By the time we reached the hotel, we only had a bit of time left before supper would be served in the hall. I used the time to call my mom’s cousin again and finalize my plans for meeting her on Monday. I just hoped I would be able to reach Stratford in one piece after the con!
There was also time to indulge in a mini Robert Addie film fest. Kirsty had brought her video tapes and arranged to borrow a VCR from the hotel. She asked what we wanted to see and all the Addie fans yelled out their answers while the non-Addie fans like Alys, Rina and Fiona must have been rolling their eyes! When we finally managed to agree, Kirsty began popping tapes into the VCR.
In some cases they were only in for 10 or 15 minutes if Robert was in a small part. She even explained (in a humourous way) what was going on in a Bugs episode, as we were just fast forwarding to the RA parts! We even put Excalibur in although practically everyone had seen it. However, we were determined to find Robert playing his “other” role in the film. We had learned the previous night (in a pretty startling confession) that Robert had actually played Merlin in part of the film! Nicol Williamson had gone down to London for the day and John Boorman insisted that Robert (despite his day off) had to fill in for him because they were of a similar build and height. If you watch the scene were Merlin is walking up the hill (his back to the camera) to perform the spell that will transform Uther into the Duke of Cornwall, it’s actually Robert Addie! *g*
Our table Sunday night (Clockwise from right corner: Mark, Emma, Kathye, Fiona, Rina, Louise, Caroline, Anita and Anne-Marie)
Once we had our Addie fix, people went upstairs to change into their disco clothes. I had been too lazy and uninspired to bring anything, so I just went to the lounge in my t-shirt and jeans. I met up with Rina and, as I had been trying to give away my cheap Canuck souvenirs, I handed her a maple leaf pin and pen. She seemed genuinely touched and said she wanted to give me something. Then she went to her room to fetch it.
She soon returned with a bright orange baseball cap with “Holland” emblazoned across the front. I immediately put it on. Anita plucked it off, bent the brim a couple of times so it wouldn’t stick up so much, then placed it back on my head. I wore it most of the evening. I don’t think anyone had trouble spotting me! *g*
Meet the Goths - Mark and Lady Em
Supper was a little more relaxing on Sunday because I was sitting at a table with all my friends. We had a chance to talk some more and discuss the various events of the con. Some people even passed around address books. It was a nice change of pace. It wouldn’t last long...I had barely eaten my meal when the swords were out and the teeth were bared. The RoS quiz had begun!
It was a lot of fun and a lot of laughs! There were four rounds with the questions growing increasingly difficult . Kirsty was our official scribe and she patiently wrote down the answers we hissed at her. It was a good thing that she was taking down our answers because we had put a gagging order on her when she enthusiastically shouted out some of the answers! *g*
During the quiz we had a couple of minor disagreements. When asked what name Robert of Huntington used when he posed as a pedlar in “Herne’s Son,” Part II, Kirsty and Alys were sure it was Cedric, but Rina and I knew it was Frederick! We had to take a vote and, fortunately, Rina and I won, which was good since we ended up being right! *g* It seems ironic that we gained a point when a Nasir fan and a Guy groupie banded together!
I think we actually benefited from being such an eclectic bunch. We had most of our bases covered since we had fans of Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Ray Winstone and Robert Addie at our table. It also helped that Alys and Kirsty knew their history! I think we only missed a couple of questions. Nevertheless, we were still astonished when the judges announced that our group - the Gizzy’s Dizzys - had won! We couldn’t believe it!
Kirsty scribbles down our answers furiously during the quiz
I’m afraid we didn’t do much to hide our excitement. We cheered and shouted as we headed to the dance floor to accept our prizes. The other tables must have thought we were nuts! And we were such a large group - there must have been at least 13 or 14 people! I felt kind of guilty about our large number, especially when I learned who came in second place. Gary Rhodes had battled against us almost single-handed. In fact, I think he only lost by one question! When asked what Richard Todd and Patrick Bergen had in common, he said they were both men, which was technically correct but not exactly the answer the judges were looking for...We said they were both Irish, which seemed to be the more popular answer.
When we arrived on the dance floor, we discovered that we had won certificates (suitable for framing), but they weren’t quite ready yet. However, the Eighties Disco was about the begin so we really needed our hands free.
