Wotcher all,
So what the hell happened? I clearly said, "we'll be blogging and tweeting all weekend from the Weekender," when what in fact happened was, "not a sausage until more than a week later."
Well, I'm sorry.
Mea culpa. I really, really am. I properly meant to do it - I had a camera, a laptop, a mobile phone which records video and the codecs to adapt it to the web, all that shiz - and totally boned it. And you deserve better than that.
Yes, you. This is you and me talking now. I know a couple hundred other people read this, but it's you I'm talking to. I'm personally, truly, sorry to
you. I didn't mean to disappoint
anyone, but it's really you I regret affecting.
We're good, right? We're still tight? Please don't let this come between us.
What happened, basically, was three-fold. First, I forgot to bring a power extension for our stall. We were in the middle of the traders' hall, in a great position, but we didn't have a power point, and I couldn't find a lead for love or money. Then I cranked out my laptop anyway, and Pontin's had decided that this year they were charging for internet; and I'd left my wallet back in the chalet. Of course, when I went and got my wallet, the laptop had run out of power. Third, and most significantly, we were absolutely
manic. Selling books hand over fist, running around and arranging events, generally getting our network on, so even when I could have sorted out the power/network issues, we were too busy to do anything about it. Lessons for the future. Next year, we hope to do better.
Anyway, you're getting your con report now. We do have loads of pictures, and I'm going to share them with you.
This was one of the first sights of the weekend. I bet you thought the TARDIS travels through some kind of time/space continuum shenanigans? You'd be well wrong. Apparently, it gets taken apart, flatpacked, and forklifted everywhere it goes. I like to imagine the guy operating the forklift was the Doctor.
Some of the SFX crew turned up in Steampunk costumes. Nice bit of kit.
Jenni's ninjabread men. Awesome.
2000 AD's Leigh Gallagher loves him some stilt-walkers. Something to do with their bums being at head-height.
Lee Harris, of our friendly rivals at Angry Robot, at his stall.
Very hush-hush, this. Jenni's apparently been picked as the Doctor's new companion...
...and, as any good companion should, has immediately fallen in with space-villains, and needs rescuing. Er. I guess Imperial troopers in a Doctor Who story isn't canon.
Gettin' my karaoke on. Do a little dance. Make a little love. Get down tonight.
More trooper action. These guys didn't want to buy our books.
Alice and the Mad Hatter, I guess? Only on stilts. The stilt-walkers were happy to ram pretty near any concept on some stilts. I guess everything's better that way.
More coming up, in
The SFX Weekender: The Talent and
SFX Weekender: Work Hard, Play Hard...
David
.
MANCHESTER DEANSGATE
