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DWACC  EVENTS
The Doctor Who Autograph Collectors Club Events website

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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