Inga

YES YES YES

Cliff Simon, and... actually no, that's all! I'm not greedy XD

Ok, so now I definitely have to book tickets!! Great guest, well done!!!

Took my friend to her first con, and we went to meet a guest she was a huge fan of (I literally have no idea who). Anyway, while he was signing her autograph, he said "I really love your skirt!" And she jokingly replied "Thanks, I bought it myself." Unfortunately, he misheard and said "Wow, you made it!? Really!?" She was just like "......no?" They then just stared at each other in increasingly awkward silence for the best part of a minute. I wish I could have swooped in and rescued the conversation, but by this point I was pretty much collapsed on the floor with laughter.

I was speaking to a very nice man in the queue on Saturday morning (I think he said he was Belgian?) and by speaking to, I mean we were having a blazing row over who the best avenger was!! Didn't catch his name, but I'd love to find out if he managed to get all the autographs he was trying for. (Also, iron man sucks)

Personally I found her delightful. Tbf, I'm never over-chatty to the guests, and I never expect them to be overjoyed to meet me - because they don't know me! I'm a random fan paying to meet them, who they certainly won't remember in a weeks time! But I had a lovely experience meeting Famke. I just said hi and asked how she was, not expecting a conversation, just expecting an autograph, and she said she was good, asked if I was having a good day, and complimented me on my outfit, which really made my day tbh! She made the effort to make small talk, thanked me for coming to see her, which is more than I expect and more than a lot of guests give. She was charming and funny in her talk, and it was money well spent in my opinion. She looked a little bit put out by a few of the questions/comments that were edging towards sexist, but she handled them with grace, and I really respected that. I didn't get a photo with her, because I don't usually like how I look in photos, so I can't comment on that side, but overall I am really glad I got to meet her, and she seemed absolutely lovely.

As for the issue with the audience mics, at some conventions the audience member tells the question to the crew member, and they relay it to the guest, or sometimes the questions are submitted on paper slips beforehand, and the crew pick the most interesting or relevant ones. I know people might want to actually talk to the guest when asking the questions, but it's quite an inefficient way of doing it. It might be something to think about for next year? Also could be helpful for those who are too nervous to ask a question in front of a crowd.

When you are excited you sometimes forget pain, even if it's very bad or even chronic. Also he was probably warned in advance about her broken rib, and she KNOWS him, so she probably trusts him to be careful and not hurt her more! And that was ONE hug, not hundreds in a row.

Jeremy Renner for sure! He's got one helluva grip on him! For the photo, he just grabbed me and squished me to him! It was really nice that he wasn't afraid to get up close to his fans! He was engaging and funny, and it was a real privilege to meet him. And I also gotta say, the two guys running the queue at Photo A (Stuart and someone who's name I unfortunately didn't get) were fantastic! Really efficient, and very helpful.

I didn't have a problem hearing the guests during the talks? I couldn't hear a lot of the questions but I assumed this was because the attendees were speaking too quietly/had no experience using a mic! Honestly I thought it that the technical side of the talks went well. I agree that it's strange that there was no back wall to the talk area, but I'm not going to begrudge the people standing at the back to watch, I paid for a SEAT at the talk and that's exactly what I got! But yes, maybe this is something to be addressed next time.

She only mentioned it briefly, she said she was covered in bruises and had a broken rib. I don't think she wanted to turn it into a pity-party so she just moved the conversation on

Saw a few ladies regretting shoe selection I'm paying for it today. I meant to bring a second pair of flats but left them by the door on my way out lol. I'd forgotten just how often id have to use the stairs! I wasn't wearing suitable shoes for that!! Luckily I had a pair of trainers in my bag. I find flats really uncomfortable, but at least I could get around quickly!!

I have to say, this year was much, MUCH better organised than last year. There was so much more room to move around the stalls, and the new layout worked really well (I still got lost about 12 times, but that's just because I have no sense of direction!) It seemed like the attendance was lower this year, I don't know it that's true, or if the extra space just made it seem that way, but it was great being able to walk around and shop at the stalls without having to jostle for space. The new queuing system was much better as well, made things much easier, and meant everyone was in the hall in time for photos etc. I do have a few things to mention that need to be improved on: Firstly, the second level was still far too crowded. It was difficult to tell where one queue started and the next began. And trying to get through the crowd to the other end of the hall was a nightmare! I appreciate that there were a lot of guests in a small space, but perhaps next year the guests could be more spread out? I loved that they were all on one level, so maybe using the gallery for guests as well, and moving the gaming etc to another level or even opening another hall?? Secondly, many of the crew seemed very uninformed. I know that most are volunteers, so I appreciate them being there at all, but maybe they need to be brought in a day earlier, to be walked round the layout, maybe do some practice runs for certain things? I asked four different crew members where to collect diamond passes, and the first three didn't know, and just directed me to someone else to ask. One crew member directed me into the wrong queue for a talk. And the diamond pass desk was quite hectic too, it took a fair amount of time to collect. That said, there were a lot of very helpful crew around. I felt very sorry for the poor people shouting themselves hoarse outside the venue, and the people managing the autograph queues were doing a wonderful job. Overall, a really good experience, and far improved on last year.

In her Q&A session she mentioned that she had a broken rib, and she talked about how overwhelming the photo sessions were. If anyone here has had a broken rib, they know just how painful it is - of course she didn't want anyone touching her, it would have been agonising! The fact that she managed to sit through the photos at all is something to be grateful for. When I got her autograph, she was really nice. She was being rushed, but even though I only got the few seconds while she was signing my poster, she still made the effort to ask me how I was, thank me for coming to see her, and even compliment my outfit. I was really impressed with her, and very glad I got to meet her.

Anyone else only just finished their cosplay for tomorrow? Oops!