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Thoughts on the Show


Count Fooku
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however I didnt see malcolm in anything other than the usual, and thank god, my head may have exploded had I seen cool malcolm not in a Hawaiian shirt

 

He was stood next to me chatting at the wine reception, in his tuxedo. It was a few minutes before I turned round and said, "Bloody hell, it's you! You scrub up well!" I genuinely didn't recognise him!

 

Sorry for the correction in the quote. The use of prepositions instead of auxiliaries in compound tenses is a personal bugbear. I cannot deal with it!

 

 

I really liked the dressing up bit actually. Gave me a chance to get my suits out and scrub off the cobwebs. And at the event in the evening was nice to put a dress on, although many issues meant I couldn't wear the dress I wanted to.

 

Apparently, from talking to 'several' people, this Autographica was the quietest they've had in a while.

 

Tracy, do you have Facebook - my page link is on my profile page on here. Don't worry about deafening me further, I'll jsut remember next time I'm sat next to you, to only put one hearing aid in :smile:.

 

Only kidding hun.

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Sorry for the correction in the quote. The use of prepositions instead of auxiliaries in compound tenses is a personal bugbear. I cannot deal with it!

 

 

ha ha, good luck with my posts then, us Welshies are well known for speaking Wenglish, and I wouldnt take too kindly if you started correcting my posts due to grammar or spelling issues.

 

Just my personal bugbear lol no offence intended, just dont think its really neccessary :smile:

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I have only been to the last two Collectormania MKs and the last LFCC and it's funny seeing the same faces crewing tables each time.

 

Even though i have no idea who you all are it's nice to see 'friendly' :smile: faces at the events!

 

Is there a rule on what stall holders can sell at the event? I know it is called 'Autographica' for a reason but i was expecting a varied amount of stalls like at the other events.

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Sorry for the correction in the quote. The use of prepositions instead of auxiliaries in compound tenses is a personal bugbear. I cannot deal with it!

 

 

ha ha, good luck with my posts then, us Welshies are well known for speaking Wenglish, and I wouldnt take too kindly if you started correcting my posts due to grammar or spelling issues.

 

Just my personal bugbear lol no offence intended, just dont think its really neccessary :smile:

 

I don't usually do it. I wouldn't just start sifting through the forum to correct people's messages. It's only because I quoted it and it was that one issue. Everything else, I can deal with. But I'm in a particularly OCD-type mood tonight and I stared at the quote for five minutes before deciding I just couldn't possibly leave it.

 

I'm weird, I know. Thankfully, however, I'm not really going to come across many posts with people using prepositions in compound tenses. Most of the time I find things funny or just glaze over. I think my all time favourite was on another forum when someone asked me to wear a suite. I asked if I should wear a three piece or if just the armchair would do.

 

As I say... don't do it often and my grammar is awful on the forum, it's just that I'm in an itchy mood. Usually I get my friends to ban me from using the computer when I'm like this. I tend to get myself into trouble.

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I was in the Sat Tanya chat. Very interesting pure Q&A.

 

Let's not talk about the hotel. I will say for now, for those who had found the venue, driving round the place it would appear to be heaving busy. Sadly this was far off the mark. They also double as a long term car park. If you stayed a night, you could then park the car there.. which would make it look busy to the casual driver.. a pain to find a spot to the person looking to park..

 

Why they didn't use the Car Park B, which doubles as a Staff Car Park, for their long term parking in the run up.. I don't know. It was larger than any of the parks available to the public, and I hardly think they'd have sufficient staff numbers to justify such a waste of space.

 

The Tanya talk was good, surprised there were only 8 of us and out of us 8, i was one of the four who kept on asking questions, as the others didn't want to say anything!

 

Agree about the parking - ridiculous - however as teh barrier was bust it was nice not paying LOL :smile:

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I dont believe there is a rule on what they sell, but you are more likely to find items for sale that relate to the event itself, hence all the space items etc.

 

Its a fabulous event, only my second, but just that little bit special. Where else can you meet with people that helped make history, or kept our country safe. I was honoured to look after Alexei Leonov on Sunday, and with General Tom Stafford on my left side, well, sat next to two Generals,............mindblowing! :smile:

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I've spend great moment this week-end. We were 4 guys from France especially came for the astronauts and James Bond's girls... (The French Team as alexeï Leonov call us)

 

Not my 1st Autographica, but certainly, the quietest... (maybe because it's not easy to arrive to Thistle Hotel from airport).

 

For us, the hotel was very good. Our rooms near the space guests rooms and it was ''funny'' to cross these legends in the corridor...

 

The breakfast room was incredible with the view of the airport runaway. For us we love planes too, it was simply great...

 

I have meet all the guests and and made some photo shoot. I have no problems to have a picture with Charlene Tilton and Linda Gray and with others guests. The James Bond Girls was wonderful... especially Serena Gordon and Nina Michalik...

 

Alexei Leonov was in very good condition, and we have talk many times with him (in english and russian).

