5




From left to right: Qui-Gon as
Little John, Darth Maul as the Baron
de Belleme, and Obi-Wan as Gisburne *

Kathye had decided in her uniquely cunning and devious way that if she didn’t have room in her luggage for a brilliant costume, she would design some ultra cool duds for the Plushies instead. It’s a total shame that the costume contest never got off the ground because the Plushies looked incredible, dahling. Obi-Wan went as Gisburne, replete with chainmail and blue cloak; Qui-Gon dressed as Little John, with quarterstaff and furs; and Darth Maul was the Baron, with a super cool headdress. I believe he already had a black cape. Yes, the Plushies almost made me feel guilty for not finding similar apparel for Herne Bear and Herne Dog, but then I can’t sew to save my life and they did have antlers after all.











Two nobles wait for the feast to begin

Two more fans don costumes
Is it just me or does the one
on the left look a little suspicious…?





















Everyone gathered in the lounge before the banquet began, so I had the opportunity to admire even more costumes and snap some quick pictures. While not everyone chose to dress in costume, a lot people seemed to make an effort to look good. Kirsty, Alys, Anita and Fiona were the epitome of style with their gowns and formal attire.

Norbert sticking his snout
where he shouldn’t! **

When the doors opened, we all scrambled to find seats. I ended up at a table with Kathye, Ange, Sar, Patti, Rina, Tina, Cora, Tirza…and probably a couple of other faces I can’t remember. *Sigh* When everyone seemed to be settled, the committee prepared to draw for the coveted seat at the high table. Thankfully I didn’t have the winning ticket this time. Of course, if I had possessed it, I would have either pretended that I didn’t or insist that they draw again. And, no, this wouldn’t have been a magnanimous gesture on my part. *g*






Bad Herne Bear!

Supper was an interesting, entertaining and strange experience. With the Plushies, Herne Bear, Herne Dog and Norbert the Dragon, it was a slightly crowded table. We received amused looks from the banquet servers and the con attendees who were brave enough to take a look. I spent most of the meal fending off Norbert, who kept trying to take sips from my Coke. Herne Bear and Herne Dog behaved impeccably, of course. Well, sometimes the Plushies tried to influence their behaviour, but they were still good…for the most part. Okay, there was that one little incident with Phil Rose, but now that Herne Bear’s been on the patch for a while and his nicotine cravings have subsided, he’s been a very good bear, indeed.






Robbie Bulloch and me
I’m not stoned! HONEST!

*Clears throat* Before Phil Rose came to visit our table, Patti was kind enough to introduce me to her good friend, Robbie Bulloch (Matthew of Wickham), who had grown up very nicely. In fact, he recently became a father. He agreed to have his picture taken with me. I think he looks good. I wish I didn’t look stoned. I hadn’t been drinking alcohol and wouldn’t have taken anything stronger than a decongestant…but I’m sure it was only due to Robbie’s presence and not non-prescription drugs.





*Clears throat again* For some reason, the costume contest never happened, but the auction still went on. Robert played auctioneer and, as he was fairly plastered by this point, it was pretty funny. That isn’t to say that he didn’t do a good job. There was just a lot of giggling. As a happy drunk myself, I can definitely relate. Anyway, I think I’ll skip the Saturday auction and describe Sunday’s auction later on instead. Both Robert and Phil were in better form and I, uh, actually thought to take some notes. Hee, hee, hee…

Time for another chat!
From left to right: Alys,
Magdalena, Lydia and Robert

While the auction was taking place, Kirsty (Herne bless her) set up her faithful laptop and connected to the Saturday night RoS chatroom, where many eager chatters were waiting for the Silver Arrow 2003 live chat to begin. Alys was the official typist on our end, serving in the role she had played since Silver Arrow ’98. A number of people gathered around the laptop as the chat began, and the online chatters demanded details about the con and which guest would be dropping in first. It turned out to be Jeremy Bulloch, who seemed genuinely interested and curious about the chat and the online fans. Robert followed shortly after, a little unsteady but willing to chat. Richard Carpenter also took a turn, marvelling at the wonders of modern technology. And last, but never least, Phil Rose popped his head into the chatroom. I’m relieved that Herne Bear wasn’t within reach. I had left him and Herne Dog at our supper table. And Herne only knows what happened to them while my back was turned, especially with those Plushies around… *shivers*

I believe it was around 11:00 or 11:30 when Robert announced that he was going to bed. Kirsty – who had supplied him with many of his pints – agreed that that was probably a good idea. In fact, a lot of people seemed to follow his example. I know I did. I knew I’d need the extra energy if I was going to be exploring Chepstow Castle the next day.


* Photo provided by Sar

** Photo provided by Kathye