As if it hadn't been enough at the weekend, Monday being the first Monday of the month, was Xena Meetup Day. Debs and lara had specially moved the venue to a pub down the road from the Hilton in hopes that we could entice some overseas fans to join our monthly gathering.

The advertising over the weekend paid off as in dribs and drabs various contingents arrived. Unfortunately the Stateside guys arrived 20 minutes before closing, a couple of the Czech guys turned up a little before that but the Scotish and Austrian guys were with us for most of the evening. But the big surprise was the quiet woman who at the end of the evening revealed herself to be none other than Lucia, the Brazilian artist who created the Little Xena and Gabrielle comic strip on the Ausxip website, loved the world over by even the butchest, bravest and cynical of Xena fans.

A little bit different to the usual meet; we had even more sweets and cakes than normal, a bit of a quiz (my team won), a raffle and the music videos that Creation wouldn't show you - MINE.

Although we had a lovely big screen to show them on there wasn't a sound system to go with it. So we made do with the speakers on Debs laptop and listened very carefully. I got some good comments and dished out some website cards. One of the Czech girls handed it back to me and said, 'I know who you are, I'm a huge fan of your videos.' Slowly but surely my plan for world domination is working.

I won absolutely nothing in the raffle, I probably had most of the stuff anyway. I just wish Katie could have got the plaque she wanted, but she got to take home what was left of the Flying Saucers so she was happy. (Flying Saucers: wafer thingies with sherbert inside)

The evening rounded out sitting outside the pub with some of the Americans and some chips they'd got from somewhere. We chatted about our favourite moments of the weekend. This was followed by tearful goodbyes to those I won't see until the next convention and hugs to those I'll see at the meetup next month.

...

Friday 2nd May 2008

To be honest I wasn't really looking forward tothis. It was kind of like because it was in England I was obligated to go; that because it was Xena it had become a habit that I hadn't broken; that I was using it more of a social networking thing. But to be really honest I had a bloody fantastic time.

I was tired by the time I got to the Hilton Metropole, having got up early and caught the train from Bournemouth, then lugged my bags across London to the hotel only to find out my room wasn't ready and when it was it turned out to be a twin and not the double that we had booked. Katie was amazing, getting us changed to a double that turned out to be a disabled access, (big bed, big shower, plenty of space and buttons that got us into trouble a time or too - read on). In the midst of all that was registering for the convention itself which took forever in a lobby that appeared to have no air conditioning and we also managed to miss Adrienne Wilkinson's Q&A because of the aforementioned room difficulties. But with all that behind us the fun could begin.

Firstly greeting friends I've not seen in ages: Leigh and Mary, my lesbian parents - every lesbian has to have them, who despite living just the other side of London to me I only seem to see when we're in the States for a convention or somewhere north of the Watford Gap at a Midlands Fest. Then there's Laura from Oklahoma, an amzing 79 year old woman who has led this incredible life of travel and adventure and adores Xena and The L Word and reminds me a little of my Nan. (The travel and adventure bit, not the Xena and L Word part!) There's the other Americans: Nora, Laurie and Sandy and when they've arrived you know the party has started, very loudly and very enthusiastically. And of course there's my Xena meetup buddies: Lara, Debs, Steph, Sammy, Sofia, Emma, Sarah and Dani. We don't need an excuse to get together but Xena is always a good one.

Friday evening was the Celebrity Cabaret so those with their Gold Passes swanned off to that and then to the meet and greet. While those of us from the Riff Raff (General Admission) could be found lounging in the bar until exhaustion finally claimed us and we crawled to our respective rooms.

