Fan-Love in the ironing-room


At the end of September our local advertising-paper, which is delivered once a week to every household in Dinslaken, called up for people with interesting hobbies. I didn't hesitate and wrote a long e-mail to the editorial office. Soon later the responsible journalist rang me up and made a date for an "interview"! He and his photographer visited me the next day. The photographer left soon after he had taken his photos, the journalist stayed with me and listened for further 45 minutes to what I had to tell about Chris de Burgh and how I became such a huge fan. I was a bit worried, if I didn't confuse him too much with all I told him - but the morning before I left to Liverpool (18. Oct. 2006) this article was published in the newspaper. The telephone rang often that morning, because my friends and relatives had noticed me in the paper .... ! I'm nearly glad, that I was in Liverpool for the following days! The kids were asked at school, if their mother's name was Doris.... . My husband Arno's colleagues told him, they had seen my picture in the newspaper......! Even 1 week later, when I was buying CdeB-tickets for a friend of mine, who just decided to come over from Cornwall to see the Dortmund-concert, the ticket-shop-assistent said: "Haven't you been in the Niederrhein-Anzeiger the other week?" I felt a bit like being famous! Also in my sport-club several people said, they had seen me in the papers. One of them even asked me, if I hadn't dared coming to the sport-course last week (the day, when the newspaper appeared), because of this article - but I had to disappoint her, I told her that I had just been in Liverpool last week to meet Chris de Burgh!!!

And Chris himself signed this paper for me in Anfield!!!

The following week they reported about a man who was collecting prayer-books.......

28.10.2006:
Today I received a package, which made me smile!!! A friend sent me an ironing board cover with a little note saying "Happy ironing :-)". Thank you, Malcolm!


Here is the translation of the article:

Fanlove in the ironing-room (washing-cellar)

Dinslaken - While washing it's the "Ferryman", while ironing the "Ship to Shore" and while drying it's "The Lady in Red". Doris Neerfries has got the fever. She's crazy for Chris de Burgh. The detail is in the ironing-room.

Already on the way into the lower part of the house in Eppinghoven (our part of Dinslaken) there are uncountable rememberance photos decorating the walls. In the ironing room itself tour-posters are the objects, who decorate the walls. Chris de Burgh as far as the eye can see! From the speakers you hear the new song "One world". The current album is just out. Of course she already owns it and listens to it again and again. Chris de Burgh also is permanent guest in the CD-player of her car. But Doris is totally alone with her passion about the irish musisian. Besides her not her husband nor the two children really like the singer. And because of this fact she has her own external harddisc-drive at the family-computer, which is only for files and photos of de Burgh.

Since 2002 she's fan through and through. "A friend took me with herself to a CdeB-concert 4 years ago. Since then I'm high on emotin", that's how the Lady from Dinslaken describes the feeling herself. "At the end of the concert we all went to the front. It's the way Chris looks, who bewitched me. He gives everybody the feeling to be a friend" adores the Lady from Dinslaken. She owns more than 50 CD-albums. "That should be nearly all" tells Doris Neerfries. But it isn't all done with buying one new CD. If there are several editions like "slide pack" or "special edition" Doris Neerfries must have them all. Of course there are also uncountable legendary vinyls of the artist in her "repertoire". She's very proud of a rare not sold anymore biography, which she bought via the internet.
With her passion to Chris de Burgh she already made herself a name in the "szene". So besides others her photo is even on Chris de Burgh's official homepage. Doris Neerfries is using the fan-chat regularly and communicates worldwide with same minded people. Her friends live all around the world. "I meet some of them at the concerts, which is always a great pleasure."

At home she gives Chris de Burgh evenings for friends. Videos are watched and they talk about CdeB-stuff.

Her personal star-hours with "her" Chris are so called "meet & greets", where special fans meet the star backstage for a short talk or to collect autographs. "Once he had invited 150 fans to an exclusive soundcheck, where he sang 1/2 hour only for us". So it's no wonder, that the woman from Dinslaken is not unknown to CdeB. Together with friends she has recorded a song for him for a tribute-CD from fans, and she already sent several e-mails to the singer, which he even answered personally in the internet-forum, the so calles "Man on the line".

Uncountable signatures decorate the cellar walls of her house. "The greatest thing would be", tells Doris Neerfries, "if he once would give a concert in the Burghtheater."

The next time she will be very close to her idol at a concert in Birmingham at the 18th of November. "It will be wonderful" she says, "because at the following day it's my birthday, in which I'll celebrate with the other fans." And which kind of music there will be played - you certainly can imagine.