fatbloke

Woohoo! Finally a Community guest!

People keep asking me this, and I really don't know what to say. I love all of the books so much, but it depends what kind of thing you're interested in. My personal favourites are the Brentford books, but the Toytown ones are also great, as are the Devil Fish Girl ones, which I've only just started reading. Each set of books is linked thematically, but I think that you can start just about anywhere, as they're also pretty self-contained.

Robert was amazing. First time I'd met him in person, and he managed to talk me into spending far too much money! Spent about 10 minutes chatting about various subjects and bought extra books just for the tremendous work he puts into crafting each personalisation.

Have to disagree with most of your points. 1. It was a lot less cramped than it ever was in the shopping centre, or indeed in the room previously used as the dealer's room at the stadium. 2. Yeah, sorry. That was probably me ;-) 3. Wasn't too bad at all today, and once the insulation is in place, it will be toasty warm in there. 4. The lighting was fine. Better than some exhibition halls, especially the one that Showmasters used at the Ricoh Arena. I really enjoyed this year, and although it was by no means perfect, it was a great effort for the first show in what is essentially a brand new venue.

Wore my big coat today because it was so cold on Friday, but I was actually sweating today and had to take it off. The number of people in the hall makes a massive difference.

And after today's revelations, I think that a certain somebody is going to be very busy this weekend!

Thanks, David. Just a little concerned about her current condition and state of mind, and whether coming over here would (or indeed should) really be a priority right now.

So what's happening with her? Is she still coming despite all the things she's been posting recently about needing to undergo further surgery for cancer?

Yup, it's time for a great big thanks to Showmasters. With all the guests pulling out and the negativity surrounding the event, they delivered big time. They could easily have written this event off and said no more Midlands shows, but a new show was announced for next year (even if it is in Birmingham!) and everyone I met wa really positive about the experience.

That would be because someone (showmasters?) has deleted the thread, which wasn't particularly positive.

Well I really enjoyed it. Yes it was very quiet, but that was to be expected with all the cancellations. But the very fact that it was so quiet meant that we could spend ages talking to the guests, without ever feeling rushed. Everyone had open queues, with no need for tickets, and they all seemed much more relaxed in this kind of environment. Paul McGann in particular was brilliant, as he was happy to chat away and add personal messages to every photo. Not sure how much the stallholders were enjoying it, though, as nobody was very busy. As a bonus for those of us buying stuff, though, everything seemed to be cheaper this year! My only major disappointment is that the next show will be in Birmingham. It was nice to have a major Midlands event that wasn't in the land of the dodgy accents, but it looks like it'll be allroooooiiiiiggghhhhttt at the Hilton next year.

Well if it's true about the move, then I for one won't be attending any more MK shows. The whole fun of the event was that it was free, and you could browse around the stalls even if you didn't particularly want to meet any guests. And you could make a day of it, with all the shops, the market and the rest of MK to explore.

This is the best news EVER!!!!!!!!! I will be getting up extremely early to join the queue to enter the Ricoh, which will now probably stretch for miles! Absolutely everyone I know in Coventry and Brum loves Bruce!

Well, apart from Tescos and the other shops, there's not a lot else near the Ricoh, as it's pretty much on the outskirts of Coventry, near the M6. The stadium does have its own casino, although I've not been, so couldn't tell you what it's like. The only other hotel I can think of that's within walking distance is the Novotel, which is probably about 60 quid a night. Of course, there's plenty of hotels in the city centre, and if SM are laying on buses, these might be your best bet.

Coventry rail station is about a 5 minute walk from the city centre shops, and that's for a fatbloke like me As for buses, as far as I know, they are pretty regular from Pool Meadow bus station (10-15 mins walk from rail station), but aren't always listed under Ricoh Arena. You might need to look for Arena Tesco, which is right next door to the Ricoh. The website for the shopping centre has some travel information here: Arena Shopping Park