Saturday 3rd May 2008

Roll on Saturday morning and it's time to figure out what all the mysterious buttons do. In timing that can only be attained in an animated cartoon I discover the button that opens the curtains just as Katie gets out of bed... naked. Our full panoramic window looks out over the Edgeware Road area and right across the street is a Police Station House with a residential tower as tall as the hotel we're staying in. Strangely Katie did not find this as funny as I did. But Karma is a wonderful thing. Not 10 minutes later I decide it's time to use the bathroom and as I walk towards it I notice a red button next to the door that reads: 'Push to open door', thinking that was quite helpful I pushed the button and watched in horror as the door to our hotel room opens. Completely naked I dash to the door, trying to conceal my modesty as I struggle to close a door hell bent on staying open. Heed my warning people: 'NEVER PUSH THE RED BUTTON.'

Showered and suitably attired we head downstairs for the days events. Q&A with Paris Jefferson. Paris is always lovely, her responses are always honest and thoughtful - No, I'd never heard of the show before, Yes I've done work that I've wished I hadn't. When asked about the relationship between Athena and her right hand girl Ilainus Paris responded that if she were ever to have a girlfriend it would be Musetta.

After the auction it was the Brittany Powell Q&A. She first appeared at the Burbank 2007 convention, I missed her and really wished I hadn't. Made sure that I saw her at Burbank 2008 and was ready for more in London. This woman is as engaging as she is gorgeous; she adores her son, loves her work and revels in the fact that as Brunnhilda she straight up fancied the pants off Gabrielle. Her talk revealed so much more about her than I'd heard before, here I thought she was an ex playboy playmate who got lucky, but she is so much more. I loved listening to her talk about growing up and the different places she lived and how she got into acting and the things she has studied and practiced with it.

But Brittany is famous on the convention circuit - she auctions her bra for charity and the winner gets to remove it. There was a bidding war between the head of Brittany's fan club and the London Xena Meet. We may not have raised as much money as Brittany has got in the States but we provided more entertainment. We had both her and the audience in stitches as we pooled our money and emptied the change from our pockets. We lost. But second place had it's benefits when Brittany called us up to the stage for a personal thank you and hug. I had to get us a group photo op with her as a consolation prize. That lady rocks.

With the evening drawing closwer thoughts turned towards getting over to the Carling Academy for 'Lucy Lawless in Concert'. Now usually I don't go to these things, it's more money than I can afford on top of trans atlantic flights and hotel bills, and Katie isn't all that struck on Lucy's singing voice. But when Maureen presents Katie with two tickets for her birthday... well it seems rude not to. We cab, we queue, we crush to the front. Well I crushed and then sidled off to the side by the bar where there was less of the crowd. I hate crowds and so does sweet nuisance, we chatted and joked and passed water to those brave souls in the fray.

The gig was incredible. Lucy 'can' sing, and hit the ocassional bad note and sometimes get her words mixed up but I don't care she is an incredible entertainer and looks incredible in chaps. She knows her audience and they know her and I think that made the whole experience just... WOW!

The songlist is perfect for her; some Patti Smith, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Tyler, Meredith Brooks favourites and even a rendition of Prince's 'When Doves Cry' which was beautiful. And Katie only had one thing to say at the end, 'This is the best birthday'. (That's right my girly is another year older, closing it to only a four year gap between our ages which is so much better than the three months a year when it's five years.)

Sunday 4th May 2008

Sunday morning meant it was time to check out of our room and sling our bags into Maureen's room until it's time to head home. Except that Maureen tells us that two of their number are leaving that day and did we want to stay the extra night. That took all of two minutes to think about and another two minutes to buy concert tickets for the gig that night.

1pm gets closer we all take our seats as the reason we are all here has arrived. Lucy Lawless. She was tired but riding a buzz from the night before and ready to answer questions. Warned not to prefix our questions with 'I love you Lucy' because we already know that and 'No hugs because your stick insect named Xena died and you're upset' we get underway. The questions at this event turned out to be quite interesting and thought provoking. One fan said that this was a 'Shazam' moment for her and did Lucy still get those. Did she keep a journal while she was filming Xena? (No, because it would have been really boring.) Was there anything she was afraid to do? (Not really, because she doesn't have the urge to throw herself out of an plane, but has bungeed from a helicopter.)

