McFly fever hits Marlborough as fans swamp store (From This Is Wiltshire)

McFly fever hits Marlborough as fans swamp store

8:06am Tuesday 16th November 2010 in News By Nigel Kerton

Harry Judd and Dugie Poynter of McFly with Robert Dobbie

McFly fever hit Marlborough last night with hundreds of the boy band’s fans queuing along the High Street and leaving two of the band with writer’s cramp after autographing countless copies of their new CD.

Yesterday was launch day for the band’s new album Above the Noise and word had got around over a wide area that two of the band, drummer Harry Judd and bass player/backing singer Dougie Poynter were going to be signing copies at Sound Knowledge music shop in Marlborough.

Shop owner Roger Mortimer said : “We had about 500 pre-book but a lot more have turned up as well.”

The McFly fans patiently queued and although they were three and four deep the line stretched from the shop door in Hughenden Yard back to the High Street and then along as far as the Royal Oak pub.

Harry Judd’s comment when told it was probably the longest queue seen in the town in living memory was: “That’s fantastic,” and he still had a cheery smile and time for a brief chat with each of the hundreds of fans as they handed over copies of the new album to be autographed.

The first fan they greeted was 11-year-old Edward Scipio from Owen Close in Devizes who suffers from cerebral palsy and who was pushed in his wheelchair by his mother who said: “He is a big McFly fan...you ought to see his bedroom, he has posters and their albums all over the room.”

Next in line was Robert Dobie, 17, from Marlborough who had his favourite McFly tracks played to him as he lay in a coma at Bristol Children’s Hospital over Christmas and New Year two years ago when severe food poisoning left him fighting for his life and, doctors told his parents Bob and Michelle, he actually died twice.

After meeting Roberts Harry Judd and hearing that the McFly records may have helped his recovery Harry Poynter said: “That is a really touching story and we are delighted if we helped in any way.”

Robert was invited to see McFly in action next year at the NEC in Birmingham.

Charlie Hogben who will be eight on Sunday and lives at Tidworth is a big McFly fan like his mum and dad, Alison and Darren, and he took along his toy guitar for the band members to sign. His father said: “We have seen McFly a couple of times and Charlie is as big a fan as we are.”

The Bushnell family from Fyfield was out in force with mother Helen and daughters Abbie, six, who goes to Kennet Valley School and Samantha, 13, who is at St John’s in Marlborough. Samantha said: “I like them because thy are good singers.” Abbie said: “I love them,” and their mother agreed that she was a fan, too.

Some of the queuing fans came from as far away as Hertfordshire and Oxford and one girl who was making a round trip of more than 200 miles by train and bus just to get her copy of Beyond the Noise signed said: “I would have travelled twice as far if I’d had to."