The Avengers - A 50th Anniversary Celebration

peabody · Post by **peabody** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:07 pm

The weekend in Chichester was quite quite fantastic. Incredibly well-organzied, professional in every way and just plain awesome. Well, apart from some of the stuff on the lunch buffet table, but that's just me being picky.

A few of the highlights for me was the live commentary sessions, it was actually very enjoyable just watching the episodes together with other fans, which is a rare thing for me as the series is not that well-known here in Sweden.

It felt quite surreal to evacuate a building, while walking next to Honor Blackman and pass a tree full of umbrellas on the way out. And suddenly you hear a rattling sound in the sky. It is just Paul O'Grady and Linda Thorson who arrive by helicopter, obviously. Sort of Avengers in a way, and rather fun considering the circumstances.

The Hellfire Club party was really nice, and having a certain Jonny Trunk DJ'ing certainly didn't make things worse, especially since I buy every album he puts out on his label. (Yes, I'm a fanboy.)

I sincerely hope this will become an annual event. Perhaps someone can pull a few strings and trick Dame Diana to show up the next time around...

Oh, and I'd like to send out a greeting to all of the friendly people I met. I lift my imaginary bowler to you.

bunny · Post by **bunny** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 8:34 pm

Just like to say a big thankyou to everyone who helped out at the event, it was very well organised and I really enjoyed meeting the guests and fellow Avengers Fans.
My highlights include the panel in the craft stage with Ray Austin and special guests Linda and Paul with just 10 of us in the audience and the interview with Robert Fuest with only 4 of us!
Just one question, does anybody here on the forum, know the winning bidder for The autographed Pat photograph, i just wondered if he ever received his phone call from Pat?

JohnSteedFr · Post by **JohnSteedFr** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:56 pm

In fact, the young man who bid one thousand pounds was completely drunk once the party had stopped. I was waiting for my cab outside the campus when I saw him. His dad was in the same situation. Dreadful...
The son wanted to get a cab so he went to the security office and talked nonsense to the officer. I even heard him saying he had won the prize of a 'bull...'. I won't go on but that dude wasn't even a fan of the show (Just his dad who liked the series, as I was told the morning after. They showed off because they have a lot of money, thanks to the father who works in the car industry). Then, the young fellow left, with his dad. A few seconds later, my cab arrived (I had booked it a few hours before) and they rushed in. They didn't stop saying gibberish and wanted me to 'join them', partying along, you see...I said 'no!'. The cab driver seemed annoyed as well. Once he stopped them in front of a pub in town, the father told me 'oh, you can also go to the whore house!'...

I don't remember what I replied but it was rather witty.

Then, the cab driver told me I didn't have to pay extra fees (due to those two men who kept being real pains...The driver was supposed to take me to my B&B in Fishbourne first...

)

Sorry but I'm horrified to see that a teen, who's not even a fan of the show and criticized it rudely, got the prize. But these are the rules. Highest bidder...

Sad world!

DiVicenzo · Post by **DiVicenzo** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:39 am

JohnSteedFr wrote:In fact, the young man who bid one thousand pounds was completely drunk once the party had stopped. I was waiting for my cab outside the campus when I saw him. His dad was in the same situation. Dreadful...
The son wanted to get a cab so he went to the security office and talked nonsense to the officer. I even heard him saying he had won the prize of a 'bull...'. I won't go on but that dude wasn't even a fan of the show (Just his dad who liked the series, as I was told the morning after. They showed off because they have a lot of money, thanks to the father who works in the car industry). Then, the young fellow left, with his dad. A few seconds later, my cab arrived (I had booked it a few hours before) and they rushed in. They didn't stop saying gibberish and wanted me to 'join them', partying along, you see...I said 'no!'. The cab driver seemed annoyed as well. Once he stopped them in front of a pub in town, the father told me 'oh, you can also go to the whore house!'... I don't remember what I replied but it was rather witty.
Then, the cab driver told me I didn't have to pay extra fees (due to those two men who kept being real pains...The driver was supposed to take me to my B&B in Fishbourne first... )

Sorry but I'm horrified to see that a teen, who's not even a fan of the show and criticized it rudely, got the prize. But these are the rules. Highest bidder... Sad world!

And, the son was pounced upon by security towards the end of teh Hellfire Club evening and escorted out for being whatever he was being. He and his father had been allowed to enter and mingle in the VIP area from where he/ they were escorted out.

Brendan Jones · Post by **Brendan Jones** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:39 pm

DiVicenzo wrote:
And, the son was pounced upon by security towards the end of teh Hellfire Club evening and escorted out for being whatever he was being. He and his father had been allowed to enter and mingle in the VIP area from where he/ they were escorted out.

They were father and son? I thought they were a couple.

And speaking as a gay man who usually goes for men at least ten years my senior, I'm now VERY concerned that my Gaydar seems to be malfunctioning!

JohnSteedFr · Post by **JohnSteedFr** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:57 pm

Were they gay ?

Coz what I was told is that the father allowed his son to bid because they had a fortune.

DiVicenzo · Post by **DiVicenzo** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:04 pm

Brendan Jones wrote:
DiVicenzo wrote:
And, the son was pounced upon by security towards the end of teh Hellfire Club evening and escorted out for being whatever he was being. He and his father had been allowed to enter and mingle in the VIP area from where he/ they were escorted out.
They were father and son? I thought they were a couple.

And speaking as a gay man who usually goes for men at least ten years my senior, I'm now VERY concerned that my Gaydar seems to be malfunctioning!

Well, also speaking as a gay man my Gaydar didn't trigger at all

I just thought that they looked like ne'er do wells when they were bidding - just a feeling I got.

Brendan Jones · Post by **Brendan Jones** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:55 am

DiVicenzo wrote:Well, also speaking as a gay man my Gaydar didn't trigger at all
I just thought that they looked like ne'er do wells when they were bidding - just a feeling I got.

Maybe it was just my intergenerational relationship sense tingling.

I just got the feeling that they were jerks! Great of them to spend all that money at the auction, but there was a very active feeling of "We're going to beat you, ner ner ne ner ner!" Whenever anyone else bidded, there was a sense of friendly competition.

jaz · Post by **jaz** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:49 am

I don't suppose anyone got their names? The first i knew of them was on the Sunday morning having learnt they had put up a memorabilia stall in the area set aside for John Buss's collection. They hadn't asked me if they could do this and probably explains why they were nowhere to be seen on Sunday.

Cybernowt · Post by **Cybernowt** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:43 pm

jaz wrote:I don't suppose anyone got their names? The first i knew of them was on the Sunday morning having learnt they had put up a memorabilia stall in the area set aside for John Buss's collection. They hadn't asked me if they could do this and probably explains why they were nowhere to be seen on Sunday.

This is all making interesting reading.. Its getting more and more bizarre..

I'm beginning to wish I'd made the long trek and gone!