Timeless Collectors' TV, Film,Toy and Collectors' Fair, Totton, Nr. Southampton.

It is that pre-festive time of year again, when we make our way down towards the South Coast and attend the Timeless Collectors' TV, Film, and Toy Collectors' Fair, organised by Chris Tarrant and friends.

The event was this year being held in The Conservative Club, Totton in aid of Clic Sargent South Region and, with the exception of Derek Lyons, Colin Baker and Ted Western having to cancel, featured the guests pictured above (Andrew Lawden replacing Derek Lyons). As usual, Pam Rose and I drove down together to share each other's company and stop me from drifting off to sleep on the way home!!! The journey in both directions was characterised by thick fog, but it didn't hold us up at all. Pam is such fun to be with! We are always cackling like demented idiots together and hardly notice the time spent driving.

We arrived around 9 AM and set ourselves up after a lovely welcome from all present - like a family reunion! Richard LeParmentier sat between us and was really entertaining all day and a real showman for the visitors! Another joy was to be with Rusty Goffe again, who's droll and sometimes quite acerbic humour cut through the din of the crowd and endlessly made me chuckle! Michael Henbury and Brian Wheeler were also in very good spirits and had a good day, I think. Andrew Lawden got a taste of a really nice, friendly show with a lovely atmosphere - so different from others we have attended together!

Pam and adorable Ewok with Richard LeParmentier looking on.

Richard enjoying himself immensely.

Andrew Lawden signing for a Dutch fan - Ettore Holle.

The irrepressible Rusty Goffe!

Brian Wheeler - a very charming and friendly gentleman.

Michael Henbury - Britain's smallest man - with his son. There is nothing small about this actor's heart!

John Chapman was also present with a fantastic stand and display, selling his innovative and popular children's books about the adventures of Jonnie Rocket. The kids were obviously taken with them and I hope they continue to bring joy to more and mote children! http://www.jonnierocket.com/

John Chapman, the author of Jonnie Rocket.

Another bonus was meeting up with troopers from The Dorset Troopers, Southern Troopers and other costumers I have become friends with. The visitors had a very good show of costumes to admire and the children, though loud :), had a great time (which is what it's all about for me!).

Pictured with members of the excellent Dorset Troopers.

As usual, I took HM The Queen with me to weave her magic spell on the table (and attempt to get another morsel of extra value for my tax pound out of her). Everyone laughs when they see the figure, but it cuts the shyness of children and makes the adults laugh automatically. Thanks Liz!!!

HM The Queen, Dave Oldbury and me!

So, my thanks go out again to Chris Tarrant and his remarkable team for the splendid show and friendly welcome given, not only to us, but to the visitors who streamed constantly though the doors, thanks to the exhaustive preparation and effort to promote this highly enjoyable event! We all look forward to the next! :)

Carol Streak with Britain's Got Talent's, Stu Arnold - the Entertainernator!

9th 501st and Friends Stormtrooper Meeting, Bayern Park, Germany.

The day was finally upon us and Derek Lyons, Pam Rose, John Chapman and I were finally there in the deep south of Germany for the 9th Annual 501st and Friends Meeting in Bayern Park, Bavaria!

We flew from Heathrow with Lufthansa and made excellent time, arriving in Munich 10 minutes early. Met by Ulli Pallor of the Austrian Garrison, Michael Robl of the German Garrison and some of the girls also of the 501st German Garrison, we headed off in the direction of Reisbach, in the vicinity of Bayern Park.

After heavy rain the last few days, we appeared to have brought the good weather in tow and, indeed, the temperature was 31 C today.  We continued first to the hotel, Das Hotel Schlappinger Hof, which Derek and I had previously stayed in the year before and checked in. Ulli took us out to meet with the members of the 501st already setting up on the camping ground by the park and we then went to meet the charming family who own and operate the park.

I must say, this park is a country idyll, with clean paths and rigorously maintained lawns and borders as well as state-of-the-art rides and amusements for the whole family. I wish our amusement parks were of this sort of standard! Children can run free in safety and the staff are delightful. One price on the gate and and everything is free within!

The latest ride inaugurated for our visit - Der Freischutz

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off for a pizza and relaxed in the heat of the late afternoon, as the heavens decided to open and pour down for 20 minutes. It refreshed the air and we had a delicious meal.

