mcgill

that right we keep the price down to what we think we need to charge to cover the cost of the guest flights and hotel , i tell you all , this event is a of labour love, and not a way of making money, it only just covers its self each time and the odd times it dose not even do that and if you ask why do we do it then ? well some things you just cannot buy and the fact most of the guest now know me by my name and i get the chance to meet them it why i run this event and i know that the same for Dave and Paul , we love this event and for us all its our hobby and we are glade some of you also like what we do as well hope to see some of you there jason I maintain you could make even more money out of people like me (and there are lots of us) who will have multiple items for some people if you were more flexible in your pricing. Which would you prefer? Someone buying one autograph for £15, or multiple autographs for a reduced price? It's simple economics.

Thanks for adding something sensible to this debate. Cheers. It was very welcome. (I too can do sarcasm.) The point I am trying to make is that the event organisers have a choice to make. They can either continue to keep their autograph prices high, and be rigid in their prices, or they can be more flexible to do deals with people who have lots of items (there are a lot of my friends who fall into this category - and when I started going to these sorts of events things were more flexible). Those of us will either spend more money with certain guests if a deal is done - or bypass that guest completely, or spend very little with that guest. And I refute the allegation of being tight or "wanting something for nothing".

Indeed. Question to the organisers - there will be a number of Carry On fans arriving at the event together. Would there be any chance of doing deal for a large number of autographs? Or - instead - will you stick to the cost per item, so we will get far fewer autographs and spend far less money?

What about somewhere in the Manchester Airport complex? One of the hotels round there could be a possibility - and run the event along the lines of CM Midlands. It's connected by train and (eventually) a metrolink will be built out there.

Not forgetting a Bond film and also ITV's answer to Secret Army - Enemy at the Door.

I would also like to meet him, given his role as the evil KARR in Knight Rider.

They're divorced, so probably not wise. There's an official, long-since-sold-out 30th anniversary Hi de Hi event in the autumn. And - for Showmaster's info - Barry Howard (the ballroom dancer from Hi de Hi) will be in David Tennant's final Who episode! Might be someone to consider next year.

He is lovely - and has worked on just about everything!

Nice man. He has done a lot of stuff, aside from the obvious.

Once upon a time when I started to do this, you could with certain people get your own items signed for £5 each, or make deals with them for multiple items. Not now. This is very difficult for those of us (and there are many) who collect multiple items, but dont get any "bulk discount". So, instead, we buy one autograph for £15 - and the celeb gets less money than they would have done had they been able (or allowed) to do a deal.

Whilst I can understand the difficulties that SM might be having in attracting customers I would like SM to remember the following: - there are only a limited number of people who go to these events - there are already too many events, so people often have to choose between them - and that depends on the quality (which is a subjective term) of the guests - autograph prices are too high, particularly in these recessionary times

Don't describe his performance to his face as a "supporting role". It's a starring role as far as he's concerned.

Well, he was first and foremost an actor. He appeared in a number of British films in the fifties and sixties (Carry On Regardless, Murduer Ahoy, The Wrong Box, Doctor in Live, Carlton-Browne of the FO, Too Many Crooks etc etc etc). So before he became best known as a presenter/game show host he had an important role in the golden era of British comedy cinema. He was also in a Doctor Who story in the eighties, as well as being a stooge to Benny Hill in the seventies. So he could appeal to a lot of people. But he will get very frustrated if all he sees all day is Carry On...

...just as I've moved heaven and earth to attend the event to meet Tom. I hope there are some decent people lined up from classic TV series.

She was lovely at the Baftas yesterday - signed for a lot of people

He signed right over Sir Michael Gambon's signature on a DVD of mine. I was less than happy, but still had to pay.

Where abouts? The Bond girls were in at least three places on Saturday.

Did anyone see Joie Vejjajiva? It wasnt till I got home that I realised I hadnt seen her (and therefore had missed her).

I do that a lot when I dont pay for autographs (e.g. at theatres, public events etc), but at cons I invariably have more important things to get signed above those which might be more interesting

I have met her before and didnt think she was very nice. She is not worth (for me at least) parting with £25 to meet her again.

She always turns up under her own steam - she books a stall rather than being an "official" guest.

I dont know which website you're looking at, but the one I saw didnt seem to have any prices. Anyway, I called the hotel, and these are the prices: 0-30 minutes is free 30mins to 3 hours £5 3 hours to 8 hours £8 8 hours to 24 hours £12. I will hopefully be done and be away within 8 hours...

I recall hotel prices being very expensive (over £10 for a burger, I think).

What if you leave and then come back? Do you gotta pay again? I seem to remember two prices - one possibly up to eight hours, and then one for 8-24 hours. Last year I missed the cheaper rate by about ten minutes...! I cant find anything on the hotel website, and have searched through posts here about the costs. It would be very helpful if an event organiser could comment.

Hello I'm trying to work out whether it would be cheaper to travel down by train or car, and the deciding factor will be the cost of parking at the hotel. I have a vague memory of roughly what it was from last year, but if the information is readily available could someone post it here please. Thanks