Happy Armitage Day!

Today is Richard Armitage's 40th birthday! Congratulations, Richard, wherever you are! :) I'm currently busy with my parents over from Sweden, so have a few posts lined up beforehand for this week. (This is one of them.)

Richard Armitage wallpaper by BccMee
(she does some beautiful ones, you should go check out her blog!)

To celebrate the man's birthday, I share with you the message I wrote for Calexora's birthday book. See if you can crack the cypher and spot the hidden message! :)

For about three years now, I have followed your career with some interest. Over these years, there have been so many things to celebrate, thanks to you. Real emotions, and the showing thereof, is what you are so good at portraying on screen - and on stage, alhough I've never had the pleasure of seeing you live, maybe one day you'll be up there. The Rover? Yes?

You are taking the world by storm, and it's well-deserved too, because from humble beginnings as a dancing banana in Birmingham, you have risen through handsome cotton mill owners and now, you star in a major Hollywood production. Ever pictured yourself actually playing one of the lead characters in The Hobbit? And to think, a dwarf! Really unexpected, it has to be said, but it will be great to see on screen. Soon the rest of the world will see the great actor we all know you to be, and we can't wait to see it. I'll be queuing up in a couple of weeks to watch Captain America with my comic book superhero fan of a husband, and try my best not to root for the bad guys. Still, it might be hard, considering Guy and the Sheriff were my favourites in Robin Hood!

Nottingham. Outlaws everywhere. And yet, it's the place I call home. Granted, I doubt it has a Night Watchman and the only Robin Hood around is an old statue. Even so, I ramble on.

Harry, the Vicar's husband, now there's a lovely chap I wish I could swap book tips with. And then there are all the Johns you've played. Popular name. Perhaps it would be more suitable to say how much joy you've brought to me personally and to a lot of other people rather than blabbing about various characters you've played. You brighten the days of many, and for that I am very grateful.

Brilliant Leicestershire lad that you are, a man who dares following a dream and dedicate so much to it and then seeing it come to fruition - may you have a great birthday. I know it might feel hard turning 40, but it's only a number (and in two years time, you'll have the meaning of life!), and I can only see you improve with age. Really. Thank you so much for your hard work - it has brought your fans much enjoyment, and a lot of new friends all around the world. Hope you have a great day, a great year, and a brilliant future. "Do what you want, go your own way, 'cause it's your life," as a song goes. And we're all so privileged to be a part of it, even though most of us aren't nutty enough to send you underwear. You get this book instead, from all of us, as a token of our appreciation. Maybe not in real life, but on screen. I wish you all the happiness that life can bring. Dearest Richard (if it's not too presumptous to use such a phrase to a person who is technically a stranger), wherever you go, you seem to impress people by just being who you are, and that's one of the things that I respect you for. Uniquely you. Creative, caring, and an inspiration to us all. Knowing me, I could go on forever, but I've taken up enough of your time already.

A big happy birthday from the heart of England!

Best wishes,
Traxy

I wish everyone a great Armitage Day, and of course, to the man himself, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Have you posted a birthday greeting to Richard somewhere? Did you write a message for the birthday book? Did you crack the code here? ;)