Firecracker

There's a lot that's right about these events. You've listened to the need for more rest areas (upstairs balcony), and photo collection (wearing gloves). And I will give high praise for the fact that all the crew seem to be happy and cheerful, even if slightly harrassed. Though one guy listened to my queueing question and then just wandered off! But PLEASE, for the love of puppies, Christmas and all things holy, would you improve signage and queueing! I'm a PA by career, and organise work events. So I know the frustration of telling people things, cat herding, complaints about things outside your control, etc. But I spent a lot of today thinking "but if you do this, it would be a huge help!". I haven't seen if there's a thread for improvement suggestions, but here goes: 1) an A4 sign at the entrance and little or no communication to outdoor security is NOT good enough. If you go with a partner or group then someone can go off and try to find answers, but a solo person (as I was) has to go ask and then finds themselves 300m further back than they were. I queued twice and was in 2 melées (queue is not even close to describing those). That's 4 attempts to be in the right place to get in. Idea - increase the cost of entry by £1-2 for each day, and use that money for dolphin/other style banners placed at even points. Have those queue delineators (like in airports, the things that look like seatbelt material) to clearly delineate queues outside for entrance, and inside for tickets or photoshoots. These ones are £45 each, that should be easily affordable - given the number of people complaining about lack of signs and epic queue shambles, I'm willing to bet they would happily pay £1 extra. And surely these could be reused. 2) with huge crowds, you can't always get to the front to see what the object/topic/person is. Given there are panels surrounding areas or as backs to areas (like guest signings), then find a way to mount A1 or A0 signs on top of those - they will be much more easily seen when above eye level and above the crowds 3) as the photo collection is always going to be rammed, there's no way for people to get to the front to even see who the celebrity is in that area. Idea - have poles (weighted bases) with the name/photo of the celeb, which can be shifted to the part of the table to identify where the photos are. It'll also help show whose photos are back much better than the small names on the mass sheet. I know that you'll always get muppets coming up and asking stupid questions, even with the best communication in the world. But too much communication for things like queue direction, ticket sales, delays in shoots, calling ticket numbers - that's never going to be a bad thing.

Just started the first of the "Game of Thrones" series. It seems a door-stopper of a book.

Just seen this thread, and not sure what's been filled - can you let me know if you still need help with the travel booking? I'm a PA with a big financial/news company in London, and do a lot of travel booking (and changes to bookings ) through my work, so I'm fairly familiar with airline routes, timetables (sad but true...) and average costs. If you do still need help, could you let me know? I think it'd help to find out a bit more about what's involved, before confirming for definite. Cheers chucks!

For the last 3 years, I've been trying to read more - and aiming for 100 books. Last year was my closest yet at 97 books (67 in 2009, and 65 in 2010). So here's to 2012! I know people often try to work down the various top 100 classic books (I've seen them in the BBC, the Independent and Guardian newspapers in the UK, and there must be others)... so I wondered what people might be aiming for in 2012. Anyone else want to try for 100*, and cheer each other on? * I keep a track of page total too, as some of the detective books I read are maybe only 250 pages long, but I offset that by doorstop books like Game of Thrones or the Stieg Larsson books. So I'm using an average of 330 pages per book (from experience, most books are 330-350 pages long in the UK, in paperback format). I'm aiming for 100 books and 33,000 pages in 2012 - so that I don't "cheat" and get to 100 books by only reading shorter novels.

"Gently By The Shore" - Alan Hunter (part of the DCI George Gently detective books).

Juggling a few, though just finished two... Currently reading: - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - John Le Carré - Death In August - Marco Vichi - At Home - Bill Bryson Why yes, I do like variety

Unless there was a change after I spoke to her this morning, it was only one person - Michelle, who was cycling back and forth all weekend. Strewth Hats off to Michelle!

I have the utmost respect for the dude in the bear suit - I was sweating just standing still, I have no idea how you did it! I got a photo on my phone so I'll upload it when I get chance :thumbsup:.

The poor things! Hope they're OK now.

