Making his way to the shop, Shirt arrived 15 minutes after the advertised start time, having had to wait around for about 20 minutes for Lee Sullivan at the last What Shop signing (and they didn’t even have the comics he was signing). Samuel seemed to signing pre-orders, and so Shirt went to the till, paying for a photo of Mr. Pink and a personal item with cash to avoid having to join another queue.

Moving back around one of the display shelves, Shirt joined a short queue for Samuel, as it seemed that few people had seen the website announcement.

The person in front of Shirt was just being told ‘No photographs’ by Helen A, due to the steward next to Samuel having to keep getting up to take them. Shirt put on his best ‘lost puppy look’, so Helen A agreed that as Shirt was a ‘regular’, he could have one taken by one of the other staff members.

Walking up to the table, Shirt put down his photograph, which Samuel signed “To Shirt”, before adding a squiggle that was apparently his signature. Shirt then struggled to extract his Series 8 poster from its tube, and after another squiggle, was posing for a photo with Samuel.

Still holding onto his poster, and moving over to another table where Matthew Dale was signing, taking payment himself, Shirt realised that he had used the last of his cash buying his Samuel signatures. About to explain this to Matthew, Shirt was surprised when Helen A sauntered up behind him and hissed “What size T-shirt do you take ?”. Initially taken aback by this seemingly very personal question,. Shirt mumbled “XL?”.

A few seconds later and Helen A was back with a ‘Coal Hill Cadet Squad’ T-shirt which she crammed into Shirt’s carrier bag.

Having made his apologies to Matthew, Shirt exited the shop and made for an ATM on the other side of the road to get some cash.

However, on his return Shirt found that Matthew had no change of £10 as personal items were £5 (Shirt not wanting any of his ‘Robot of Sherwood’ home-printed photos). He therefore made his way back to the cash-desk, who did not have two £5s for a £10. However, Helen A went to check her own wallet and Joseph C’s. Whilst waiting, Shirt purchased a copy of ‘Whoah!’, the book of Jamie’s cartoons on his credit card.

Helen A returned with the £5s, and Shirt finally got Matthew’s signature on his poster.

Moving to the group of WKMI authors, Shirt waited patiently whilst people queued up to meet Andrew Cartmel (Shirt still not buying the new version of his ‘Script Doctor’ book). Having identified the authors of the other three books, Shirt thrust his book at the other man standing there, asking “Is this you ?”.

“It is me”, responded the artist, making this the dedication in Shirt’s book also.

Putting the book in the bag with the photo and T-shirt, Shirt wished Who Shop staff a ‘Happy Christmas’ before wending his way home, for a brief rest before spending the evening with Chalky and Tigger.

[PL]