Collectormania 16 (VERY LONG!!!)
The weekend started well enough, we seemed to beat the endless traffic jams we’d been promised on the M1, the weather was better than promised, and even more wonderful, my friend Oparu was already at the Con and sent me text messages like ‘I’ve seen Tim Russ!’ which fuelled my excitement no end. We’d decided to take the tent so that all six of us could stay for three nights relatively cheaply, and we got it pitched in fine weather. Unfortunately things went rapidly downhill from there that evening. I decided to pop out and buy some fuel rather than risk breaking down on the way into Milton Keynes (25 minutes from our camp) in the morning - imagine the horrors of expecting to see Kate Mulgrew and instead sitting by the roadside waiting for the AA! I also promised to bring in something nice for tea. Anyway, I went the wrong way for Diesel. There just don’t seem to be any damn petrol stations near Olney, where we were. I should’ve turned right and headed towards MK. I turned left, and ended up going all the way to Bedford! Twelve miles supposedly, but in Bedford the fuel stations were all hiding away. A 12 mile trip from Olney to Bedford clocked up 20 miles by the time I circled the damn place then pulled into a carpark in tears, needle bouncing off the bottom of the gauge. I just wanted to go home!
A few deep breaths later and I saw an athletics place that looked open so pulled into there and asked the very nice woman behind the desk where on earth they bought fuel from. Just around the corner, the other way at the roundabout I’d just turned off. Of course. So that was ok then. They only had the expensive type of diesel but hey, I wasn’t complaining. They also had an M and S food, so we ate like royalty when I finally got back.
Following morning and the kids objected to getting out of bed early. What was the matter with them? Kate Mulgrew, Patrick Stewart, Tim Russ and Robbie Mc Neill were just down the road! Reluctantly they got dressed, ate and got in the car. I was glad I had my husband with me, Milton Keynes remains a total mystery, it all looks the same. He navigated us there somehow, it was raining by this time and we pulled into a pretty miserable looking carpark at the stadium. Yes but Kate Mulgrew is in there!
It was sooooo cold and grey. We found Kate’s stand first and RDM was next to her but neither were in yet, so we went for a wander. Husband looked a bit panicked. ‘This place is full of Geeks!’ Er, yes, watch it mate, that’s your wife and her people you’re talking about! We soon discovered Patrick wasn’t in either, or Tim who was next to him (the pair of them almost as far as it was possible to be from the other two!) so we headed back. Husband suddenly accused me of being blind. ‘Tom Paris looking much older has just walked past!’ What? Where?!! Run!!!! Squeeeeeee, he was in, and so now was Kate, the woman herself just a few metres from me.
Husband had pooh-poohed the idea of paying for any autographs whatsoever but was reluctantly persuaded for just one with Kate. Very bad idea, to go so early, I have to say. This was my first ever con, it was quiet, I’d never seen anyone get an autograph before. The person in front was done by the time I got round the corner so I stood well back not knowing if we were allowed to approach the lady herself or if we needed the crew to shove us forward. Kate looked up herself and waved Eldest Daughter and I forward. Well, I just didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t particularly talkative that morning though she was polite and smiled a lot. As I had expected to queue I wasn’t ready, didn’t have my picture I wanted her to sign out of the bag, all fingers and thumbs and fumbling. We got it out, she signed it, that was about it. I didn’t realise we could take pictures, even if I had getting the camera out would have been beyond me! Feeling a bit silly at being so overwhelmed I staggered back to husband and other kids. It all seemed a bit flat now. Horrible weather, cold and not so crowded stadium, and I’d mucked up my chance at meeting KM. I was even more disappointed when I noticed other people taking pictures. Hey ho.
A very tall girl was standing with some others, I recognised her as Kate04 and Oparu was with her, so it was nice to be able to say hello to them. I’d moved up by now to peer at Tim Russ who was in, still no Patrick though. At this point my husband’s strong sense of fairness saved my day, Biggest child had had an autograph, the other two big ones should have one too. Whoop! Son likes Tuvok so we went to see him. Sadly, no photographs allowed there! But he was nice enough to us, friendly to Son, a few others have complained he was grumpy but I didn’t find that at all possibly because I had a child with me? Anyway, morning rescued!
Eventually Patrick arrived and we could peer at him round his (enormous!) queue, he seemed to be smiling at the people he was signing for which was nice to watch. I then headed back and spent quite a lot of time staring at Kate whenever her queue moved. We picked up queuing tickets for Robbie at the same time but the numbers were too high to use before lunch.
I think it was around then that Kate took a bathroom break. Now, much as I admire the woman, I draw the line at stalking her into the toilet! I was sooooo jealous of the people who happened to be in there already lol, she spent ages at the sink. I didn’t look - it was one of those stadium affairs with a huge gap in the concrete wall on the way in to the ladies, so my kids who were a bit less decorous peered round and gave me a running commentary. The girls insisted on using the same sink whenever they went the rest of the weekend! Sadly my clever snap of her walking past didn’t materialise, the woman walks like a bat out of hell and someone got in my way at the crucial moment.
More queue hovering followed. When RDM was about to go off for lunch and hardly anyone was waiting the crewman took pity on me since we’d been waiting so long and let us through. I have to say, that was an absolute highlight. Robbie is *gorgeous*. Far and away the friendliest, was so sweet to my middle daughter who likes him best, posed for a pic and told us how lovely it was to meet us. Oh my goodness me, I’m going to stalk him instead I think lol.
