Shirt…

…Rowe, Rowe, Rowe Your Punt.

Shirt had decided to attend his second 'Autographica', following the announcement of both Nicholas Rowe and Alan Cox, Holmes and Watson from eighties classic “Young Sherlock Holmes (and the Pyramid of Fear)”, and even pre-booked both his entry writstband and photoshoots with both stars. Unfortunately, Alan was a late cancellation (severely impacting on Shirt's ability to fill this write-up with suggestive puns), but also attending would be 'Who' guest stars, Christopher Neame (villain from uncompleted story, “Shada”) and Jennifer Hill (Mrs. Peace – Gelth Zombie in “The Unquiet Dead”).

Therefore, Shirt found himself catching a bus to Heathrow airport mid-morning. An hour after getting on the bus, he was arriving at the Central Bus Station, and having researched the buses which went to the hotel where the event was taking place, caught one of these, arriving outside the hotel five minutes later. Making his way into the hotel, attaching his wristband as he did so, Shirt made his way to the floor where Nicholas was signing.

There was a short queue which Shirt joined, and five minutes later, was paying for two autographs, picking up one of the photos of Nicholas as Holmes. However, the first item for signing was Shirt's 'YSH' DVD cover, swiftly followed by the photo. As Nicholas signed, Shirt yabbered away about the film and its special part in his childhood. Items signed, and Shirt decided to ask for a photo with Nicholas, in case he did not like the photoshoot one. Two photos taken by a steward, and Shirt was moving over to where Jennifer Hill was signing. A further signature on his Series One poster, and Shirt was off in search of the final guest that he needed.

Finding Christopher in another room, Shirt joined his longest queue of the day. Reaching the front, Christopher stood up and shook Shirt firmly by the hand, asking him his name. He then signed Shirt's “Shada” DVD cover on the back, and all too soon, Shirt was making his apologies and moving off.

Glancing at his watch, Shirt realised that he had just over an hour-and-a-half before his photoshoot with Nicholas. Entering the dealers room, he found several stalls selling space and signed memorabilia. Also signing were several NASA astronauts, including second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. However, Shirt baulked at paying £350 for Buzz's autograph. Going downstairs, Shirt managed to get a refund on his Alan Cox photoshoot.

There being a lack of shops outside the hotel, merely a number of other hotels, Shirt decided to catch a bus back to the Central Bus Station, to waste some time reading magazines in the airport branch of VG Jones. Returning to the hotel twenty minutes before the shoot time, Shirt wasted some more time in the dealers room, before making his way to join a medium-length queue for Nicholas' photoshoot.

At the appointed time, Nicholas walked past with his steward, and two minutes later the queue was allowed into the room. Stowing his bag and coat, Shirt waited for his photo. The female fan in front of him, let's call her Elizabeth, was holding a box, with what Shirt recognised as 'the seal of Rametep'. Opening the box, she produced a replica of the Rametep blowpipe from the film, that she had bought online. Nicholas had already signed the inside of the box, and happily posed with in his photo with Elizabeth.

Around five minutes later, Shirt had reached the front of the queue, handed over his photoshoot ticket, showed his entry wristband for the first time that day, and walked over to Nicholas who was putting his arm around female fans and shaking the hands of male ones.

“Nice to see you again”, said Nicholas, shaking Shirt's hand.

A brief smile for the camera, and Shirt was moving off, where two minutes later he was handed a copy of the photo. Stowing this in his bag, Shirt left the hotel, just catching a bus to Kingston, and then onwards to home. As the sights of Heathrow flew by, Shirt mused on his day meeting one of his favourite Holmes. It had all been less than elementary !

[PL]