On Saturday morning, I woke up with a clearer head, and it was thoughts of the dealers’ tables and guest panels that danced in my head. But first I needed some breakfast. We had all agreed to meet in the lounge around 8:00, so it was a large crowd that set upon the restaurant staff that morning. As table capacities were limited, we were forced to split up. I ended up sharing a table with Kirsty, Alys, Anita, Fiona and Patti. It was nice to spend time with them because I didn’t really get a chance to talk to them the night before. Then it was a quick trip back to the hotel room to brush my teeth, etc.
I think, all things considered, that I was pretty good on my first visit to the dealers’ tables. Okay, I was cruel enough to buy Eric De Bock’s last Silver Arrow 2000 DVD, much to poor Julie Phipps’s chagrin. But if I hadn’t run into Katie, who was rummaging through a pile of RoS photos, I wouldn’t have been in a position to accept that Gisburne photo from her and lay down more quid on another dealer's table. And those zines I bought at a third table were on sale, so they don’t really count. Of course, I ended up returning in the afternoon to buy a zine for a friend of mine back home. Oh, and that paperback copy of Smuggler. Other than that, I bought nothing at the dealers’ tables. Honest.
I’m lucky I have such good friends because they saved a seat for me while I wasn’t spending copious amounts of money at the dealers’ tables. Then it wasn’t long before the opening ceremony began, and Dan Rendell and Gary Rhodes put in appearances as Loxley and Huntingdon respectively. After that, Janet Reedman welcomed us to the convention and introduced the morning guest panel, which consisted of Phil Rose, Robert Addie and RoS film editor, Nigel Bell. While Nigel fielded questions about the editing process for Ros, Robert answered a question from Kirsty about his latest project – directing a play. Phil attempted to pitch his own project – an animated children’s film he had co-written. And he only requires £ 7 million to get it off the ground!
Phil Rose’s photo of the ladies taking lunch From left to right: Magdalena, Sar, Lydia, Kathye, Kirsty, Ange, Rina, and me
This is going to sound terrible, but I, uh, can’t remember what else was discussed during the panel. I know it was funny and entertaining because I laughed – a lot. I blame the Silver Arrow 2000 DVD I bought. I made the mistake of watching it as soon as I got home from Britain, and now the only con panels I can remember are the ones from the 2000 con…Okay, if you won’t accept that excuse, how about this one? I sustained a head injury while running for the train at Victoria Station (Thanks for the suggestion, Sar) and was suffering from short-term memory loss that weekend. Yes, that’s it. It was selective memory. Very selective memory.
After the guest panel I can’t remember, a group of us decided to go out and grab some lunch. We only had a limited time before the next panel (no comment), so we agreed to forage for supplies at Temple Meads Station. Once everyone had collected their jackets and such, they gathered in the reception area. I took advantage of the opportunity and forced some of my lunch companions to pose for a picture. I was stepping back, trying to fit everyone into the frame, when I noticed startled looks on my subjects’ faces. Then I heard a few of them shout, “Watch out!”
Me and Phil Rose
I spun around in terror and found Phil Rose standing behind me. “PHIL!” I cried. He kindly offered to take the picture for me and told me to join the group. Then I asked Phil if I could take his picture, and he insisted that I get in front of the camera again and have someone else take it. Suffice it to say, I walked to Temple Meads Station in a happy fan geek daze. And I managed to go at least two minutes before jumping up and down, squealing, “I met Phil Rose!”
At the W.H. Smith in Temple Meads, we happened upon a fine selection of culinary delights. I picked up a Prawn Rose Marie sandwich and some precious caffeine (e.g. a bottle of Coke). Oh, and a bag of crisps, I think. However, I soon found a snack that was much better. It was, in fact, the snack food of my dreams.
I came across Kirsty when I joined the queue for the cash register, and we compared lunch items. I saw her chocolate fudge brownie covered with – wait for it – tiny M&Ms. M&Ms! I asked her excitedly where she had found this marvelous treasure, and she told me they could be found at the back. The back! I left the queue immediately and hurried to grab one. As I was drooling over these marvels of British confectionery, I managed to convert at least one other person to the M&M brownie cause. More were to follow.
Ladies having lunch/M&M brownie patrol
From left to right: Sar, Kathye, Ange, me, Anita, Alys, Fiona, and Kirsty *
Outside the W.H. Smith, more members of our group, like Kathye, learned about the secret snack and rushed back into the shop to find their own. Eventually, despite numerous trips back inside W.H. Smith, our group had fulfilled their midday meal requirements and we went off in search of somewhere to sit. We ended up perching on the wall outside the station, which was great because it was a beautiful day.
* Photo provided by Rina Florijn
