Hobbit_of_Dorsetshire

He actually asked me to record a video message for Gary - which I think I did in reasonable enough fashion... Oh...and no harm, luv...but your avatar hasn't changed either since I last checked in here! VampireGirl - At the risk of upsetting many a young lady, he wants me for my rough and ready charms... Seriously...I have no idea - but AJ has now contacted me. Sam - gotcha! Look out on Farcebook... x

"Found them...repeat...found them..." Yes it was me. Thanks to Rhi for the help, and also the eagle-eyed person who spotted the "Tweet"! Sam - yes I was indeed there. I was chilling out and looking around on Saturday, then working the credit card vouchers desk on Sunday. Sorry I missed you. Find me on Facebook - I'll be on your Mum's list Jeez...it must be years since I posted on here...I can't even remember what my avatar looks like - and it took me three goes to get the password right! HoD

You do not specify which day this happened, but I was Malcolm's assistant at the table on Sunday. If that was when you met Malcolm, I can assure you that I would have said nothing of the sort. Malcolm was consistently busy and also his time was limited, as he had to leave at 4pm prompt. While he was talking to attendees, I called the next person forward in order to check how many autographs they were getting, and the correct order of dedications in cases where some were buying for absent friends. I certainly do not recall this incident, and Malcolm made a point to speak with each attendee. HoD

so you thought it was funny seeing a guy in a wheelchair struggling to open a door...did the thought not occur to you to go and help him? Have no sympathy for him - he's a down and dirty no-good muthafolkin' son of a gun! Pity he not!

If any of you would like to say goodbye to "Bally", then this is the place to be - maybe on your way to Collectormania! Details are: Alan Ball Memorial Service Thursday May 3rd 2007 1pm Winchester Cathedral 1 The Close Winchester SO23 9LS 01962 857200 http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk Alan's family have asked that no flowers be brought - and no black ties! Your favourite football strip would no doubt be an appropriate sign of respect for the great man. Instead of flowers, Alan's family have asked that any donations be given to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/bobbymoorefund/ Maybe see some of you there to help give him a good send off! (Moderators - any chance of pinning this please?)

Not posted before because computer was off while builders are in at my place... I was lucky enough to work with "Bally" occasionally at Radio Solent - on the Saturday afternoon football show, of course! He was such a down-to-earth, friendly guy that you almost forgot you were in the presence of the "engine" from the '66 World Cup team. He had no hint of arrogance - always a very approachable and genuinely warm man. At the time I knew him, his late wife was battling cancer. I also think I remember rightly one of his daughters was being tested and/or treated for cancer too at that time. Despite the amount of emotional strain he must have been under, Alan continued to be nothing less than his humourous, chipper self. As is well-known, he was of short stature - about the same height as me, and we use to tease each other about who had allegedly grown taller since the previous week! I think this reflected a long running joke he and Jackie Charlton had going from way back! Alan made a big impression on everyone who met him, myself included. Nobody he came into contact with will ever forget him. Please see my other post about Alan's memorial service next week.

Thanks for the greetings! Yesterday was spent in Birmingham with Crappy Granny, whose birthday it was - not telling you which one!!! Then it was on to Birmingham National Exhibition Centre Arena last night for this bout of metal mayhem... And verily it did RAWK!!!! As for today, I will shortly be taking tea in the wonderfully named village of Sh*tterton! And yes, it is a real place! I think cholcolate cake (or log even?!) must accompany the tea! Later I will meet some friends for dinner at TGIs and round off the day in the (celluloid) company of this man... "Hiiiiigh fiiiiiive!!!" See you all soon