As usual she leaves the stage far too soon for our liking, but she has another gig to get ready for.

This time when we arrive at the venue we get to cut in a little as we've had people waiting there for hours. We end up in a similar place to the previous night but the section just in front of us is roped off for our buddy Sarah and her chair. This provided plenty of space and a great view of Lucy when she hits the stage in her chaps. What more could a girl ask for? Perhaps a more comfortable place to sleep than a single blow up bed with my girlfriend, but I'm telling you the sacrifice was more than worth it. (And maybe Renee O'Connor, in chaps.)

Before bed we spect a good couple of hours just chilling and unwinding with Maureen, Nora, Laurie, Sandy and Pam. A nice end to a great weekend.

And finally, no matter what, XWP still rules. (Yes I'm still a geek.)

...

Thursday 24th January

As usual I'm excited about going on holiday but this year not only is Katie joining me for the trip but I had to book the flights - both International and internal, make reservations at two hotels, arrange insurance and order convention tickets and I did it all by myself - for the most part. I'm so proud. I'm also terrified that I've done something wrong. That I'll get to the airport and the confirmation will have gone missing. That at the hotel I will have booked the wrong week and that if something goes wrong I won't have ticked the right box on the insurance application to cover it. Oh well it'll be an adventure.

To avoid an extremely early morning, traffic jams and public transport Maureen, Katie and myself booked into a hotel close to the airport. Might as well start the holiday relaxed. However, being that whenever I go on holiday the inner child comes out to play and I'm far to excited to sleep and by the time that we get to the airport, check in and go through to the departure lounge I'm falling asleep in my breakfast.

At the gate I'm in the middle of a work related phonecall when I get called back to the security desk. I'm pretty sure that I don't have anything in my suitcase or carry on that will necessitate the rubber glove treatment but I still clench all the same. They ask if Katie and I would mind moving seats. It's not quite the upgrade I would have liked but apparently we get served dinner sooner, not sure that's actually any better than getting it cold at the back of the plane. Onboard and taxiing to the runway maureen decides to point out the two huge gourges  in the grass where the British Airways flight crashed last week. Katie's face pales and her knuckles turn white as she grips my hand more tightly - it's been a few years since she's flown.

After a pretty uneventful flight I'm looking forward to the taxi ride out to the hotel so I can spot all those landmarks that let me know I'm in Los Angeles. I just about manage to point out the Hollywood sign through the haze to Katie before the driver pulls off the freeway to take the back roads avoiding rush hour. So this is the side of LA that they don't show you in the movies, Katie was fascinated, I was annoyed it was raining.

We arrive at the Burbank Marriott and immediately fall in love with our room. Mostly with the bed, the big bed, the big kingsive bed. I just about resisted bouncing on it. By this point we've been awake for almost 18 hours, we've crossed two continents and 8 time zones, but we can't sleep yet so it's down to the bar to see who else is in town. Slowly the usual suspects start to arrive, some from work and some from showing their support at the Writers Strike. Leigh, Mary, Nora, Sandy, Laurie, Laura, Sarah and Pam. There's much catching up over drinks and bar snacks but by 9.30 (that's 5.30 am tomorrow) we're ready for that giant bed upstairs. 

Friday 25th January

I was very surprised I didn't wake up at 1.30 am. I usually do on the first night and then gain a couple of hours each night and start sleeping through the night just in time to come home.

First thing I do is put on the TV and introduce Katie to my favourite breakfast news show in the world, ever: KTLA Morning News. The presenters bop away to the music at the advert breaks, the weather man walks away from his broadcasts before he's even finished and the traffic reporter sits in a helicopter which I have never seen leave the helipad. One morning I watched transfixed as they filmed the forming of a puddle in what they called a dowpour and what I called a slight drizzle when I stuck my head out of the hotel room door. Another year during a cold spell they had frequent reminders on safely using the infrequently used space heaters (flat surface, dust free, away from children). But he lure of crispy bacon at the buffet breakfast was just too much for me so I dragged myself away from the little animated red, yellow and green blocks of the traffic jam update and head down to the restaurant for food.