We nipped out and had lunch in the car, it was still pouring. A dilemma followed. Biggest and husband had definitely had enough, they just weren’t into it. Littlest was having fun but at age three had had enough of doing the same thing. Middle two loved it, they walked round a bit more waving to storm troopers and playing with lifelike R2D2s, but by about 3pm even they had had enough. In the end husband put a dvd on in the car for them all and he dozed while I hovered a bit. I could’ve sat and watched Kate and Robbie or Patrick and Tim all day. I recognised Sunset Leaf, and after much text encouragement from my friend Boo, found the nerve to go and say hello and she was lovely.
Kate Mulgrew walked past me and my legs went all wobbly. What a wuss I felt! Patrick Stewart then walked past and I was fine, what is it with KM that she has this effect? Ho hum.
Husband was an absolute star that evening. I had a chance to meet some more Vambies and spend time getting to know them over a drink, and he took the kids away so I could. He then happily accepted me going off to a restaurant and picked me up at the end. He does some husband things very, very well I have to say. It was fab to have that drink, I was chatting happily with one lady then partway into the conversation twigged she was one of my two or three favourite fanfic writers ever. She was just so down to earth and friendly it was wonderful to meet her. The official photographer for the Totally Kate website was there having a drink too, then she had to go off to a charity dinner to take pics, she was lovely she definitely deserved such an honoured position lol.
Milton Keynes proved a little tricky to navigate on foot. We just couldn’t see any restaurants, everything is kind of hidden by trees. I really did like it there though, it feels foreign enough that as a British person I can kid myself I’m on holiday! We were booted out of the first restaurant as a member of our party wasn’t yet 21, boy did I feel old lol. Eventually we made it to a Mexican where Kate 04 and her friends shared stories of previous cons, or plays they had seen Kate in. Where have I been these last few years? I feel very annoyed with myself for not getting back into Voyager sooner!
I slept really well that night, in fact all three nights I slept amazingly well considering I was in a tent. Then Sunday morning it was Get Up Early again - this time to get ready for The Photoshoot (squeeee!!!!). I had been very relieved to see that my campsite had a hairdryer lol.
Oparu was amazing. I had planned to get a picture taken with her in it too, as I didn’t think I’d have the confidence to approach Kate myself. I felt that even more so after the disaster the previous morning with getting her autograph. Oparu talked me into it in the photoshoot queue, then watching the few people in front gave me a chance to calm down, I made her go first! Finally it was my turn. Kate looked round and smiled at me and asked how I was doing. Then she put her arm around me and it was time to smile. I was sure I must look like a stunned goldfish! Then I kind of thanked her and staggered off. A much better experience this time! Yes sure, she’s an actress, she was acting. But she managed to make everyone feel special despite the fact that we filed past at the rate of three a minute.
We stalked Kate back to her booth, boy that woman walks fast! 'Back again?' asked the same cheeky crewperson who'd let us through early to see Robbie. We then noticed that Tim Russ, who was next to the others that day, had no queue. Boy had been whinging about not getting a photo. Husband talked me into being really cheeky. I grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him forwards, crew people looked *horrified*. By the time they could do anything I’d asked Tim, with my best charming smile, if we could have a picture and he’d said yes. Must have been good for his ego I guess! Pic got taken, boy still not happy, he complained I’d seriously embarrassed him! Husband told boy off for not taking his hood down. Tim was wearing an evil looking smile like in ‘Living Witness’. All very good fun indeed! This was turning out to be a far better morning.
We spent the next couple of hours waiting for my photo to be ready hovering around Kate or just walking round and round. I got chatting to another friend who hadn't arrived til the night before which was nice. The stadium is huge, we must have walked miles. I got chatting to some Orion Slave girls who complained they were freezing in their bikinis and body paint. We waved at Darth Vader and played with R2D2, a little boy whacked him with a lightsabre and he shot out steam in response which was really funny.
Back at Kate’s booth Eldest decided she was very, very upset that I hadn’t thought to take a photo of her with Captain Janeway. Husband tried to persuade us to be cheeky here too and approach, explain and ask, but the idea mortified her and she burst into tears. I was pretty horrified myself - Tim Russ is fair game somehow, no way I was going to risk making a fool of myself in front of the Queen! Anyway, Go Eldest! Her tears persuaded husband to get a fourth signature, bless him. I took her forward and once again approached the throne of the Great Lady. Deep breaths, get everything ready first, stay calm! This time it went smoothly. I told her she was signing a bookmark that was currently living in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, she didn’t look too impressed but hey ho! She smiled and Eldest got her photo taken, so all was well.
The luckiest thing happened to me then. I picked up my photo and was about to leave, but just wanted one last glimpse of the stars. Kate 04 and her friends turned up with some handwarmers to give to Kate - and since I was hovering they asked me to take pictures! Squeee, another chance to get near. I’m a shocking photographer so didn’t really appreciate Kate’s proximity whilst trying not to let the other Kate down, but it was all good fun. Afterwards I accidently went the wrong way and nearly knocked over the whole of Robbie’s queue. I then noticed that a box of Tampax had been sticking out of my bag the whole time. Eesshh!!! By that time I didn’t care, I was just so happy to have been there.
Despite many, many loo breaks! We hadn’t got lucky and seen Kate out and about, but since we’d hung around we then got to see her leave. She went the back way and out Tim’s booth but we caught her and I got a pic which I was delighted with. Once she’d gone, that was it, it was over for me.
We went back to our campsite on what was now a gorgeous sunny day, and husband was rewarded for his patience with an afternoon going running by himself. I felt so chilled out, we had wine with our tea and I sent lots of updates by text to Boo and one or two real life friends who can take it! I couldn’t stop getting my cameraphone out and looking at the pics. Four days on I still can’t! It wasn’t just the famous folk though, it was meeting the other fans, you lot are fab.
Kate Mulgrew was apparently going to Ireland for a chill out, then I suppose she’ll go home. Hope it’s not too long before she comes back to Europe, RDM too. That’s it now, I’m hooked!