This a really tough question...I have met some lovely people over the years...really hard to choose but here's a top 3 for now... Michael Elphick - For those who have no idea who he was, he was Ken Boon in the brilliant 80s series "Boon" on ITV. He also appeared in "Withnail & I", "The Elephant Man" and late in his life he was in "Eastenders" for a while. I met him when I was 11 after a pantomime in which he played Widow Twankey! He was still suffering from alcoholism at the time, and had an air of sadness about him. But he was a lovely man. He chatted to me and my Dad for a fair old time, and I was made up coz "Boon" was my favourite show on TV at the time. I still have the autograph album page he signed for me..."Be lucky, Nick...love from "Boon", Michael Elphick". A treasured item for me. Iron Maiden - My first proper gig! The friends I went with arranged for me to meet them after the gig, on a low-key tour back in October 1990. The show was amazing, of course! But to meet them after was so great - even if my Dad managed to get in too after wondering why we hadn't showed up for the lift home! I have some proper blackmail material photos of Bruce Dickinson in turquoise shellsuit trousers, bumbag and baseball cap! Mind you...I look awful too...terrible hair do and geek-tastic NHS glasses! Can't bring myself to burn them though. And Maiden still rule! Will be back at Earl's Court in December for their show with Trivium! Ville Valo of HIM - Despite being Kerrang! poster boy of the last few years, Mr Valo is a very down-to-earth normal sort of guy. No pretentious entourages of hangers-on whose job it is to change the batteries in his Gameboy etc etc. Sociable, sharp sense of humour and an all round diamond. Just a shame that after the pub lock-in I had to drive! Proper Mike McShane to Morgan Freeman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves... Ville: "You want a beer?" Me: "Cheers, but I have to drive..." Ville: "No problem. You talk, I'll drink..."

Spent way too much! Struck a tidy deal with the Propstore dudes for Lord of the Rings stuff, which was displayed at the show. Ouch! But they are beautiful items... A book for a friend's birthday present...a Nightwish badge and a Ghostbusters badge...they were not too painful on the wallet! Oh...and the best £4 I ever spent...I guess I best put "Official Jammy Git" in my signature! Those who know me know why!

I voted 8. This was the first show in almost 3 years I have attended as a visitor - I am usually one of Showmasters' motley crew, but took this one off. The down side was that I was tempted by so much stuff I don't normally get to see coz I am working! My credit card wasn't just melting from the heatwave! However, I bought some cool stuff, met some cool guests, got cool stuff signed...and stayed...erm...cool...thanks to the air conditioning! Although Sunday seemed hotter, so maybe the air con was knackered by then. Enjoyed there being much more space than at Milton Keynes, and the layout was good. Everything seemed to run pretty smooth, and I spoke to loads of very happy punters. There were one or two with fair complaints, but aside from THAT certain sporting humiliation, 'twas a great weekend.

Birmingham - no contest! It is the home JRRT moved to after his family left South Africa. He was brought up there and so many of the sites that inspired him are still intact - including the (one Sunday a month!) working Sarehole Mill - still grinding flour after so many years! A little piece of the Shire remains - not to mention the inspirations for the Two Towers and even Mordor...just take a drive along the M6 at dusk! The hotel and conference facilities, the transport links, the prices...cheapest pubs I have known as a Southerner! - oh...and even at least two of the pubs the ole man drank in are still there too! As someone said to me last time I was there (and immortalised on my leather jacket)... "BRUM TO THE MAX!!!"

Hello Marc and Dirk! This is great news! There is only one logical place to hold this event - and that is BIRMINGHAM! The facilities in the city are great, and of course there are many locations there which inspired JRRT. To include a bus tour of these places would be fantastic, e.g Sarehole Mill, Perrots Folly and the water tower and the various houses he lived in as a kid - they are all still there. Excuse me if I am taking coals to Newcastle and this is already in the pipeline, but Brum all the way!

I don't actually know them. I met Adrian (the drummer) last week and we chatted for a while after the 'drum clinic'. Hopefully we will meet up at Download, but they will be hectic - the Filth are playing the same day as Guns N' Roses so the whole place is going to be mental. Assuming Axl Rose actually shows up! Way back in about 1993 when I was at college I met the then line-up of CoF (Adrian didn't join til 1999) a couple of times as they knew a band called Gomorrah. My sort of college girlfriend's sister was going out with the Gomorrah drummer's brother, and we went to some gigs, parties, etc where Dani and the then CoF also turned up. It was sorting of passing aquaintance type situation, I guess. Hopefully I will see the others at Download too, but I doubt Dani will remember me - those days were very boozy and clouded in a herbal haze! Anyway, why did you want to know?

Enigma is a polite way of putting it!

I have no reason to doubt my friend - I was working on the Costa end so didn't see the incident - but I did see the photo with markings from the sweet around his head and spots of his blood... 969055[/snapback] All I can say is WTF! 969059[/snapback] Exactly. She is a rather gorgeous young woman who turned more heads than just his on Sunday afternoon, so it may have been a rather odd attempt to impress her..