Thanks to Terry Pavlet for this photo asking a very pertinent question!
So, I turned up and no one could find my pass. So I got all primadonna “I AM Terry Hooper. I AM a VIP! Do you know who I am little men??” I got my pass 
Within about thirty minutes of entering the Ramada Hotel I met Lew Stringer and we had a longish (for these events) chat. I explained to him how a couple weeks before I decided to watch TV and got the online TV Schedule. There, at 1500 hrs was “Lew Stringer World Champion”. My reaction: “What the –? What’s he done??!” Searching for my spectacles I found them:
“Live Snooker –World Championship”
Er. Right.
Shane Chebney of BICS I met…Saturday? I seriously cannot remember but it was as he was off to the Mercure and I was off to the Ramada. A lot of exchanges happen that way at Expo weekend! Quick chat about the 2011 BC event in Birmingham which has Chris Sprouse as a guest. I really want to get there!
Star Wars troopers gate-crash a wedding going on and everyone loves it –photos all round. Colonial Marines and Alien missed out!
Emma Douglas –thank you for being fun.
Jess Bradley and John-Paul Bove –thanks for being fun but remember I do need hugs…that or freebies!
Jason Wilson and Sammi –good to see you both!
Steve Tanner –pleasure as always.
Nic Wilkinson, Cy Dethan, Vicky Stonebridge –nice to meet all three of you. I’d say the same about Stephen but not only does he ignore interviews but he does a good invisible man impression in person!
Willie Hewes of Itch! Publishing. Nice to see you again even if it was only briefly –I just could not find where you were again!!!
Nod to Forbidden Planet who, apparently, didn’t have a great weekend business wise.
Saw Marcus Kent rush by and said hello but where was the Excelsior! Comics table??? I know they were there…
Etherington Bros –pleasure!
Emma Vieceli, Kate Brown and Paul Duffield –I promise to chat more next time we meet and anything to review….
Naniiebiem and Dylan Cook –I promise to remember your faces if not your names for next time.
Alun Ceri Jones and his wife Deb –again, a pleasure and, Deb, I’m sure we can carry on the piercings conversation at some future point
Kat Nicholson, friend Jenny and Jason Cardy. Pleasure and next time, Jason, it’ll be tongues!!!
To the two guys who came up to me and said they had been comic pros for 20 years and that I was doing a good job. Thank you. But next time –names? J
Nuala Murphy: I seriously looked but I just couldn’t see you. I know someone hid under a table every time I went by….no.
If I missed anyone out –SORRY!!!
Olivier Cadic, Aldous, G, Guillaume, Jerome and Serge Pelle –my lasting memory is of fun. I think you fellows broke every misconception the British have of the French and no garlic anywhere J
Abe T. Alien (Gareth) and John (Colonial Marine) Murphy –it was fun!
Of course, I was able to briefly say “Hi” and give a thumbs up to Mike Allwood the organiser. Mike does an incredible job and the show gets better. He is also adding to the number of more regional comic expo events. Yes, there ARE other events and people tell me they are great, but Mike is at least making sure that the Expo fun is spreading.
Mike: THANKS a lot!
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