Shirt...

...I Want It Now !!!

It was time for another Seventh Galaxy signing, and again Shirt was persuaded to attend due to the announced guest list, including former Mrs. Colin Baker, Liza Goddard; ‘Torchwood’ guest star, Camilla Power; and ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ star Julie Dawn Cole.

Making his way up to Barking, with minimum of transport problems, Shirt paid for four autographs (getting one free), stowed his bag on one of the seats, and made his way to get Camilla on his ‘Torchwood’ poster. Having found a gap, she happily signed this, and Shirt moved over to Julie’s queue, selecting a photo of her as Veruca Salt, which Julie signed, adding the quote “I want it now !!”. Handing the photo back to Shirt with a smile, she also gave him a free bookmark advertising her recent book about making the film.

It was at this point that things went a little awry. Stowing his poster, and picking up his copy of ‘The Eighties’ and ‘Terminus’ video sleeve, Shirt joined the queue for Liza. Ten minutes later, he was in front of her, and placing the ‘Terminus’ sleeve in front of her.

“Can you sign it to Shirt ?...”, was as far a Shirt got, failing to get “..at the bottom” out before Liza signed extravagantly over the not immediately noticeable signature of Stephen Gallagher, who had used a normal pen to sign the top of the cover as Shirt had got him at the end of a panel at the IBF. It being too late to say anything, Shirt decided not to draw this to Liza’s attention. Liza then signed ‘The Eighties’, which was on the brink of being completely full of signatures at the front and back.

Moving off, still fuming inside about his covered Gallagher signature, Shirt joined a queue for ‘Planet of Fire’ guest star, Barbara Shelley, getting her on his DVD cover. Deciding not to wait for the talk, Shirt made for Central London, and Naughty Asteroid, where George Mann was signing his latest book. However, Shirt got him to sign the recent collection of Sherlockian stories that George had edited (and which he had already got signed by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott at Large Endings Day 3).

“I see there’s to be another collection later this year”, commented Shirt, “How do you pick the writers ?”.

“It’s very difficult”, answered George.

Shirt muttered a response, musing internally that the first collection seemed to be entirely written by Large Endings and BBC Books writers.

Finding that the Sixth Doctor ‘Prisoners of Fate’ comic had not yet arrived, he wended his way home, still grumbling about his lost signature.

[PL]