Shirt...

...Been There, Dunne That !!

Having attended ‘London Memorabilia’ to meet Freema Agyeman the previous year (see S...Buys One, Gets One Freema), Shirt had also gained entry to the next-door ‘MCM Expo – London Comic Con’, where he had met ‘Sanctuary’ stars, Agam Darshi and Jonathan Young. The events were to be combined this year, but early guest announcements did not interest Shirt. However, a few days before the event, Shirt noticed that Robin Dunne, ‘Will’ in ‘Sanctuary’ had been added. Having met Christopher Heyerdahl, a few weeks before (see S...Is Almost Sher-Locked Out), Shirt decided at the last minute to attend, and so had been unable to prebook his ticket.

Arriving a little later than planned at the Access Centre in London’s Docklands, but only half-an-hour after non-earlybird opening, Shirt was directed to Hall 6, where people were cramming in through the door to get to the ticket sales booths. Stewards were directing people, and Shirt soon found himself crammed between barriers queuing to get to the booths. The queue which snaked back and forwards across the hall was the longest queue that Shirt could ever remember being in, including that for Benedict Cumberbatch a few weeks before. However, after about ten minutes the queue began moving, which it continued to do albeit only at a slow walking pace. More than half of the attendees were dressed up as TV, Movie, Comic and Game characters, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves queuing. All save Shirt, who was in bad mood, and decided to forego offers of ‘hi-fives’ with the queues passing him on both sides. He also frowned at the tweenagers dressed as sexualised Mangaesque schoolgirls, carrying signs offering ‘Free Hugs’, all his Child Protection training coming to the fore.

Eventually after an hour-and-a-half, he found himself at the front of the winding queue, and being directed to join one of five small queues for the ticket booths. These queues moved quickly, with only a short delay whilst the family in front of Shirt argued with the ticket-seller over whether their son was fourteen or not. Handing over the entrance fee, Shirt was given an entry wristband, and directed out of the hall. A short distance along was one of the entrances to the event hall, and holding his right hand in the air, displaying the wristband to the stewards manning the entrance, Shirt finally entered the event proper.

Having failed to pick up either a map or a Show Guide due to going in through the ‘wrong’ entrance, Shirt wandered around aimlessly, until finally he stumbled across the signings area. Having picked up a map, timetable and show guide from a nearby table, Shirt found that Robin would not be signing again for another hour-and-a-half. He therefore paid in advance and began wandering around the various stalls, which being mainly comicbook-related were not of great interest. He then sat down for twenty minutes to have the ‘The Big Bang Theory – The Party Game’ demonstrated to him and two others. The game it seemed was a slightly more complex version of gang-favourite ‘Cranium – Whoonu’, but with much of the ‘know your friends’ fun removed. Having decided that he would not be buying this game. Shirt observed others playing the new ‘Doctor Who – The Card Game’, leaving slightly impressed. Having decided to forego the gigantic queue to have his photo taken in ‘the TARDIS’ (via greenscreen), Shirt returned to the signing areas.

There was a very large queue, which seemed to be for everyone about to sign, including ‘The Waking Dead’ actors. Stewards were becoming very flustered, particularly as some guests were running late, and other guests were doing an impromptu signing at the table where Robin was supposed to be sitting in about 15 minutes. Having shouted out various guest names and forming queues to their tables, a steward finally called out Robin’s name. Shirt, a girl and her father, and two other fans, put their hands up and were led to form a queue at a table that rapidly had a sign with Robin’s name on it, put over it, and ‘Sanctuary’ publicity photos dropped on it.

Ten minutes later, Robin arrived, and spent five minutes chatting to the steward about two T-Shirts that he had bought – a Millennium Falcon one for himself, and a Wonder Woman one for a friend (or so he claimed). Finally, he realised that the queue of five people was for him, and invited the girl up first. He signed a photo for her, whilst her father took photo after photo, before finally Robin posed for one with her. The girl having moved off, Shirt stepped up to the table.

“Pleased to meet you”, said Robin, shaking Shirt firmly by the hand, “What’s your name ?”

“Shirt”.

Shirt having then indicated which publicity photo he wanted signed, Robin took his time writing a long dedication on the photo – ‘To Shirt, Great Seeing You at MCM Expo, Very Best,_____’, before shaking the photo to dry the ink, then shaking Shirt firmly by the hand again.

Moving off, Shirt decided that he had had enough being squashed from all sides, and made his way out of the hall, and wended his way home via public transport, vowing to never not pre-book for this event again.

[PL]