thewizard Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I am considering going to this for Malcolm McDowell but the coach I get lands ands leaves from Kingston Shopping Centre. Can you tell me if that is the same place that Showmasters are doing the free buses to and from? Also I would be arriving at 4am. What is there to do at that time? Look i'm not gonna sugarcoat things ok. I don't want to go to Milton Keynes, but for the sake of meeting Malcolm again who is getting old and reducing the number of conventions he does it might be my last time to meet him and say all the things I didn't get to in Manchester back in 2007. So i arrive at 4am and can't leave until 2am. Unbelieveable that I'm stuck there for that length of time. There must be locals on here. What is there to do in that area? Give me something to work with here, what is there for me to do for that length of time because it certainly aint London where there is always somewhere to go and do stuff. There's no way around those times for me. It's take it or leave it and I'm not a big convention goer so I wont be spending all day at the event. If I go to an event I have my reaons for going, I'm very very picky and want to be in and out as quickly as I can. So basically I'm looking for ways to spend the very early hours of the morning until the showtime, and then once I've been in and came out I need to pass the time for the entire day and evening because I can't get out of the city until 2am. From what I see on the maps there isn't much in the way of shopping and the shopping centre doesn't seem so big. I'm sure there is other locations in the city but I don't know how far they are from the venue or what the best ones are. It's a long time to be on your feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirtchy Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 You could always go to the cinema.... or a few times? that would kill a few hours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewizard Posted March 17, 2013 Author Share Posted March 17, 2013 Is there a cinema near it? I'm on National Express just now just to see how their schedules are. Over the 3 days they dont have anything for MK to Glasgow. No results at all. I'm sure there is ways to spend the day and I can go for something to eat etc but most people going to this will spend their entire day there. I'm only going for one guest and right now I can't find a cheap enough way home to leave in the early evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirtchy Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I get the coach to these cons, much cheaper than the train and I see your problem because you get their really early and leave really late or in the next morning, is there not a mode of transport leaving in the evening or mid afternoon of the day of the con?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inga Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Take a book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantis_Buff Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 take a couple of books :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggy31 Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 (edited) Hi thewizard, Kingston Shopping Centre, isn't the main shopping centre. Kingston mainly contains Tesco's which will be open at 4am and there is a McDonald's, which also may be open. Kingston is about 4 miles to the Stadium and about 5 miles from the main centre. Here is the website for the main shopping centre. http://www.thecentremk.com/ Edited March 17, 2013 by ziggy31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbitfanatic Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 To be honest I've never though much to do in MK at that time I'm staying the night at travelodge it's only £24 for friday night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewizard Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 I don't see the point in staying the night because the method I'm using uses only those times as travel to Glasgow. It doesn't matter what day it is, the only bus out of there to Glasgow is at 2am. That's it. Trains are too expensive. I would have gone with National Express but they have nothing for those 3 days so there's not a whole lot I can do there and also it's quite soon. I'm a little dissapointed that Malcolm has been announced this close to the event because I consider him to be a big name and I feel as if this is all last minute and I don't like doing things last minute especially when my options are limited and the options that I do have available to me right now are so strict. I think it's more of a hassle rather than anything and even if it was the other way around and there was lots of people I wanted to meet, it's still a long day and a long night. Maybe it's just Milton Keynes and there's not a lot of ways out to Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inga Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I wouldn't call it last minute, there's still two months to go. Sometimes life just doesn't go your way. You have to make the call to either put up with the hassle of travelling and hanging around, or miss out on this one. Don't think there's any magic answer to this one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I wouldn't call it last minute, there's still two months to go. Sometimes life just doesn't go your way. You have to make the call to either put up with the hassle of travelling and hanging around, or miss out on this one. Don't think there's any magic answer to this one. Sad but true. Sometimes there's guests that i want to meet at Cardiff or Glasgow but im not travelling to either so I don't go. Most of the time guests return and you can only hope. As sais above it's certainly not last minute as the event is well over a month away. There's been cases before where guests have been announced or cancelled just days before the event. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jael001 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 The event is something like 10 weeks away, that's certainly not "soon" and there's plenty of time to arrange things. Malcolm has been announced quite early really, guests can be and often are announced right up to the event. My advice would be to find a someone who's going and has a hotel room and ask if you can crash on the floor in the early hours because I doubt you'll find much to do at 4am or up to 2am. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 You're right- it's well over 2 months away! I forget what month it is sometimes lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatrixKiddo88 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 (edited) Haha if you think this is close to the event to announce guests, you should see some other events. It's practically impossible to plan as they dont announce guests or prices for them till like 2 weeks or less before! And apart from clubbing and maybe some bars, there isnt much to do in any town in the wee small hours. Rest of the day it's like any place though. Plenty of shops, cafes, cinema, bowling if its now reopened, indoor skiing lol MK has it all. Also just to be clear, the Kingston centre you are referring to is quite a way from where the SM coaches will pick up/drop off. They go from the MK train station and the main MK shopping centre. Edited March 18, 2013 by BeatrixKiddo88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Is that X Scape thing or whatever it was called still open in MK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatrixKiddo88 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Yeah of course. Henc emy indoor skiing idea. It's where a lot of food places are, the cineworld, some arcade style things, a small casino I think. Last time I looked they were revamping the bowling so that wasnt open, but it may be now. They may even have laser tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Xscape isn't open at 2am though I doubt lol. The best bet would be to stay in the venue for Collectormania for as long as possible. Personally I wouldn't bother it sounds like too much hassle but each to theor own of course.