Day 2 started with a blazing hot sun and the drive back to the park. On arrival, even though we were early, a large queue had already formed and so we went straight in and met up with Garrison members from Austria, Switzerland and Germany and members of the Rebel Legion, who were also trooping the event. In all, over 150 costumers in full costume, as well as children in brilliant costumes as good as those of their parents, were there to troop!

The next generation is already in training! LOL

The day got underway with welcoming speeches given by Ulli Pallor, who then introduced each of us to the crowd. We also expressed our appreciation for the opportunity to appear with our friends and to meet so many of the public. The gate was in excess of 10,000, but not all could crowd into the small plaza where we were being presented. I picked up my camera and discreetly made a quick pass of the crowd to give an impression of the numbers present...

I applaud all of the 150+ costumers of the German and visiting Garrisons for trooping tirelessly in full costume in the heat! This day the temperature rose to 34 C before midday and very humid!!! But you can't keep a true Star Wars fan down and all trooped with amazing good humour! The public gave all the guys and girls fantastic receptions as they toured the park, posing with kids and parents alike and joining in the fun.

The crowd massed to see what photos we had brought with us and any other novelties, as Derek and I had done the year before. I had sat down a few days earlier and made up a load of bookmarks for each of us and we had all brought a variety of cards, figures and t-shirts to help the event along. As in Stockholm, Her Majesty The Queen was in attendance on my table waving cheerfully to the public!!! I told the kids and their parents it was my way of getting my taxes back for all she cost us! Don't suppose I'll get a knighthood now!!! LOLOL

John Chapman was very popular with his comic books of the adventures of Jonnie Rocket - great books for kids of all ages, and especially those learning English!


Lunch came and went and I once again remained signing throughout, missing my Wienerschnitzel and fries! But I didn't mind - I had the very lovely Daniela Hofman helping me with the throng and we battled on in good humour to the end of the day. The public spoke confidently to me in the certain knowledge I would understand them, as I had made my little opening speech in German at the beginning. I was met with accents and dialects I had never heard before. Truly, people had come from far and wide for this event!!!

Amongst the highlights of the day were three particular children. Firstly, the one month premature baby daughter of Andrea and Michael (who had collected us from the airport and driven us to the park), just two weeks old and pushed by her father in costume in a converted buggy made to look like a Sand Crawler! :)

Another little darling, Rebecca, settled happily into my arm and stayed with me a long time - I was reluctant to hand her back as she was so well behaved.

Baby Rebecca with me, Daniela and Ulli's daughter, Constanze.

The Sand Crawler buggy! :)

Baby Rebecca with her mother Nicole! A perfect little bruiser with a sunny disposition - the baby that is LOL!!!

Hardly a baby anymore, but #3 - this cheeky little chappy preferred to stand on my hand!

The day was a huge success and we all felt we had had a really satisfying experience with the children and their parents! Although I was exhausted from the heat and the fact I had managed to stand up just three times during the day, I felt blessed to have met so many friendly and good-natured people.

That evening, we all returned to the park for a BBQ with the 501st members camping there. The sky was bejewelled and clear and the International Space Station tracked acroess the sky on queue! Amongst the attendees was a lovely girl, Katje, with her dog, Sophie - a cross Miniature Pincher/Chihuahua. Katje Beham lived a while in the States and her English is really great! We chatted for quite some time and Sophie made my lap her bed. A nice feeling of home-comfort and lovely food and company!

Sophie and her 'Mum' Katje. Andrea Rilli and Ulli Pallor behind.

Next day, we travelled out to Passau to have lunch at the same outdoor restaurant as last year (yummy Schweinshaxe!) and then on to the Cathedral for a quick look round. The Cathedral is beautiful, with a wonderful mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Rococo. We could all have spent longer there, but tempus fugit!

A view down the aisle towards the Gothic Choir.

The beautiful painted roundels in the ceiling of the nave.

We then moved on to visit a vast and sprawling castle on the Austrian-German border at Burghausen. This, we were informed, if the longest castle in Germany - 1 km long!!! I am afraid, as beautiful as it was and as much as I wanted to see it all, I managed to walk only a third of the way in and back out! The castle seems to have originated in the late 11th century and been added to century by century. The only direction it could grow was backwards along a ridge between two rivers and thus the longest castle grew out of the rock!