 

The Celebrity Dinner was great for me because I was in the Leonov and Stafford table with my 3 french friends... (Thanks again to Dave)

 

The only ''bad thing'' was with a crew member in entrance saturday morning. In despite of my week-end deluxe pass, she asked me each time to see the pass, touch the pass, each time I enter to the show, even if my pass was in my neck...

 

A great moment

 

Photos later on my Flickr

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I appreciate what you are saying steve, but if you pay for an autograph, you have not paid for a photograph.

 

I did hear the two ladies saying to quite a few people that they were very welcome to purchase a photograph ticket if they would like a posed photograph with them.

 

It is an added bonus if a guest says that posed photographs are okay, but it doesnt mean that an autograph is not worth doing without a posed photograph at the desk. After all, it is the autograph you have paid for.

 

Which I am very relieved about, as many of the autographs I treasure would be deemed worthless otherwise as there was a definite no photos rule for them. I am just pleased to have had the opportunity to have come face to face with that person and to have my signed autograph as a reminder. :WAVE:

 

Hello Rhianydd

 

Having attend many of these events, I would disagree with the statement above that it's a bonus if the guest says posed photographs are okay. For us, 90% of the time there isn't a "no photographs" or "no posed photographs" sign with the guest and for the 10% of times that there are then we've often already bought a photoshoot ticket.

 

I've no issue with paying for something we want - we've bought many photoshoot tickets in the past, we were gold attendees at the last autographica event, if we lived closer I'd have bought the deluxe weekend pass (fantastic idea) and I'm about to buy some photoshoots for the London event in November.

 

For us we collect an autograph and a photograph with the guest.

 

I would have paid for an autograph with both (£15 each totalling £30) if we could also take a photograph which takes several seconds (or about a millionth of the time it took for us to attend). Are you also saying that if we had paid another £30 then we would have been allowed to take a photgraph with our own camera?

 

I'm very saddened if this is the case and somewhat disheartened by supporting the event.

 

From what I've read on here, photographs were initially allowed. When you consider that we've met Sophie Aldred and Nicola Bryant in the past (who were lovely and I'm guessing not as globally "known"), who asked attendees if they wouldn't mind making a donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital to pose for a photograph or look up from the desk then it puts things in perspective.

 

I'm fine with the "no photos" sign when a guest is very busy but it was empty when I approached the girls.

 

I don't know how to write this without my post being removed but there's been a really small number of occassions where I'm confident the "no photographs" policy has been used to bring in more cash (I've spoken to guests about it) and if this was the case here then it's backfired as we didn't bother with the autograph either.

 

Another poster said virtually the same thing in another thread.

 

Can you confirm that we would have been allowed to take a posed photograph if we paid another £30? (We didn't have time for a photoshoot or want one)

 

Thanks

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

Hello

 

It's now 10 minutes since I wrote the post above and I've gone away to read some of the other posts on here and this matter is being raised in the "guest days and prices" thread. Looks like it was the decision by the managers to stop allowing photographs - I'd still be keen to know if I could have taken a posed photo for £15 as I've never know this at any other event.

 

If so, then I'd advise the organisers (if possible) to try and find out in advance if allowed or not as the decision not to allow photographs DOES in my opinion deter sales. I remember an event in Milton Keynes a few years ago where a Star Trek guest stopped allowing photographs and they were empty for the rest of the day (we'd have bought an autograph but didn't bother as photos weren't allowed).

 

Steve

Edited by steevofromglasgow
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If there's no photos allowed, then it certainly isn't the case that you could pay more and get one at the desk.

 

Thanks David, I thought that but couldn't get the drift of what Rhianydd was referring to earlier when she said

"I did hear the two ladies saying to quite a few people that they were very welcome to purchase a photograph ticket if they would like a posed photograph with them."

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My first post- my first Showmasters experience.

 

I attended on saturday morning.

All guests and onsite staff were very friendly, helpful, courteous and professional.

 

However as a 'newbie' i found the lack of signage (particularily in relation to finding the photoshoot area) poor and confusing.

 

I attended just the one photoshoot, Linda Gray, and (when i found it)

it was , again, run smoothly and professionally.

 

I explained to the photoshoot staff that i could not hang around afterwards to wait for my photo, and was told that if i paid £2 and filled out an i.d form, it would be posted on to me.

 

I look forward to receiving my photo. What sort of turnaround time can i expect?

 

Thanks again for making my first Showmasters experience an enjoyable and positive one.

I hope to be back for more in the near future.

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I assumed she meant a photo shoot? I'm sure she can clarify.

 

 

Sorry for not explaining clearly. Yes, I distinctly heard the ladies say that they were not doing photographs at the signing table as they had a photoshoot scheduled, and that attendees were welcome to go to the reg desk to purchase tickets for the photoshoot, they didnt mention the reason for this. I just respected it as the rule for that particular guest/s.

