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DOCTOR WHO DAY 2
Saturday, 24th September 2005
DWACC CON 2 – FROM THE ORGANISERS POINT OF VIEW!
"One of
the best run events I have ever been to."
Colin Baker
It’s
a couple of weeks since the DWACC’s Doctor
Who Day 2 convention at the Darwen Library Theatre and now that the dust has
finally settled what do I think? Well,
it was a good day wasn’t it? Eh? It was! Especially of the traumas I had with
people dropping out at the last minute! It was great to see so many DWACC
members there, some I’ve met before – hi to the Caroline’s (Sinclair and
Callaghan), the Chris’s (Armstrong, Leather and Winwood), to Dave Mullen,
Jonathan Mallinson, Andy Kitching, Ian Wheeler, Paul Hughes – and three I met
for the first time – hi to Ruth Mellor, Daniel Bright and Roger Dobson. Thanks
for coming along and helping to make it a great day out.
The
event really started for me on the Friday evening when I met Dee Sadler and her
son, Charlie, at the train station. We went up to the hotel before piling down
to a deserted McDonald’s for a bite to eat! Never seen a McDonald’s as quiet
as that. Thanks for the burger
Dee
! Hope you enjoyed your chip butty! A text
informed me Lisa Bowerman had arrived at the hotel (the wonderful Lych Gate in
Darwen – www.the-lychgate.co.uk)
so when we’d finished we went back there and met up with Lisa. We had a good
chat with her in her dinky little pixie room – what an amazing room it was! If
you were over three foot tall you’d bang your head on the ceiling! No
exaggeration as I know to my cost – and I was sat down at the time! The lump
has only just started to go down, ha ha! An amazing room, but really cosy. We
then went to the pub for an hour and a half for a good natter – well, Lisa had
a good natter and we listened! But a good time was had by all – in the darts
room. We got back to the hotel and Colin Baker arrived. He had a terrifically
large penthouse suite type room. He very generously gave me a lift home in his
BMW as it was
11.45pm
.
Then,
after a sleepless night and just two mouthfuls of breakfast cereal, the big day
had arrived. Got to the theatre nice and early and was soon joined by Jonathan
Mallinson and Chris Winwood. I’d gone there the previous afternoon and set
everything up so there wasn’t much to do. Colin was due to arrive around
9.30am
and all was set for the days events. Fans
started to trickle in (if I do another one next year I may start it at
10.30 am
instead of 10.00 as there was a lot more in by
10.30) and the press arrived but no Colin. Lisa and Dee arrived shortly before
ten and told me Colin had set off from the hotel before them. Could he have got
lost? My phone rang – he’d got a puncture and was still in the hotel car
park. Enter David J Howe to the rescue, who went and picked him up. He arrived
around 10.15 and gave a quick interview to the press. Then at 10.25, a little
later than planned, David Howe took to the stage for the opening ceremony (and
insisted that all adults take part in the children’s drawing competition!
Thanks David!!) and then introduced Mark Morris for Colin’s interview. We were
underway!
 From
then on I was on my toes all the time, making sure everything was going well for
everyone. Ian Wheeler turned up and set up his DWAS table, Carolyn Edwards
opened her wonderful prints table, David set up his Telos table and there were
over 100 fans crammed into the small theatre listening to Colin’s entertaining
interview. Eric Potts turned up around 11.30am and what a wonderful man he
turned out to be. I expected him to be like his
Coronation
Street
alter
ego Diggory Compton but he was nothing like him. Colin finished his interview
and David Howe went straight into Lisa Bowerman’s panel to make up a little on
the lost time. Colin did a little cheque presentation to the NSPCC on behalf of
the Hyde Fundraisers, who were there dressed as Cybermen and other monsters
again (sadly no Daleks this year). Colin and Eric then began signing and it
proved to be a great autograph session as the banter between the two was great
fun (they’re big mates). The buffet turned up and what a spread it was. Far
too much for the guests as it turned out but the fans polished it off at the end
of the day.
A text told me that our final guest,
Rhian James, had arrived and was having a coffee in the café opposite the train
station. I went to meet her and the poor little thing was terrified! She was
literally quaking in her boots. When she asked me how many people were there and
I told her 100 she nearly had a heart attack. Finally she plucked up the courage
to come down to the theatre with me and I introduced her to Lisa, whose panel
had finished earlier than planned, and Dee, who took her under their wing.
Thanks girls :)
 
When
Dee
’s started (with a nervous Gareth Preston
doing his first interview) we had almost made up for lost time. It was during
this time I had a complaint from someone who had never been to a Doctor Who
convention before and thought it was a “rip off”. Oh dear. However, Colin
had a word with her and I never saw her again so hopefully he soothed her down a
bit. It sort of spoilt the day a little bit as it was such a surprise, but I
guess you can’t please all the people all of the time.
After
Dee
’s panel there was a writers panel featuring
David, Mark and Gareth, whilst in the coffee bar
Dee
, Lisa and Rhian began a very popular signing
session. All three proved very popular, with Rhian proving a big hit with the
guys! When the queue died down
Dee
judged the children’s monster drawing
competition and the winner was announced on stage. Alas, the young lad wasn’t
there – his family had to leave early – but I presented him with his prize
– a Corgi Dalek and Cybermen signed by Colin and Eric and a copy of the new Back
to the Vortex book signed by Dee and Lisa – on the following Wednesday
evening.
Colin
departed at
3.00pm
after mingling with fans in the coffee bar for
a while (but not before the hotel had fixed his car) and then the final panel of
the day started featuring Eric and Rhian from the new series. Another great
panel. Then it was the closing ceremony where all the guests and interviewers
said a few words before I was dragged out on stage (again!) to close the event
(no birthday cake this year!). As everyone left, Dee Sadler was formerly invited
to become the DWACC’s new patron, which she graciously accepted, and was
presented with her membership card (making Caroline Sinclair jealous as it was
laminated!) and a copy of the latest newsletter. Thanks
Dee
, you’re a star. And then it was all over.
Thanks
go to Colin, Eric, Dee, Lisa and Rhian, all of whom were fantasic guests and
such nice people. I couldn’t have picked five better guests had I tried, of
that I’m sure. Thanks also to David Howe for running the event for me on the
day and for doing a couple of interviews, and to Mark Morris and Gareth Preston
for their interviews and the writers panel. And thanks to everyone who attended.
It was a fantastic day! Shall we do it again next year? Well, maybe :)
Dee Sadler becomes patron of the DWACC and
is presented with her membership
card and club newsletter by Graham Groom and watched by club members
Caroline Sinclair and Chris Winwood
Colin Baker and Mark Morris, Dee Sadler, Lisa Bowerman and
Rhian James photos © Caroline Sinclair, 2005
Eric Potts and the Dee Sadler presentation photos © Chris Winwood, 2005
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