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London Shopping Spree
Thursday, February 20
Michael spent the morning in his hotel, then set out on a three-hour shopping spree which included a visit to Virgin records for more records!
2pm: Michael arrived at Foyles bookshop in Charing Cross Road with a growing crowd of fans hot on his trail. As Michael's security guards struggled to control the crowd, he wandered around the shop, choosing hundreds of pounds' worth of children's books, which his minders paid for.
3pm: Michael returned to the Dorchester where a fan grabbed his red sweater and was immediately jumped on by other fans. In the scramble, Michael was knocked down and crushed against the hotel doors. One fan says he "looked scared to death". He was picked up by a minder and made it through the hotel door uninjured. Michael's sweater was later returned to him by the police who collared the fan and got her to give it back!
8:30pm: Michael went to his favorite toy shop, Hamleys in Regent Street. Michael and Brett wandered round the whole shop, but paid special attention to The Simpsons toys! "He had a great laugh round by The Simpsons display", a spokesman for Hamleys, [Peter Skinner?], tells "BIG!". "He came across as a very quiet and pleasant person. He asked me which were the best selling toys in the country and spent two hours in the shop." Michael spent "several thousand pounds" and bought a 450 child-sized yellow jeep, several remote control cars, computer games, and a lego set. The highlight of his visit came when he was shown tricks by the store magician and then performed some of his own!
10:30pm: Michael made a short trip to the Rick Circus in Piccadilly which is full of models of pop stars and features a Michael Jackson waxwork! Michael was shown around by Rock Circus' [Heather Rothewood?] and sang along to hits including Madonna's "Like a Virgin"! "He said he was very tired, but that he was enjoying his visit", Heather says. "He didn't want any photos taken--[article cut off]
"News of the World" (February 1992)
Superstar Michael Jackson was looking for a little light reading yesterday when he dropped into world-famous Foyles bookshop.
He picked up a bagful of children's books for 10-year-old [friend] Brett--then to liven things up gave him an antique hand grenade he had spotted in a flea market.
For himself, there were more antiques--a boxed collection of Doris Day songs.
Pop music's coolest dude confessed to being a huge fan of the Fifties star who shot to fame riding the Deadwood Stage in the film Calamity Jane with classics as Whip-Crack-Away.
Jackson, 33, on a five-day break in Britain, was spared the embarrassment of his fans sporting his secret love.
He had the record shop to himself after persuading [staff?] to open in the early hours so he could browse in peace.
Andy Lowe, manager of the Piccadilly branch of Tower Records, said: "He seemed more nervous of me than I was of him."
Surprise
"But he is a very decent bloke, just like your average multi-millionaire."
Jackson, again accompanied by Brett, spent £300 on his credit card on a 45-minute shopping spree just after midnight.
He told staff, "Doris Day is a great favorite of mine. I'm one of her greatest fans."
A few hours later, Jackson was shopping again--on a [illegible] spree of Kensington and Oxford Stores.
[Paragraph section illegible]
...bought more records at Virgin and books from Foyles.
Stunned staff at Britain's biggest bookshop had no warning of his visit.
Assistant manager Stephen Boal admitted: "The visit took us by surprise. I think our customers were a little surprised too.
"His bodyguards did all the shopping and Michael Jackson just pointed to what he wanted."
Shop assistant James Haythorne, 26, said: "I came back from lunch and thought a fire alarm had gone off.
"Jackson arrived at about 2pm and stayed 20 minutes but his bodyguards immediately sealed off the area.
"I did not see him talk to any children and his face was always turned away.
"There were kids all lined up against the outside window and a lot of children in here as well and his security was clearing them out of the way."
Mr. Haythorne said Jackson bought "hundreds of pounds worth of children's books."
But there were [illegible] as the entourage made its way back to the Dorchester Hotel, where Jackson's five-night stay will set him back about $10,000.
The frightened singer was [illegible] and knocked to the ground as more than 150 excited fans scrambled to get a [illegible] of their idol.
Smell
But while Jackson was left floored, one of his young admirers was in heaven, as she clutched the red sweater the star had been using to cover his mouth and nose as he shopped.
Student Addie Williams, 20, managed to push his burly minders aside, climb into the limousine, and snatch the red jumper from the nervous singer perched on the back seat.
"I've got his jumper--it smells lovely", she screamed.
As the star was manhandled inside and order restored, a shocked hotel doorman said: "This is just not Dorchester style."
Pop superstar Michael Jackson is checking out two Scottish castles for sale.
Estate agents have sent him details of properties on the market.
One is Cleish Castle near Kinross in Perthshire.
The 15th Century castle at the village of Cleish, a few miles from Loch Leven, is on sale at £575,000.
"It has been completely restored", said the agency. "The castle has received a number of architectural awards."
It has a sitting room, dining room, and seven bedrooms, two of them with en suite bathrooms.
There are two other bathrooms, a playroom, a sauna, and a minstrel gallery.
"It's unbelievable", said one of the 600 villagers. "We heard the castle was for sale, but didn't dream for a moment anyone as famous as Michael might be interested.
"If he comes the place will certainly liven up."
Jackson is also looking at another property near Dumfries.
The recently renovated fortress, described as a tower house, is on sale together with an Edwardian mansion and 68 acres of moorland to around £1 million. "He likes the idea of becoming a Lord of the Manor", said a spokesman for his record company.
"He loves anything to do with British history and heraldry."
Jackson spent yesterday poring over the estate agents' brochures and only ventured out of his Dorchester Hotel suite at 5:20pm.
There was a stampede as scores of fans hovering outside yelled his album title, "Bad"--code word for his departure.
They ran 200 yards to catch up with his limousine as it raced up an exit ramp and moved out into the West End traffic.
A dozen fans climbed on the sides of the vehicle, some of them kissing the windows and shouting: "Michael, we love you!"
Later, Jackson fled in terror when he went shopping and found himself surrounded.
He arrived unannounced at the Disney store in Regent Street, but stayed only three minutes after standing cowering in a corner.
His minders hustled him out of a rear exit, a white scarf covering his face.
20 February
Thursday
Goes for a three-hour tour of Kensington and Oxford Street. At night, once again, he raids his favorite shop in the universe: Hamleys--the biggest toy shop in the world. Leaves with several billion parcels and six large carrier bags full of a load of complete cobblers: a £450 child-sized yellow jeep, quite a few remote control cars, computer games, art materials, a Lego set, etc. etc. He spends £1,500 in all. Then he hops round to Foyle’s bookshop, goes straight to the children’s section and buys hundreds of pounds worth of kids’ books. Finally, he repairs to the Disney Shop.
...He also picked up an antique hand grenade for his [friend] Brett and hundreds of pounds worth of children's books.
But the London shopping spree ended in a near-riot when fans mobbed the singer and he was knocked to the ground.
Megastar Michael Jackson continued his mystery British stopover today and one rumor was that he might visit cash-strapped London Zoo - with a donation.
Reports that he wishes to see Benny Hill are also still persisting.
The 67-year-old comic is recovering in west London's Royal Brompton Hospital after a mild heart attack and it is believed Jackson wants him to co-star in a promotional pop video.
No one seems to know - or at least no one is telling - the reason for his unscheduled visit to Britain, now in its fourth day.
The 33-year-old singer is staying in a 1,175-a-night suite at the Dorchester where there were frenzied scenes as fans mobbed the hotel.
Yesterday, Jackson emerged from a rear entrance late in the afternoon with his 10-year-old [friend] Brett.
They managed to avoid most photographers and fans by dashing to a limousine and visited a toy shop and Madame Tussaud's.
