Shirt...

...Let's Meet Hitler.

‘Collectormania London’ had been renamed ‘The Entertainment and Media Show’. The big WHO draw was on the Sunday when the Tenth Doctor himself, David Tennant, would be signing. However, Shirt baulked at paying £45 for an undedicated signature, having met David twice before (paying £55 and £25 respectively, but receiving a ‘free’ Series Three boxset and production of “Much Ado About Nothing” respectively). He therefore decided to attend on Saturday, which promised Arthur Darvill and Alex Kingston as headliners. However, Shirt was more interested in the announcements of little Amelia Pond, Caitlin Blackwood, and Melody Pond – Mark 2 (Mels), Nina Toussaint-White. Nearer the event, Ian ‘Churchill’ McNeice and Albert ‘Hitler’ Welling were announced.

Having spent the previous evening watching a comedy murder mystery in Horsham, starring the incomparable Katy Manning (in full Welsh mode), Shirt made a later start than intended. Having to go a circuitous route due to weekend engineering work on the District Line, he eventually reached Earls Court and purchased a ticket for early entry (in the middle of the ‘early entry’ period). Handing over his ticket, and moving up the escalator, Shirt made his way to the exhibition hall, making a beeline for the signing area. Only Caitlin had a virtual queue, so Shirt took a ticket (#60) for her and went off to join one of the open queues. First guest was Nina Toussaint-White, who happily signed Shirt’s ‘Series Six’ poster, then posed for a photo taken by her steward.

Next up was Albert Welling, the eponymous dictator from “Let’s Kill Hitler”, who also happily signed Shirt’s ‘Series Six’ poster, pleased that someone was getting his autograph. Far and away the longest queue was for Ian McNeice who was due to reappear as Winston Churchill in that evening’s Series Six finale. Shirt therefore joined this queue.

The two fans in front of Shirt were mumbling about Alex Kingston having cancelled due to getting a part in “Upstairs, Downstairs”.

Then the fan in front of Shirt (who was dressed in River Song’s green outfit from “Day of the Moon”, so let’s call her River) turned round to ask Shirt’s opinion. It seemed that she had a replica River Song diary that she got signed according to a complex set of rules –mainly that only people who have been in the TARDIS (making an exception for Ian as he phoned the TARDIS) could sign it. Her dilemma was that the first page was signed by Alex Kingston, and should she get Nina (who she was meeting next) to sign the same page as she is also River/Melody ? Shirt mumbled something about it being her decision, whilst River turned away in disgust, before asking a Femme-Eleventh Doctor friend for her opinion. She then helped her friend to sort out her variety of WHO-themed teddy-bears, stowing Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper (the latter of which Shirt mistook for a character from one of those American teen-vampire series) teddies in a bag, whilst producing Rory Teddy in his bodywarmer.

The fans in front finally reached the front, and Ian was very taken with the teddy-bear.

“What’s his name ?”, he asked.

“Rory” was the indignant reply, and it took Ian a few seconds to realise that the bear was a depiction of Mr. Darvill who sat a short distance away with far the longest queue.

River and friend having moved off, Shirt got Ian on his ‘Series Six’ poster prior to that evening’s episode, with Ian adding his character name to his signature.

Moving back to Caitlin’s queue, Shirt noticed that she was signing up to #50, and so he spent around 15 minutes looking at some of the stalls, before returning to find that Caitlin was signing up to #75.

Joining the queue, Shirt paid for two autographs, and took two of the free photos.

Reaching the signing table, Shirt found Caitlin seated between a steward and her mother, the latter of whom it seemed had just done something to embarrass Caitlin. Placing down his ‘Series Five’ poster, Shirt found his usual sense of unease asking children for their autograph. Caitlin carefully wrote her name in the place on the poster indicated, before doing the same on Shirt’s ‘Series Six’ poster, making the third “Let’s Kill Hitler” guest-star that day. Due to her age, Shirt decided not to ask for a photograph with her, despite her mother actively encouraging other attendees to have photos. Moving off, in just under an hour, Shirt had met all the guests that he wanted to.

Another quick look around the hall, and finding nothing that he wanted to buy on any of the stalls, Shirt wended his way home, ready for the Season Six finale.

[PL]