behind *my* name
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Thanks you so much Guylty and EVERYONE for your participation in RAFlash Fan. I want to say a special Thank You to my Guest Blogger Bri! You were so gracious to full my blog with your story! I hope will brighten our day with another soon! Again THREE CHEERS FOR THE PRODUCERS of RAFLASH~ rah. rAH. RAH!!! XOXOXOXO
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Indeed I can only agree with that – it’s been great. And I have just read on RAFrenzy’s blog that she is keeping the RAflash site open for any late stories along the lines of “I saw something fine”. Great!
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I finally saw your infamous sign — neat!
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😀 Infamous sign *haha*. Well, it was well-travelled, from Ireland to Berlin, where it was assembled, languished in a plastic bag all day, was held up by UtePirat, seen by RA, photographed by people. And then I was about to kick it in the bin – but UtePirat saved it from its ignominous fate :-D.
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It’s been really cool to read all the impressions & experiences — such a fun and generous bunch! Great stuff!
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Yes, it again proves how fun and nice the community is. It was great how many people took part on such short notice. Cool people!
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It has been a great week! I too have found new blogs to follow and will be spending even more time on the computer. Thanks for sharing the pictures – it seems a “genuine” smile in the first one. He must have been delighted to see your sign.
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Unfortunately I more or less missed his reaction (some stupid big sign was right in front of me *grah* ;-)) I have another picture of the situation from a different perspective from the lovely Cumberbabe with whom I bonded. I should’ve included it here but I didn’t want to bore you.
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I have edited the post and included that other picture I mentioned in my comment, treehouse!
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You definitely caught his attention! I can never get enough of candid shots. Thanks for adding it.
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Really? I mean, you really like candids? I have got plenty more. I never bothered putting them out there because I didn’t think much of them. Should I put them into a slide show?
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Absolutely! Are you kidding or are you teasing me now?
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Just as you commented I have uploaded a new page with a slideshow of *all* Armitage images – unedited. I warn you 🙂 See menu at top of page. “Guylty Images”.
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You’re joking, right?
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Joking? In reference to what?
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Sorry – I was replying to your latest comment but the phone disagreed. How could you think another pic featuring RA and the sign would bore us? Or another ten? 😀
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*hahahaha* – sorry. Ok, well – now it’s a bit too late for updating the article (and bumping it up in the reader *grah*). Or is it?
Ah, feck it – it’s my blog, I’ll do what I want 😉
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There you go – I have edited the post and included a bonus 😉
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Thanks – it’s a great pic and you really caught his attention! Oh, you must be so proud… 🙂
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LOL – nah. It served its purpose. But a lot of thought went into it, I have to confess. Thanks to AwkCeleb – she made the original sign that I was emulating with mine.
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Wow, and you didn’t think THAT was a great picture?
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By definition, *any* picture that has RA in it is gReAt… *ggg*. So yeah, I apologize 😀
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I guess it gives me context for understanding the closeup expression in your earlier photo (which I agree is more focused, and more interesting).
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Which one? The one in this post, taken from the other angle? There is also my own picture, kind of taken just after he’s spotted the sign and has turned to his companions to have the sign translated: http://meandrichard.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/ra-2.jpg?w=698&h=465
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right, this one gives me more context for the picture you posted on my blog. (Yes, I know you told us about it, but this adds to my spatial understanding of what was going on.)
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Agreed – this one shows you the set-up: RA at the edge of the red carpet, fenced-off, the fans on the other side, behind them on a bench above them myself and L___. RA having to look up to read the sign. Me looking down upon the scene. I was standing behind the sign – in my pic I must have leaned to the right around the sign to catch him. I think that L___ probably alerted me to the fact he was seeing the sign…
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