When the doors to the convention finally open a few hours later I waste no time in parting with $200 on Fan Club DVDs, Convention DVDs, Coffee Talk DVDs, and the artwork calendar. I wanted both the artwork and the original design calendars but they were sold out of the original design... I'm still pissed off about that. Next we wander into the auditorium to get some seats for the Adrienne Wilkinson Q&A. I haven't been to one of her talks for a few years, but as this is katie's first convention I decided I should take the risk and see if she's done anything new since the last time I saw her. And she has. She's done some short films that have been doing the rounds of the festival circuit and she's been involved with the next big Star Wars game. And by involved, I mean really involved, she's not just voicing the character, she's posed and moved and even had pictures taken of the inside of her mouth to get as much detail as possible into the graphics.  She seems to be enjoying life because everything from her dog to oral photographs in 'Fucking hilarious'.

Back to the hotel bar and I am greeted by 'Hey Geek' to which I respond 'Hey Nerd'. My girl Amy has arrived from Texas. Okay so she's not really 'my girl' but I adore her anyway. I met her back in 2003 and was immediately besotted with her. She was happily loved up with her girlfriend and constantly slipping out to call her and I think that just made her all the more attractive. I met her again in 2005 and rather than be all coy about it I outright told her I had a crush on her. With that out of the way we actually got on really well and developed our Geek/Nerd relationship (I'm an obsessed fan girl and she's a computer whizz).

This year I get to introduce my girlfriend to her and after only an hour Katie tells me that it's okay for me to have a crush on her. Fucking hilarious!

After catching up with Amy for a couple of hours we headed back into the convention for Katherine Fugate's talk. You can't miss The Fugate, she wrote the best fucking episode of the series. Just the one, but the best fucking one. (My reasoning for this: In a nutshell, the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle was developed over a six year series, Fugate had 42 minutes to not only rebuild that relationship but make the audience believe in it. She suceeded.) Katherine talked about motherhood and how it's changed her, she talked about the Writers Strike and how that is affecting her new series 'Army Wives' but assured us that it would be back when all issues were resolved. She then sweetened the deal by alluding to the fact that she is trying to get Renee into a 4 or 5 episode arc where she will be playing a character we might like to have seen her play in Xena. Big grin. I may have to start watching this show.

Most people head off to The Roxy for Lucy's concert leaving the hotel bar largely deserted. We hang out for a bit with those not attending the concert, but still suffering tflight fatigue we soon head off to bed. It's another big day tomorrow. 

Saturday 26th January

Breakfast today was a trip out with Debs, Dani, Lara, Jane, Sue and a couple of people I've never met before to the local IHOP. Katie has never had American style pancakes and so I sacrificed my traditional buffet for basically the exact same meal but had it served to me by a lovely waitress who seemed to know Debs and Co by sight. Dani and I have to be seated at opposite ends of the table after she decided to order something with cinnamon in it and I decided I wanted to carry on breathing.

We rushed through breakfast to make it back for the Q&A with David Taylor, he played Xena's son Solan. He's sweet and charming and he's not acting at the moment because he's in that transitional stage between being a child actor and being an adult actor but still looking very young. So in the meantime he works in industrial paper products and and is enjoying being happily married. He was completely overwhelmed by the lasting popularity of the show, and probably just a little bit scared of all of us sitting there staring at him.

A quick break and then it's the big event: Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. No singing or dancing or giant cakes involved this year, just our two favourite ladies answering questions and telling stories about their lives post Xena. I will always love watching these two together on stage. Though they no longer work together and have their own lives there's still this amazing chemistry and an undeniable sparkage when they work a stage together.

The questions were a bit disappointing this year, but if I'm not going to have the courage to get up and ask a question myself I'm certainly not going to bitch about those that do. So they talked about their current projects, their children, their lives and they may have even mentioned Xena once or twice.