Oh you poor thing! If you worry this much about someone else, you must be sweet. I'm sure you balanced out any rudeness by your companion. Oh I liked your Bert hippo! It was a lovely costume, I didn't get a photo, wish I'd asked so I could have sent one to you! OK so my feedback: 1) Maybe double and triple check the yellow shirted security know what their instructions are. I know it's not SM's fault, but it seems security need it spelling out really clearly. I got there Saturday at 10:50am with a standard ticket. I could see signs on the doors saying pre-paid entry, so I asked a yellow shirt where I had to go with my pre-paid ticket. He said queue up. Err OK, I assumed that, but where? All I could see were a handful of people milling about loosely on the steps. Finally he waved vaguely towards the right (up by EC2). I queued up in the baking sunshine and when I got near the front, I realised he'd directed me to the queue for people to buy tickets on the day. Despite me showing him my ticket. Genius, that guy . On Sunday I decided to go for a more reliable source - I saw a queue down the other side (towards EC1) and asked the other con goers, not security. Result? In the right queue, and inside very shortly after 11am. I even met a lovely girl called Imogen who freaked me out slightly by not only going to Uni where I lived, but being born within a few miles of me! Talk about small worlds. 2) The venue seemed small, yet there was plenty of space to move around in (excluding the walkway from Photo A to Photo B which was the highest foot traffic walkway). Well done SM, you found the venue equivalent of a TARDIS! 3) It was absolutely baking. I was really feeling for the guests who would have to put their arms around very hot and sweaty people. Even with deoderant and face powder, there's nothing you can do to dry a damp-backed tshirt Luckily I think I was OK and hopefully didn't gross Arthur Darvill or David Tennant out 4) Nice guests - Arthur said hi and how are you, and David was smiley, saying hello and then thank you after. It sounds like he was even this happy at the end of photoshoot 2. What a lovely, positive person. 5) Malcolm - thank you for taking your best photos of me yet! Normally I don't like photos of me - I'm hit and miss, ether looking horrible or lovely. I go much better behind the camera! But a little extra make up this time helped me, and Malcolm gave me two lovely photos with Arthur and David. Thanks chuck! I keep looking at them and smiling 6) Thanks to those crew members who answered my questions on Saturday, so I could tell me friend who's on crutches. And thanks for helping her out by letting her duck in at the front of the two queues she had. Especially as she'd had to lose her Saturday tickets so she wouldn't damage her knee more and ruin seeing David and Armin on Saturday. 7) Aside from the rugby scrum to collect David Tennant photos (which led to much swearing and growling under my breath), the general crowd were quite lovely and friendly - I chatted to a few people while queueing for the photos, and the dealers were friendly too. A very happy bunch - look what a little sunshine will do 8) I'd suggest moving people clockwise round the tables when popular guests like DT's photos come back. Stagnant people help no-one - the people at the back can't collect their photos to create space to put down the photos of the people at the front. Crowd mentality took over and was very frustrating - it's logic 101, people. If we can't get to ours, you won't get yours. Thanks again SM - I've only done LFCC and Collectormania with you before, so EMS was new. I didn't do any talks this time as I usually just accompany my friend who had to severely cut her con time down to only an hour due to her knee. Now I'm going to get my already half eaten jar of Fluff from the American candy stall

If people choose to wander off for hours and then miss something, that's their choice. What do they expect SM to do, page them when the photo/talk/auto is free? I'm a big girl - If I miss something because I got the time wrong or chose to go off shopping/sunbathing/museum-going for hours, it's my mistake, my fault.

Just a suggestion to add to the improvements for this con, but - when photos for a popular person come back and everyone's standing 5 deep, can you start everyone circling clockwise round the table? People at the front could only see a few feet of table and none of those photos in front of them would move because their owners were stuck behind them. Getting to the front (or out again!) was a nightmare. If you can't see yours in front of you, but the queue is rotating clockwise round the table, eventually all those at the front will find theirs, and the people behind them will get their chance. Much easier than people pushing forward only to have to back out, move a few feet down and then try to push forward again! (on an admission note, I thought the "no touching" sign was relating to pointing at someone else's photo and getting your dabs on it . I admit to personally picking up both of my photos, but being into photography myself, I wouldn't dream of getting my fingers all over someone else's photo. I very carefully picked up a David Tennant photo for a girl behind me, as I recognised her costume in the photo and it saved her trying to push in).

Hell yes! Love TWW. I'd love to meet Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff and Martin Sheen. And Janel Maloney, plus people who had a few episodes' appearance, like Emily Procter and Mark Harmon (oh yes please).

£23! £5 ticket £2 postage £15 Bronson photoshoot £1 photo sleeve Can't afford much else, but luckily I live in London and had a monthly Tube pass this month for a change, so that saved me £5.40 on that...

Thanks for your help everyone! [can'tseeahugsmilie]. Much appreciated!

I'm looking to pre-order photo sessions with a few guests, and also my entry to the event. I attended LFCC earlier this summer, but I can't remember what time the photo shoots started. Standard entry people can only get in after 11am. But what if a photo shoot you've booked is scheduled earlier, say 10am? You'd then miss the photo shoot because you hadn't bought the early bird entry. And as the schedules for photo shoots aren't up yet (which I understand), I don't know which entry to book. So: * do photo shoots start at 11am or after, so that all entry folk can attend them? * if photo shoots start before 11am, could I upgrade my entry from standard to early bird, once photo schedules were announced? (if one of my shoots were before 11am) I know it might seem silly worrying over a difference of £5 (when photo shoots are £15-20ish), but these photos are a treat I allow myself, and £5 would be half the coach cost to see my friends for a weekend (no really, I got up to Yorkshire for £9.50, 2 weeks ago, for my friends' 2 year old's birthday party). And if y'all allow me another question - if I make an order for photoshoots and entry now, and I'm charged the momeny and £2 p&p, and then another guest is announced that I'd like a photoshoot with, can I add that to my existing basket and just pay the photoshoot fee? Or does it count as another order and another £2 p&p, when they'll all be dispatched at the same time and to the same address? Sorry for being a bit of newbie. LFCC was my first con, and a kind of last minute thing set up with my more experienced con-going friend, so I didn't get to pre-order things, I just bought them on the day.