Shirt...

...Is Molly-Cuddled

Collectormania had rolled round again. One of the first guests to be announced was Louise Brealey, the unlucky-in-love Molly Hooper in “Sherlock”. This meant that Shirt was a definite attendee, and even broke the habit of a lifetime and pre-booked a photo-studio with her.

Having spent the previous evening having a casino night with Chalky, Tigger and Enigma, Shirt got up ridiculously early to make his way to London Euston, still musing on the ‘Doctor Who’ role-playing game and Sixth-Doctor-themed biscuits, that he had been given by Enigma and Tigger respectively the previous evening. Having finally found a seat on a very packed train, Shirt settled back, listening to Episode One of “Energy of the Daleks”.

At Milton Keynes Station, the usual bus stop for the shuttle bus turned out to be being renovated, but in the distance, up by the main road, Shirt spotted a bus waiting. Running through the driving rain in such a way as to indicate that he wanted to catch the bus, a sodden Shirt managed to just get on the bus as the doors were about to close. After a detour to the Shopping Centre, the bus finally made its way to the stadium.

On arrival, Shirt made a beeline for the area where real-life “Primeval” couple, Hannah Spearitt and Andrew Lee Potts were signing to get virtual queuing tickets. They had not arrived yet, but the tickets were up to 140. Having got a ticket for Andrew, it seemed that the steward with Hannah’s tickets had wandered off. Finally, after a bit of shouting by the other steward, she returned and Shirt got his second ticket. He then went off looking for Louise, in case she was also a virtual queue.

Finding her signing area, there was an ‘open queue’ with around ten people in it. This moved swiftly and soon Shirt was at the front, and looking into the eyes of Ms. Brealey who looked even more pretty in real life than she did in “Sherlock”.

Selecting a photo of her as Molly, Shirt placed it in front of her.

“Can you sign this ‘To Shirt’ please ?”, he asked.

“All these people queuing to see me”, pondered Louise, seemingly touched.

“So, who have you come to meet, Shirt ?”, she continued as she signed.

“You”, said Shirt bashfully.

Louise seemed taken aback by this, and continued her self-effacing, self-deprecating behaviour, which Shirt found captivating.

“Who’s that ?”, she whispered to the queue, indicating the guest sitting at the table next to hers.

“Lance Henriksen – he is in the ‘Aliens’ films”, a fan behind Shirt whispered back.

Biding Louise goodbye, as she wrapped a blanket tightly around her legs because of the cold, Shirt wandered back into the main stadium in a daze. He hadn’t been so taken by a guest at an event since Sheridan Smith.

Finally snapping out of his reverie, Shirt made his way to the area where ‘Doctor Who’ guests were signing, and got Shaun Dingwall on his ‘Series 2’ poster, and the young Rory and young Mels from “Let’s Kill Hitler” on his ‘Series 6’ poster. Ezekiel (Young Rory) initially found it difficult to make his silver pen work, until Shirt pointed out another silver pen next to him. He then stopped after about three letters, and Shirt looked on expectantly, until he realised that this comprised Ezekiel’s signature. Maya (Young Mels), then also signed with a signature seemingly comprising three letters.

Moving back to the “Primeval” signing area, the guests had arrived and were up to ‘1-50’, so Shirt decided to browse the merchandise stalls. On one, he found Series 6 action figures for £2 each, but having picked up a ‘Doctor in Stetson’ and a pack of 20 ‘Cybermats’, he was surprised when the man behind him started grabbing armfuls of figures, finally purchasing twenty-five (taking all the figures that were not ‘Uncle’). Shirt suspected that he might be hoping to make money on E-bay. Moving off, Shirt also purchased a few ‘Monster Invasion’ cards to fill the gaps in his first set.

Moving back to the “Primeval” area, Andrew had reached ‘1-150’, but had gone for his photo-studio, whilst Hannah although still signing, was up to ‘1-100’. Five minutes later, she left to join Andrew at their joint photo studio, and so Shirt went round the stalls again, returning to the photo studio area just as Hannah’s session was ending. Shirt therefore joined a short queue for Louise, who was next up, in about fifteen minutes.

The two fans in front of Shirt helped the time fly by, by discussing getting up-close-and-personal with all the attractive female guests.

Finally the doors opened to the photo studio area, and the queue shuffled in. Stowing his bag and coat on the provided table, Shirt waited behind around ten others. The photos were being taken in front of a mock-up of the 221b door, which was hanging on wires from the ceiling. Shirt noticed that everyone was putting their arm around Louise, and so resolved to do the same. About five minutes later and it was Shirt’s turn to step up beside the exquisite Ms. Brealey, which he did slightly too quickly, nearly sliding over on the polished floor in his still wet shoes.

“Careful”, chided the ‘Angel in Human Form’ caringly.

Arm round Louise’s shoulders, which was met with her arm around his, Shirt struggled not to squeeze her too tight.

Two false smiles, a flash, a brief pause whilst the photo was checked by the photographer, and Shirt was releasing his hold on Miss Molly Hooper.

“Lovely to see you again”, Louise breathed, as Shirt left her life for ever.

At the “Primeval” area, Andrew was back, but Hannah was still on lunch. Shirt therefore got a signed photo from Andrew, before making his way through the rain to the nearby ASDA where a Diamond Jubilee Party seemed to be taking place. Having bought and eaten his lunch, Shirt returned to the stadium, where Hannah was now signing ‘1-175’, having been encouraged by the steward next to her to be ‘less chatty’. A photo of Abby and Rex signed by the lovely Ms. Spearitt, and Shirt was wandering around the merchandise stalls for a third time, wasting time until his photo with Louise would be ready.

Having plundered the stalls to death, Shirt hovered around the photo collection table, watching as first the various “Primeval” shoots were laid out, and then finally a photograph featuring Louise. Waiting patiently, Shirt’s photo was one of the last to be laid out, and it took a while for the stewards to acknowledge Shirt’s presence, and hand him the photo. Stowing his precious photo, Shirt made his back out into a break in the rain, and the bus stop for the shuttle bus back to the Station.

Whilst waiting for the bus, Shirt got into conversation with two other fans who were waiting, one had also been present on the bus to ‘Greatest Show’ that had nearly had to turn back a few weeks before (see S...Has A Great Day Out), whilst the other bore a slight resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The first fan had been unable to find the bus at the Station, and had ended up walking to the Shopping Centre to catch it. The bus finally arrived just as the rain was restarting, and the short journey was spent discussing recent signing events that the three had attended.

On arrival at the Station, they just missed a train back to London. However, ten minutes later another train arrived, and the three boarded. ‘Arnie’ indicated to Shirt to sit in a seat next to him, whilst Shirt’s ‘bus buddy’ sat across the aisle. The hour back to London was spent with more event discussion, and with ‘Arnie’ revealing that he has a movie jacket collection, as well as a replica ‘Terminator’ gun, which he bought from a dealer despite it having been reserved by someone else.

Back at London Euston, the three went their separate ways, and whilst wending his way home on the Underground, listening to Episode Two of “Energy of the Daleks”, Shirt’s thoughts were all of the lovely Louise, the future Mrs. Sea-Slug.

[PL]