After this we headed back to the bar to pry Amy away from the big screen, she's not actually here to attend the convention, so she spends all day watching American football. And whilst most people scuttle off to the second Lucy concert Amy introduces Katie to mojitos and we settle in for an evening of drinking and chatting. We had the sweetest waitress who tried to convince us to go clubbing, but when we told her that we only see each other once a year she brought us another round of drinks, and another, and another.

I crawled into bed at what I am informed by girlfriend to be very late, or very early, neither of us were sure which. I do however remember being thrown out of the bar.

Sunday 27th January

Everyone from the Xena Meet had to be up bright and early for a photo op with Renee O'Connor. We donned our Xenathon tee-shirts and headed down to the line and it wasn't until we got to the front of the queue that we realised we were one person short. Maureen was missing. So while we wait for her to arrive, after several frantic phonecalls and text messages, I decide to stick my head around the door to catch a glimpse of Renee. FUCK ME! She was wearing her dancing costume from 'Who' Gurkhan?', which could generously be described as underwear with some gold braiding, and boy does she look good. My little outburst makes its way along the line Chinese Whisper style, who knows what they thought she was wearing by the time it got to the back.

Anyway, Maureen finally arrives and we are ushered into the room. Lara explains to Renee who our group is and what we have done and where we are sending the money that we have raised. We set ourselves for the photograph and just before the click everyone realises that Katie is on the far right and I'm on the far left. There's some talk of rectifying the situation and I stiffle my initial response and smile for the camera. ('I always knew that the only thing that would come between Katie and I would be Renee O'Connor.' Yeah, I'm glad I didn't say it out loud as well.)

Whilst others settle themselves in for the days events Debs, Dani, Sue, Katie and myself elect to drive back over to IHOP for breakfast and once again Dani and I are seperated for my health as she orders another cinamon watsit. It's a more relaxed breakfast as we don't have to rush back to the convention. So over a leisurely breakfast I discover that my upper limit for crispy bacon is six rashers... it was the salt that did me in.

We're back at the convention in time for Brittany Powell's appearance. I missed her on stage last year, I heard she was pretty sassy and was determined not to miss her this year, if only to watch her auction her bra for charity again. She was a hoot. She got her son Tyson up on the stage to meet everyone. He stayed for the entire talk including the bra auction which he finished with 'Going once. Going twice. Sold.' The auction itself was mental; there were two people that just wouldn't give up. When it got to $5000 Brittany attempted to call a halt to the proceedings by offering first place the bra she was wearing and returning home to get another for second place.

After that Katie and I decided we simply had to go through to the autograph queue and meet her. When she discovered we were English she told us to tell Adam to bring her to England for the convention in May. Yes Ma'am!

Next on the stage was Zoe Bell, stunt double to Lucy Lawless in Xena, stunt double to Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, and adopted little sister and drinking buddy to Quintan Tarantino. She already had the cool factor in my eyes. As a Kiwi being mad is a given but this girl is a force of nature. Her stories are incredible and her delivery is hilarious (fucking hilarious). From how she was offered the Xena gig whilst drunk, to not wanting to know if she'd broken her back whilst working on the show, to damaging her hand pretty badly on Kill Bill, to falling down a ditch whilst out with Quintan. She has so much energy and enthusiasm for what she is doing that you can't help loving her; I can see why Penstarr and WarriorReborn are so inspired and devoted to her. So we got her autograph too.

Q&As finished, autographs finished, merchandise hall closed and it's all over for another year. Without a Lucy performance it's going to be pretty packed in the hotel bar tonight. So by use of stealth, speed and elbows I manage to get to the coffee table and easy chairs before anyone else and secure it for our group. And as with all last nights it's filled with email address swapping, stupid photographs and everyone staying up to the last possible minute. I'm so glad that we have the London convention to look forward to. It may not be Los Angeles, but it also won't take 12 hours to get to.

...

 

As I've mentioned before I belong to a group called Xenameet, and in keeping with the shows philosophy 'For The Greater Good' we decided to make a stand.