The entrance to one of many courtyards across a wooden bridge.

And another courtyard, dated above the arch 1533....panting by now! LOL

A courtyard too far!!!!!!

Michael Robl in his Lederhosen by a plan of the castle.

Pam and I stuck together as the others went on ahead. We found a small door in an outside wall and found ourselves above the town and by a sign asking us not to feed the goats!!! Believe me, only goats could have lived on that vertiginous slope!

Pam with the town behind...

And so, back to Reisbach and the hotel for an evening meal in company with Ulli and some of the others with whom we had travelled far and wide that day. Exhausted, but happy, I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow! :)

Our final day was to be a brief excursion to a German traditional dress outlet to have a look at Lederhosen and Dirndls. Only John Chapman and a couple of the girls tried anything on. John declined to show us! :)))) But Elisabeth and Daniela were game.

Daniela in her dirndl. The headwear is not traditional! LOL :>)

We left the shop and tottered into a brilliant Chinese restaurant, where we had a fantastic buffet as Ulli and Michael's guests.So generous!!! Thank you guys!

And with that done and our tummies stuffed full, we went on to Munich and the airport. The flight was on time and comfortable and we were soon back in my car and heading back to London. I think I can certainly say that we all had a fantastic time in the company of our hosts and the German/Austrian and Swiss 501st. Long may they continue to attract such wonderful and welcoming people!!!

Farewell Germany, until the next time.......

Return to the Star Wars Fan Fun Day - Burnley F.C.. May 3, 2010.

When Derek Lyons, an old friend and fellow veteran of Star Wars, called me and first mentioned that we might both be invited to appear as guests at this event, my imagination momentarily went haywire, as I imagined some sort of Star Wars-themed Jeux sans Frontieres/Spiele ohne Grenzen/It's Knockout event!!! My discombobulation was calmed, however, during a call from Neil Livesey, the affable, well-organised and indefatigable originator of this event!

The excellent event poster.

The day before the event, I picked up Derek and Pam Rose to drive up to Lancashire. The drive was fun with lots of chatter and the trademark of any get-together of actors - laughter! On arrival at our hotel we were met by other guests and immediately proceeded, as actors do, to turn the hotel bar into a Green Room and the laughter grew. There assembled were Dave Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch and his wife, Brian Muir and his wife, Paul Blake and Gerald Home as well as us three. In  due course, our numbers swelled further and we were taken to dinner.

Dave Prowse, myself, Brian Muir, Jeremy Bulloch, Derek Lyons, Paul Blake, Gerald Home with Neil Livesey and         Pam Rose in front, on the floor.

  The following day we were collected together and taken to the venue - the Burnley F.C. Football Club within whose stadium the event was to be held. Neil and his family and helpers had decorated the venue fantastically and we were stationed in a long line in front of picture windows overlooking the football pitch.

Pam Rose and Derek Lyons at their tables with the Burnley F.C. pitch in view behind them.

As the day proceeded, we and the very large crowd of visitors were entertained and amused by the costume groups from the 99th Garrison and the Rebel Alliance. The kids present, many in costume, had a whale of a time, offering combat with their toy lightsabers to Jedi and Stormtrooper alike - in fact anyone! LOL!!! I was particularly amused by one youngster - maybe 3 or 4 years old, who was fascinated by a Stormtrooper who had placed himself to guard me. He resisted moving until the little lad went for his crutch!!! I grabbed my ancient camera and made a shaky mpeg. of their interaction...

A young costumed Jedi challenges a Stormtrooper's resolve to stand firm...

Fearless...

...and not alone! :o)

We were kept pretty busy all day and ended the day with a charity auction, to which we had all contributed, followed by a group photo with some of the costumers and a reluctant Neil!

The guest line-up with costumers from the 99th Garrison and Rebel Legion. The final list includes from left to right: Pam Rose, Brian Muir, myself, John Chapman, Ted Western, Derek Lyons, Dave Prowse, Neil Livesey - organiser, Jeremy Bulloch, Tim Dry and Gerald Home.

The event was supported by an extensive selection of stall-holders and exhibitors, much enjoyed by the visitors. I am very grateful to Neil, as are all the guests for his great efforts to entertain and look after us all! Furthermore, a huge vote of thanks to Neil, his wife and family, supporters and helpers and the assembled costumers for providing a great day out for all!