 

Too Tall has put an explanation on post #113 on the following link if you would like to read it.

http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index....p;#entry1589787

Edited by Rhianydd
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Thanks Rhianydd

 

Sorry for mis-understanding you earlier and I've read TT's post which is helpful.

 

Thankfully most guests don't adopt that policy of stopping photographs because a photoshoot is taking place. For us, attending the photoshoots and collecting the photographs would have added hours to our day (which we didn't have) and at the end of the day it's the organisers who've lost out more than us as we walked away and weren't desperately after meeting them.

 

Regards

 

Steve

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Hello,

 

I would like to say THANK YOU to the staff and to all crew members, who made Autographica 16 to this beautiful show. I attended on Saturday and I returned to Germany with a lot of amazing impressions about my meetings with the guests there. Thank you again.

 

Because of the discussion about the abruptly ban of photos at the table, I would like to say, that it would be a pity, when posing photos will be no more possible at the show. Autographs and posing photos at the table with the guests, belongs to Autographica like sugar into chocolate. However, the guest decide, if he will pose for photos or not. Because I don`t know, if a guest will be posing for a photo at the table, I book photoshootings with my favourite guests in advance of the show. Then I have the chance to become a photo at the table (when the guest allows) AND additionally for sure, a picture at the photoshooting. And the photo sessions are a great addition to the "table photos", because my small camera photographs not the quality pictures like a professional camera. And with my favourite guests, I would like to have a quality photo from a professional photographer as a memory. And Autographica have an excellent professional photographer.

Autographica 16 was my fourth Autographica show where I attend and I had not yet the situation that a guest says to me "No photograph". But it must be still an decision of the guest, if he will posing for a photo at the table or not and shouldn`t become a "business" decision of anybody.

Best

Helmut

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My 15th Autographica, and as always the guests were a pleasure to meet.

 

Have to agree with what most others on here, and on other boards, have said about the venue though. Having been to every Autographica venue over the last decade this one was by far my least favourite. Some of the special unique atmosphere that we usually enjoy was lost because of that.

The Birmingham venue is the best one ever for the show in my opinion.

 

My favourite moment was the Stafford/Leonov photo shoot. I hope we can continue to have a few joint shoots with the space guests. A Lovell/Haise one would be a great future possibility. I'd love to see that at Birmingham next year if we could get them back.

 

Apart from the space guests who were excellent, I also enjoyed meeting Sylvia Anderson, Bob Anderson, Richard Roundtree, Ian Lavender, Tanya Roberts, Linda Gray, Charlene Tilton, Sylvia Syms, Tricia Muller and Francesca Tu. All were great and any of those would be good to have back again in the future.

I like how Sylvia Anderson and Bob Anderson are becoming regulars at SM events. I always have lots for them to sign so I hope they keep getting invited back, as they fit into any of SMs signing shows.

 

I missed having the usual excellent line up of military heroes. As others have said, this month would have been perfect for a Battle of Britain theme. I hope that we have them back for the next show, especially Battle of Britain guests. I'd very much like to meet again Group Captain Billy Drake and Wing Commander Tom Neil.

 

I hope we can get another Hollywood legend guest next time too, in the tradition of Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine etc as along with the space and military guests those are my favourites to meet and they certainly seem to add a lot of extra attendees to a show.

 

Thanks for all the hard work that was put into the show. The guests I met were great.

 

Very much looking forward to Birmingham being the venue for the next one, and hoping for another great line up as always.

Edited by spocks-brain
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May I add a few thoughts on the day? I went on the Saturday for only one autograph, I was disappointed that when I rang the hotline it was a automated message saying the office was closed - oh hum, do I risk driving 220-odd miles? Well, I had other jobs to do, so off I set. I had some directions for the hotel from there website but they were a waste of paper. The hotel was a nightmare to find. Carparking was easy and free or was it? was there a charge? I never saw anything saying so... Any ways, I arrived and was greeted at the desk by the ever efficiant staff and yes Bruce Melnick was here, good oh. I found his desk to be told he was having a spot of lunch, fairdoes. So I met the B.I.S. team and was given a autorgraphed post card of a ESA astronaut and some other bumpf. Met Bruce - he signed my big blue book we had a quick chat - but would the assisitants please be quite, I have come to meet a astronaut not the assistant. Had something to eat (chilli and baked potateo, v.nice but could be hotter and warmer :D ) and noted the hotel was past its best (Please lets be back at the Radisson next year...) Met Kiwi and had a great chat with him then left for home via Coventry and Leicester. Home been York.

 

All-in-all a great day for me where I managed to accomplish all I wanted to do.

 

Bruce Melnick came over as a nice chap and he had a look at my 'Big Blue Book' but please a word to the assistant's - please let us the punters get a word in and chat with the guests...

 

Regards and best wishes to all and see you next year!

 

von Dawson's Express

 

PS Nice to meet you Kiwi, you have a great future ahead of you, we're watching you! Oh did you get Tom Stafford and Alexei Leonov's Auto's?

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