Last year xenavirgin donated money in our name to sponsor a child in a developing country; this year she took it one step further and came up with the idea to raise enough money to help more than one child by building a school, along with all the equipment, from the ground up. She also came up with a brilliant way to get the money: have our friends, family, work colleagues and Xena fans around the world sponsor us to watch every episode of Xena ever made, including the Hercules Trilogy that introduced the character, back to back. It was an idea that was greeted by the rest of the group with much enthusiasm. (Imagine that)

The dates, venue and schedules were set.
The rules: 3 people had to be watching at all times.
The caffeine ranged from fizzy drinks to espresso to pro plus.
And the pizza was on speed dial.
And once we start we ain't stopping.
Ready, Steady, Go!

And now I remember why I love this show. So it has plot holes, continuity issues, character mistakes, story clangers and a finale that left people either crying or seething*; but it also had two great leads, a quirky Kiwi humour, a heart the size of Texas, and a friendship and love that was honest and tender and, to my mind, remains unrivalled. Through subtext to maintext, the lingering glances, the casual touches and anytime they whispered ‘I love you’, they stole my heart. It’s now 12 years since the show first aired, it has been 6 years since ‘Friend In Need’ but after this weekend it is clear that they still have it. On Friday evening when we pressed play for the first episode it was only fatigue that could force me to walk away. I still had a desperate need to watch as much as I could, the much loved episodes I have watched over and over again or the ones that I thought I could get by without. And it was good to know that after so many years and numerous viewings I can still find things that I’d never noticed before.

Being a fan of Xena has opened so many doors for me; as a person, as a writer, as a video bard and as a friend. I spent five days in a house with people I see for one evening a month; it was a very interesting experience. I learnt more than just the preferred pizza topping, or whether they were a morning person. Debs: our grand leader, I saw her at conventions, usually with a large stack of merchandise in her hands, she may have trouble with words but she finds ways to express how she feels about her friends and loved ones and would do anything for them. Sofia: she used to be the quiet one but has proved to be a little tinker with a wicked sense of humour, makes a mean tiramisu and managed to watch episodes for 39 hours straight. Sammy: our representative from Gran Canaria, we gave her a lot of grief about her love life but only because we want to see her happy and these last few weeks, she has looked very happy. Danny: for a while she was ‘that German girl who had a Chakram dyed into the back of her head’, then she became one of us and now I call her my friend and she still has interesting things dyed into the back of her head. Lou: I’ve known her since my By The Gods days, we were re-introduced when we both attended the Xenameet, and every time I see her I learn something new; she told me once never to throw a friend away and I’m glad I didn’t. Lara and Jane: they have opened their house and their hearts to this ragtag gang of misfits many times, we all owe you so much… Lara for realising watching Xena could raise money and Jane for her devious plan to make Maureen watch ‘Married With Fishsticks’. Maureen: my long time Xena buddy, with you I learnt that even when it comes to the show you have your limitations, and quite frankly I don’t blame you. And finally my girl Katie, even if the only new thing I learnt about you in the last few days was never to let you sleep through ‘A Day In The Life’ it was worth it.

But let’s not forget why we did this Xenathon in the first place. Xena and Gabrielle were all about making a better world and that is precisely what we are trying to do. You can still donate, pledge, sponsor, ‘give us your f***king money’ (thank you Sir Bob) by checking our website:

Xenameet

Help us continue the fight 'For The Greater Good' while we go and get some sleep.

Footnotes:

*Plot holes: In ‘Fallen Angel’ Xena was baptised by fire and water, thus absolving her of all of her earthly sins… this would include the deaths of the 40,000 souls that perished in Higuchi! (Drop the ashes in the water Gabrielle)
*Continuity issues: Horses changing sides whilst pulling a chariot, the disappearing/reappearing swords, you get the idea.
*Character mistakes: Gabrielle is a great cook, so why does Joxer imply she isn’t in ‘Purity’? Why does Joxer take on the role of cook when in ‘In Sickness and In Hell’ he gave Xena and Gabrielle food poisoning?
*Story clangers: The Titans, Vanishing Act, Married With Fishsticks… that’s all I’m going to say.
*Finale: Beautifully acted, written, directed… but drop the ashes in the water already!

