Chalky, Dufus, Shirt, Enigma & Mavic Chen...

...At the Funcottage Again

Guest Starring: Lupine & Tigger

Having attended three previous events at Epsom Funcottage (to celebrate K9’s birthday, to meet Carole Ann Ford & Wendy Padbury, and to meet Peter Purves, Nicola Bryant & Mark Strickson), the announcement of a new all-day event to celebrate the Sixtieth Anniversary a week before Shirt’s birthday, meant that tickets were booked, with Mavic Chen wanting to meet some Classic Doctors (Docs 5-7 were attending), particularly given their appearance in ‘The Power of the Doctor’. In the weeks building up to the event, Sylvester McCoy briefly cancelled his attendance, before realising that he had made a mistake and almost immediately reinstating himself. (Dufus also was briefly going to be a no-show, due to problems with his car, but a hire car proved to be the solution to all his problems).

Having arrived at Shirt’s late the previous evening, they made their way into Epsom, to find Enigma waiting in a long queue snaking out of the Funcottage. It soon became clear that this queue was not for entry, but to pre-book photoshoots. Therefore, when Chalky and Mavic Chen arrived (the latter cosplaying as the Second Doctor), they went straight in with Dufus, whilst Enigma and Shirt continued queueing – Enigma was having a photo with the Three Doctors (as a Valentine’s present from Scooby), whilst Shirt wanted a photo with audio Second Doctor, Michael Troughton (who’s also in one of the Merrison radio episodes – something Chalky managed to guess immediately later) and with the Sawardian double-act of Trevor Cooper and Colin Spaull (a birthday present from Dufus). The queue was moving slowly, and it became clear that they would miss the start of the first panel. However, they took the opportunity to catch-up and for Enigma to give Shirt his birthday presents.

Meanwhile, the other three had taken a brief look at the merchandise stalls, and found their assigned seats, carefully chosen by Shirt when booking, in a nicely central location. The first panel was the Three Doctors, and began with a ‘Letters to the Doctor’ feature. The three then bantered away happily, dealing with the usual ‘favourite monster/story’ questions with good grace.

In the foyer, Enigma and Shirt had finally reached the front of the queue and paid for their photoshoots, before making their way into the auditorium, where one of the ushers refused to believe that there were two free seats in the middle of the row where the others were sitting. Finally persuading her, they joined the others to watch the final twenty minutes of the panel.

Bizarrely although the event had only been running for an hour, it was time for the lunchbreak. Therefore, leaving Enigma in the queue for the Three Doctors photoshoot, the rest popped to nearby shops to buy some lunch, and for Dufus to look for the current issue of MDW. Back at the event, the photoshoot queue moved very quickly, and soon Enigma was posing with ‘her Doctors’, and making her way back down to the foyer. On their return, they retook their seats for the next panel, featuring Brian Croucher, Jeff Rawle and Paul Lavers.

Following the guests out of the hall, they joined a queue to get into the autograph room, managing to get autographs from Jeff Rawle (who told Chalky that there is to be a stage version of ‘Drop The Dead Donkey’) and Jon Davey. Whilst the others went back into the auditorium for a panel with Trevor Cooper, Colin Spaull, and Jon Davey, Shirt hung around in the autograph room waiting for the lovely Nicola Bryant who was away from her signing table due to participating in a photoshoot. In the meantime he managed to get Michael Troughton’s autograph on his ‘Series 8’ poster for ‘Last Christmas’. One Michael autograph proved to be included with entry, so Shirt texted this information to the others. Nicola finally back at her table, and Shirt found himself in a small queue, behind a fan who was getting her to sign multiple 'Complete History’ volumes with quotes from a relevant story. He therefore got his Season 22 Blu-Ray booklet signed, before rushing to join the queue for the 1960’s stars photoshoot. At the top of the stairs, Shirt was annoyed to find that there was a payment desk, so that he could have just paid immediately prior to the photo. Due to not wishing to mess Carole Ann Ford and Peter Purves around too much, they were prioritising single and double photos with them, and so Shirt had to wait for his single Michael Troughton photo.

Downstairs the panel had finished, and Chalky and Mavic Chen made their way to the autograph room to get Peter and Sylvester in Mavic’s ‘Whographs’ book (Shirt had previously got him Colin in it). On his return, Chalky and Dufus also took the opportunity to get their free Michael Troughton autograph, before both gave into the temptation of a signed copy of ‘Doctor Who: Beyond War Games’, before Michael had to go in for his panel, with Peter and Carole Ann.

Shirt having browsed the merchandise stalls again, joined the queue for the guest stars photoshoot, managing to persuade the person organising the shoots to start with Cooper & Spaull. Walking up to the two men, the photographer asked, “Are you Trevor and Colin ?”.

“No, they are !”, quipped Shirt pointing at them, to much hilarity from the men themselves.

Photo taken, and Shirt was rejoining the others in the 1960s panel, having missed only around 15 minutes of it. They all then stayed on for the final panel, the deja-vu inducing Nicola Bryant and Mark Strickson (the other two proposed members – Katy Manning & John Leeson – having cancelled).

It was then time for the cosplay competition, but Shirt went to see if he could pick up his photos. One had been printed, but on telling them that he had to go, they printed the other off for him. He also tried to see if he could get a quick selfie with the organisers of the event, both of whom appeared in a version of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ starring Colin Baker and Terry Molloy that Shirt had seen a few months before, but understandably they were concentrating on running the event.

Mavic Chen not placing in the cosplay competition and none of them winning the raffle, they made their way out of the Funcottage, bidding goodbye to Enigma who had to go home to put her child to bed.

It was a bit earlier than expected, so they slowly made their way to a local food court where Shirt had proposed they eat and meet any others coming to the evening part of his birthday. On arrival, it seemed that there was (loud) live music, which caused Mavic Chen some consternation. After around fifteen minutes, Lupine arrived, buying everyone drinks, and giving Shirt his birthday present. A short while after this Tigger and Mavic Chen’s younger sister arrived. Most people were interested in the pizza stall, but it seemed to be in process of closing for the day. Chalky therefore went to make enquiries, and it seemed that they had sold out for the day.

It was therefore decided to decamp to a nearby Italian restaurant, with Chalky’s family being the advance guard, whilst Dufus, Shirt and Lupine stayed for one more song. Pizzas and pasta consumed, they walked with Lupine to the station, where a commemorative photo was taken, then to Chalky’s car to retrieve Shirt’s birthday presents from them. Dufus and Shirt then walked back to Dufus’ car where after a brief stop at Shirt’s to pack his stuff, Dufus set off home to the Midlands.

It had been a wonderful 47^th Birthday celebration for Shirt.

[PL]