Dufus & Shirt...

...The (Tony) Way Back.

 

It had been eighteen months since at least two of the group had attended an event together, due to the Covid-19 pandemic  (Shirt had attended a Spirit Sinema event alone a year before, dashing in, getting Third/Sixth Doctor stage companion, Rebecca Thornhill to sign a few things, then dashing home). However, with the population now being highly vaccinated, in-person events were returning. So, having attended five previous EM-CONs between them, tickets were booked for EM-CON 2021. Unsurprisingly all the American guests dropped out a few weeks before due to quarantine procedures, but there were still several guests that our friends wanted to meet.

 

Shirt travelled up on the Friday, the train being full of people going to the Stonedead Rock Festival, taking place at the nearby Newark Showground. Arriving on time, there was no sign of Dufus’ car outside the station. However, a few minutes later, Shirt received a text indicating that Dufus had got a flat tyre and was a short distance away, having managed to drive into a tyre replacement garage a few minutes before they closed. Shirt therefore undertook the short walk to meet him there, arriving just in time for Dufus to pay for the tyre (they only had expensive ones), and for the two of them to jump into Dufus’ repaired vehicle, and make for Dufus’ home. Following a detour to pick up a deal on pizza at a nearby supermarket, the evening was spent in catching up, watching television, eating too much pizza, and in Dufus failing to get his BritBox subscription to display from his laptop onto his television.

 

The next morning they left a little behind schedule, making a brief stop at a drive-thru for breakfast, then onto a Park & Ride a short distance outside Nottingham. As they finally arrived via directions from an app on Dufus’ phone, it became clear that it was not the P&R that Dufus had been expecting, and was much further out than planned.  (In fact it turns out that Nottingham has four different P&Rs on its outskirts). Worse news was to come, as following an assault in the City Centre, no trams were running from the Park & Ride. However, a member of staff advised them to get a Group Tram Ticket (which covered them both for £6) which was being accepted on buses, directing them to the nearby bus stop. Just missing the bus that they needed, Dufus & Shirt waited for about ten minutes for the next one, which took over half-an-hour to wend its way into the City Centre.  (Luckily two people in cosplay got on a few stops later, indicating that they were on the right bus – unless they usually dressed as Wolverine and a Transformer !).

 

Alighting at the end of the route, in the City Centre, they found themselves close to Naughty Asteroid International, where they decided to see if they had any Free Comic Book Day 2021 comics left (they didn’t). They also seemed to have hardly any DW merchandise. Retracing their steps, they made their way to the Arena, with Shirt remembering that he needed to get some cash from a cashpoint just after they had passed them all.

 

First up was security, who confiscated Shirt’s bottle of water, as no outside food and drink was being allowed into the arena. Then they were joining a queue inside to have their tickets scanned, and after around five minutes were in. They swiftly made their way along the stalls to the stairs down to the arena floor and the signing area. A quick check revealed two of the three guests that Shirt wanted, and only one that Dufus was planning to meet. Moving to the Information Desk, Dufus confirmed that Catherine Tate, Guy Henry & Kevin McNally were all last-minute cancellations. Checking their money, it was clear that neither of them had enough cash for the autographs that they wanted. Having scoured the arena for a working cash machine, it became clear that they would have to go back into central Nottingham.

 

Getting their tickets rescanned to allow re-entry, they made their way to the nearest cashpoint on a nearby supermarket. It was agreed that they would also buy lunch there, having to eat it before going back into the event (the Bigger Bottles that their drinks came in, meaning that some had to be thrown away).

 

Back in the event, all the Doctors were on lunch. However, Shirt briefly removed his mask, and managed to meet Tony Way, who appears (very) briefly in ‘Sherlock’ (as the prison guard who reports Moriarty’s escape in ‘The Reichenbach Fall’), as well as in ‘Doctor Who: Deep Breath’ and ‘Game of Thrones’. Shirt had brought his own photo of Tony in ‘Sherlock’, guessing (correctly) that Tony wouldn’t have that option on his table. Photograph taken, and Shirt was posing for a photograph with Tony.

Next up was Danny John Jules, who Shirt wanted to get to sign his ‘Maid Marian and Her Merry Men’ photo that he already had got Tony Robinson, Mike Edmonds, Kate Lonergan & Wayne Morris to sign at two previous events. Photo signed, avoiding all the other signatures, and Shirt was giving a donation to charity for a photo with Danny.

The Doctors were all still on lunch, but Dufus had decided to change his plan to get a Paul McGann autograph to getting a photoshoot with Mr. McGann, in 45 minutes time. This time was taking up with browsing the stalls, and soon Dufus was queuing up for his photo whilst Shirt had a brief sit-down.

Another brief browse of the stalls, and both Dufus and Shirt purchased an Eaglemoss’ ‘The Masters – Set 1’ featuring Delgado, Pratt, Ainley & Roberts, for the bargain price of £10. It was then time for a panel featuring ‘The Doctors’ (Docs 5-8), which involved leaving the main area, and making their way up to a conference room.

The Doctors were on fine form, with much inter-Doctor teasing, and Dufus got to ask them ‘What advice would you give the new Doctor and showrunner ?’  Large Endings got several mentions, and Sylvester attempted to claim Paul’s TARDIS interior as his own.

Following a final browse of the stalls, it was agreed that it was time to go. Making their way back into the City Centre, the Trams were running again. So after a ten minute wait, they were catching a tram back to the Park & Ride, arriving after around fifteen minutes.

Having time to waste, they went to Newark Station via a nearby M&B Giveaways, but found no figures (old or new). Shirt took the opportunity to stock up on snacks for the train, and Dufus dropped him at the station with a half-an-hour wait for his train. As they gabbled their goodbyes as a queue of cars was building up outside the station building, both agreed that it has been an excellent restart to attending events, making plans for the next such jaunt. 

 

 

[PL]