...

Otherwise known as the '19th Midlands Xenafest'.

Or as it has more recently been titled 'Strong Woman of Film and TV'.

But what's in a name? That which we call a Rose by any other name would still have us talking endlessly about subtext!

I love these events. They used to be in Leicester, in a venue called The Grand Hotel - which was neither Grand nor a Hotel, but we would take over the function room out back. I would arrive, pay my £10 and be promptly sent to the bar by Ann (chief organiser) because of my inability to keep quiet during brand new episodes. I would be allowed back in for my music videos to be played, for the auction and for the buffet.

A year or so ago The Grand Hotel closed for refurbishment, but I think they may have had difficulty finding something to refurbish because it closed down for good. So the Xenafest found a new home at The County Hotel in Walsall. Thankfully this place is actually a hotel because the extra hour it added to the journey meant we would have to leave before we had arrived to make it all in one day. And because so many people book rooms they have extended the days events from nine in the evening until midnight so we can party. And by party I mean we dance to silly songs, play silly games and have a theme - this one was 'Beach Party', I wore a sarong, over my jeans!

So just a few highlights of the day:

 - The Quiz
Cathy O'Grady, who maintains the Xenaville website, organises the quiz each time. The rounds include cult tv classics (Maureen's speciality), general Sci-Fi (Dean's bag of tricks), Xena related (my expertise) and various other audio, or quotes, or cryptic clue rounds (all hands on deck). There's also a picture round, my greatest acheivement on this round was the time it was all pictures of Argo and you had to name which Xena episode they were from. My inner geek is proud to say she got every single one right.

This quiz was one of the closest it has ever been. There are two teams always fighting it out for the top spot: My team and the team with Tara, Elaine, Jules, Jools, Donna and Tony (we change the team names everytime). And on this occasion we tied for first place.

 - The Auction
Angela Collins-Hamblett has made this her own. I swear some of us go to this event just to watch her do the auction. Her strategy to get a higher bid can be anything from setting north and south off against each other to finding your personal weakness for an item and exploiting it, but as all the money goes to a very good charity we are happy to oblige with what we can.

I've bid a couple of times before, mostly on props from the show and scripts. There was a script from the episode 'A Necessary Evil' and it was signed by Danielle Cormack and I know it's authentic because I was the one who got her to sign it. She donated it to the auction at Olympiad 2000, the convention that Dean and I organised. But as a full-time student who only had 60 quid in my pocket I had no chance at it. After seven years the script is back in my possession and it has gained another signature: Hudson Leick.

Also, someone had donated a small replica of the Chakram and Breast Dagger. I was asked to 'model' said items. The winning bidder was allowed to 'pluck' the breast dagger from my cleavage. With help from a friend my girlfriend won the bid! LOL

 - The Party
Dawn Collins-Hamblett is incharge of keeping the music going, except this time she got me to speak on the microphone a lot, trying to get people dancing, filling the gaps between cd changes... I am really bad at it. I had a little more success in musical chairs, where I made it half way through the game, dived for a chair and missed it but found the wall. I sucked at musical statues, on purpose, by continuing to dance 'Gabby Style' when the music stopped. But my team won at the 'passing the inflatable ring between your knees' game.

The Charity
 - The Walsall Breast Cancer Self Help Group, that pretty much describes it all and is a cause worth helping.

Anyways a good time was had by one and all. So a huge thanks to the team: Ann, Julian, Cathy, Dawn and Angela. But also to another Angela for helping out in the auction when Ann wasn't well and to Lesley for just providing so much entertainment... she shall hence forth be known as Melesley Etheridge!

And thanks to The County Hotel for giving my girlfriend and I one of the Honeymoon suites ;o)