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantis_Buff Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 long way for one auto but thats dedication i surpose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewizard Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 Well until more effort is put into Collectormania Glasgow I've no option but to go to England but I don't see it as a long way for one autograph. I did pretty much the same at London last year but there was transport leaving London for Glasgow all day so I could get there early, go to the show, spend the day in London and then leave for home in the early evening. Right now I'm looking at my options, National Express have bugger all for the 3 days and pretty much the days leading up to it. Trains are too expensive at this time hence me saying it's been announced too close to the event. If you don't mind spending lots of money then it wont be an issue for you but if you're like me and you only wanna go, get what you're getting and get out then you want to get a good deal on the travel. I don't mind spending hours on a bus or coach which incidentally take the same amount of time as a train does, believe me a train doesn't get you there and back quicker. It's not like I'm asking for a hotel or anything fancy. I really doubt they will do it but right now I hope they do announce Malcolm for another show and i remember when they first brought him to Manchester, it was close to a year in advance and it was a big deal. It's probably like a Gillian Anderson for you lot right? I remember last year the fuss you all made and people standing for hours paying all sorts to meet her and get a photo with her. You wouldn't tell anyone not to go see Gillian, just to meet her would you? Or what would you say? Oh she might not do many of these conventions? Well I could say the same for Malcolm who hasn't done a show here in 6 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbitfanatic Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Is there a cinema near it? I'm on National Express just now just to see how their schedules are. Over the 3 days they dont have anything for MK to Glasgow. No results at all. I'm sure there is ways to spend the day and I can go for something to eat etc but most people going to this will spend their entire day there. I'm only going for one guest and right now I can't find a cheap enough way home to leave in the early evening. I've just checked on National Express as I though that was weird they have one leaves Glasgow on friday night and gets in for 5am and seems quicker than megabus. One on way back leaves at 19.55 so seems a lot better to go with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirtchy Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 ooo Thats a good idea, I might go clubbing on the friday night of this event because i'm going up on the friday! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatrixKiddo88 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 (edited) No one would say dont meet a guest you like, but as the person both paying and doing the travelling, you have to weigh up the pros and cons of it. Meeting one guest and not even really being interested in the rest of the event vs. the costs and all the travel and time. I know I wouldnt travel over a certain amount just for one guest if there was nothing else for me to do. It would have to be like an A-list Hollywood star I'd never meet again to get me to break that rule. And in terms of when he was announced, it's never in SM's hands. They are allowed to announce when a guest has signed all the paperwork and agreed to come. That could be a year before the event, it could be two weeks. Once SM ask, it's up to the agents and the stars to agree and sign it all or say no. Months could pass between SM asking and someone saying yes or no. Guests have lots of work on, so they have to make sure they arnt filming that weekend or in a play or doing whatever else. So you can never be sure when a guest will be announced, 'big' or 'small'. Oh and I dont know where you are looking, but National Express has coaches that weekend. I just looked and you could get the 11pm on the friday night, get to MK at 9:25am saturday morning, go to the stadium meey Malcom, leave MK at 7:55pm and be back in Glasgow for 6:15am Sunday morning. I mean it's not the cheapest thing in the world £40 for the return) but it's do able and better than hanging around for hours and hours. Edited March 18, 2013 by BeatrixKiddo88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewizard Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 (edited) Megabus is cheaper though. I undestand all that about guests doing work but the living legend signed a year in advance last time and he's always working, he will always be under caution due to him having so many films he has going on. I think in this case SM have left it late to ask him, which is fine but if it was me I would have approached him sooner. Edited March 18, 2013 by thewizard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatrixKiddo88 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 (edited) But what I said was they may have done. They may have asked him aaaages ago, But he may only recently of known that his diary was clear for the MK weekend and got back to them saying 'yes I can do it' SM asking and a guest announcment topic can be months apart, it's all down to when the guest finally confirms they can do it. And yes it is cheaper, but as I said you need to weigh up meeting Malcom against how long you want travel to take, how much you are willing to spend, how long you want to be waiting around and so on. You started this thread seemingly wanting help and advice, but you've pretty much shut down everything anyone has said, including facts about coaches actually running that weekend. It seems you are set in what you wnat to do and how you have to do it, no matter what advice or info any of us here give you. Edited March 18, 2013 by BeatrixKiddo88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crippsy_99 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 If your that bothered about the waiting around and nothing else to do etc etc, why not look at going from somewhere else maybe?! You seem intent on being as cheap as possible, yet will only consider direct routes. Why not look at coaches from Birmingham or even London? My train from Birmingham to MK on the friday is only costing me about £3, and going home via London, MK > Lon is costing me £8 I think it is. So, why not look at getting something from one of those places maybe? You may save on costs, and not waiting around until 2am, otherwise your going to get very very bored! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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