After I had almost recovered from the photo session with Robert (SIGH!), Rina came to keep me company. Then the auction began. The committee had enlisted Terry to act as an auctioneer, as well as a judge. He was very funny, especially when he kept arguing with a bidder who was sitting against the wall behind me. But there was a usurper in our midst...
Robert Addie first complained that the microphone wasn’t working, so he left the table to fix it. Some time passed and then he was shaking his head again and going to the bar for a pint. He hadn’t been back long when he announced that he was going to take over. He was perfect!
As most fans know, he certainly has the voice for the job! I doubt he had to worry about any problems with the mike! However, he also had the civility and poise of a good auctioneer. He addressed the attendees as “ladies” and “gentlemen” before he began to accuse them of being cheapskates. *g* He also had the best sales pitch!: "Come on, who could possibly resist this photo of Michael Praed with his nipple peeping out teasingly from his shirt?" Ah, and who could forget this gem?: "In 1984, this copy of TV Times only cost 39p and is now about 59p...So who will start out at £5?"
The funniest part of the auction was when Kathye purchased an autographed picture of Ewan MacGregor for £13, and then Robert introduced a selection of Michael Praed and Jason Connery pictures and had trouble getting a starting bid of £5! It boggled his mind that he could get £13 for a picture of someone who wasn’t even in Robin of Sherwood...even if Ewan had watched the show as a kid! *g*
The last item on the auction block was a pristine copy of the famous RoS blooper tape. The bidding was fast and furious. Rina borrowed a calculator and kept track of how much it was going for in Dutch currency. It eventually went for £85 - over 400 guilders! At this point, the auctioneer returned to the table. We showed him the tally Rina had kept on the calculator. It had also occurred to me that the LIVE Silver Arrow 2000 Chat might have started. I warned him that Kirsty would probably be rounding him up soon. Then I told him that it had been great talking to him , and Rina and I went off in search of the others.
They were on the other side of the hall and, after some initial problems, had managed to get Kirsty’s laptop working. Our friends in chat land were eager to know what was happening so Alys shared some of the details, including my adventure at the high table! Then Kirsty arrived with Robert’s drink, and Alys told the other chatters that Robert’s drink had arrived so it shouldn’t be long before Robert followed. Sure enough, Robert soon arrived and Alys typed his greetings.
Oh, Robert, where are you...? The chat has started but our auctioneer is nowhere in sight... (From left to right: Dar, Alys (at keyboard), Fiona, Rina and Kathye)
It was strange being on the Silver Arrow end of the chat. At the last Silver Arrow LIVE Chat (August '98), I had sat at my computer at home waiting nervously for Robert to come online. Now I was standing with many of my chat buddies and Robert Addie, who was dictating to Alys! Also, when you’re at the con, you hear the answers people want to give but know they shouldn’t... *g*
Despite appearances to the contrary, these people haven't discovered the secrets of the universe... (Moving clockwise from bottom: Rina, Fiona, Anne-Marie, Dar, Robert, Kirsty, Anita, Magdalena and Alys at the keyboard)
We had a lot of fun and, before we knew it, it was about 12:45 a.m. and the staff was warning us that they would start charging us extra for the hall if we stayed past 1:00. We managed to excuse ourselves from the other chatters (many had to leave anyway) and we emptied out into the lounge.
We bought drinks at the bar and managed to find space for about 12 or 13 people! Melanie from Germany sat on the floor and Kathye and I sat on the arms of two chesterfields. I was very tired but sat, entranced, as Robert told stories about his experiences while filming Excalibur, Another Country, The First Olympics and Knight in Camelot. He had some wonderful stories and he answered a lot of questions.
I think he must have seen a few pairs of heavy eyelids because he finally took pity on us and announced that he was going to bed around 3:30 a.m. I was so tired that I just wished everyone good night and left. I heard that a few people stayed longer, but I just didn’t have the energy - not even for Robert Addie. I had only averaged about 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night since I had arrived in Britain! *g*
