Now then Ant has returned and we head out for the train station… again. We make it on time, exactly on time. The convention is much like I expected it would be, costumed fans floating around the place and some of them disappearing and reappearing in new costumes. Ant, Christian and myself have decided to come as ourselves.
One of the best costumes would have to be the three fully motorized and voiced Daleks. One of them had a permanent residence outside the rest room, shouting phrases like “ARE YOU GOING FOR A WEE-WEE?” and “DID YOU WASH YOUR HANDS?”
We move on to the show room to see what’s for sale, as well as meet up with the beautiful Carolyn Edwards who has supplied our site with some of her brilliant artwork. She is an extremely nice person and a pleasure to meet, and what kind of a person would I be if I didn’t recommend a link to some of her art. There.
Now then still in the show room Christian seems to be taken by the walkie-talkie toy of the 9th Doctor and the Slitheen. Not because he would like to add it to his collection, but because the 9th Doctor looks more like (series producer) Phil Collinson than it does the 9th Doctor. It really does you know, check it out.
To those of you who can’t seem to find a sonic screwdriver or an RC Dalek, I know where they are. Every last one of them are in this show room for sale at far more then what the stores would give you. It’s sad really, so many fans just want a piece of their favorite show and can’t find it anywhere because they are all in this one room, and you know what’s worse then that?
People, fans, were buying them at these escalated prices, because they felt they had no choice if they were to ever own one of these objects. Oh well, everyone needs to make a living somehow.
Back on track, we had the pleasure of seeing one-time Davros David Gooderson, Lead Axon Bernard Holly, Paul Darrow, Maureen O’Brien, Mark Strickson, Nicola Bryant, the Big Finish Team, and the special unscheduled guest Frazier Hines. We missed Peter Davison and a few others by a day. Nevertheless we had a lot of fun and the guests we saw were very entertaining, well worth the cost.
BBC Radio Cleveland was on hand covering the event, so naturally we took the opportunity to get Christian to go and talk to them. Well it had to be one of us, and Christian is our main voice, so why not him right?
It worked, they wanted to interview us, though I have a feeling that they were less excited about our site and more enthused by the fact that an American had traveled all this way for the convention. But it wasn’t just for the convention was it? They didn’t know that nor did it matter to them I suspect, not that it mattered to us either. Christian and I were interviewed while Anthony met up with Gareth, editor of the Black Scrolls magazine.
When the interview was over, we were keen to find out when it was being transmitted so that we could tape it and hear how we sounded. So when was it on then? Oh I see… we were live. Did any of our readers hear us?
The convention started to wind down so Gareth and the Kasterborous team headed out to the local Pub for a pint and a football match, but the night didn’t end there, oh no we still had Bingo to attended. Yes I said Bingo.
It was at the Bingo club where we met Ceri’s parents, and they were so much fun they almost made me forget that I was playing Bingo. That is until the entertainers got on stage. Imagine Donnie and Marie reborn as two kids from the UK who have a fetish for sequins, shiny objects and overacting. Still, we had fun, and the Bingo jokes are really just meant in good humor.
It is now Sunday morning November 13, and it’s hard to believe that it’s already time to go. Christian and Ceri have been wonderful hosts to Ant and myself and it’s really hard to have to say goodbye.
But Blackpool is the next step on my UK trip and time is of the essence. Ant and I made our way to the Blackpool Doctor Who Exhibition and I have to say it was quite fun. Could have been bigger, but nonetheless it was enjoyable.
The Exhibition was a small, yet impressive, assortment of Doctor Who props and costumes from the original series, with a new special room for the new series. We saw everything from Daleks to Krags to new series Slitheen.
As is always the case time was running out, Anthony had given me a mini tour of Blackpool and Liverpool, but Monday was approaching and my tour guide had work the next day, so time to check me into my hotel to plan out my first day alone during this trip.
I decided to head out to the Liverpool city center for a bit of shopping and then to the Albert Dock to take in the Beatles Story Exhibition. Monday seemed to go by very fast and with it came Tuesday, the day I was to make my way home.
Anthony was kind enough to drive me all over this great country and for that I can’t thank him enough. Meeting up with Christian and Anthony was something that I thought would never happen, or to be more honest was something that I had never given any thought to as I have just assumed it would never happen. But it was nice to see that we got on just as well in person as we did through our e-mail and instant messages.
This truly was the trip of a lifetime and it couldn’t have happened without one TV show, a little program called Doctor Who.
(Did you miss part 1? Click here to view!)