posted 04-18-2009 03:49 PM               

I attended the Helen Sharman lecture this afternoon she was really good. She has been off the schools/science circuit for about 9 years. She said that she was definitely ready to get back into it.

Good attendance was seen for the astro guests including Helen, Charlie Duke and Bruce McCandless - all very friendly and obliging.

A great idea to combine a Midlands Autographica and Collectamania at the same venue giving all of us access to an even larger turnout of stars and celebrities.Well done to the organisers of both events and the Shayler clan for organising the lectures.

posted 04-19-2009 02:46 AM               

The guests were all really interesting to talk to. Having Mickey Rooney walk past was mind blowing. An absolute Hollywood legend.

posted 04-19-2009 12:37 PM               

Charlie Duke was excellent, great photoshoot on Saturday and his talk this morning was fantastic. Being fairly new to space collecting this was the first moonwalker talk I'd been to and it didn't dissapoint.

posted 04-19-2009 02:08 PM               

I attended Charlie Duke's lecture today and out of the 6 or 7 lectures that I have attendended since 2003, this was my favourite. Bruce and Helen were also great.

Autographica is back on the right track in my opinion. Lets hope for some great astro guests for show nr. 14 which I believe will be at the same venue.

posted 04-19-2009 05:30 PM               

Note there are many 40th Anniversary events this year not just Apollo. Soyuz has 5 flights this year: Shatalov, Volynov, Kubasov, Yeliseyev, Filipchenko and Gorbatko would be an Autographica coup. The living crew members Soyuz 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 add Aleksandrov and Russian will do the business.

posted 04-19-2009 06:11 PM               

I fully agree on the return of the cosmonauts. I have missed them at the last few events and it would be great to see them back.

posted 04-19-2009 11:33 PM               

A lot of people made similar comments to me over the weekend. Take note Showmasters and build on your already high reputation.

posted 04-20-2009 06:48 AM               

Charlie had two interviews this weekend, one last night for the BBC and one this morning for a Norwegian newspaper, both of which Charlie asked me to attend with him.

I also dropped two of the ASF girls off at Birmingham Airport at 7am this morning and about an hour ago I delivered Charlie off at Heathrow ready for his flight to Atlanta.

Thanks to everyone for a great weekend, Geoffrey, Ollie, Nick, Bryar, Helen, Rob Wood, Derek et al, we even managed the cS reunion. Big thanks to Bryar Deakin and Nick for their great company and use of their wifi connection.

Charlie had a good time too, Bruce was great (he came to the restaurant/bar last night after an interview, a lovely guy), and Helen Sharman. Rick Searfoss I hear wasn't too well hence his cancellation, get well soon.

I had chance to have several good talks with Helen over the weekend about future things and it's good she wants to get involved with BIS.

I manned the BIS stand over the weekend in-between making sure Charlie was doing okay, Rex and Lynn came by Saturday, as did our president John Harlow MBE and his wife on Sunday, so all in all a much better event than those of recent times.

It was nice to have Derek Horne and Ollie at our table on Saturday and Aileen and her husband plus the others with Charlie.

posted 04-20-2009 01:20 PM               

I thought Helen Sharman was incredibly friendly and for a first show I think she did very well. I got complimented for being well organized with all the post-it notes on the items I wanted signed including pen colour/type etc.

Below are a few photos from the show:

With Charlie Duke

With Bruce McCandless

posted 04-20-2009 01:20 PM               

It was great to meet up with Yvan, Ollie, Rob, Kim, Geoffrey, Andy and the other guests at Charlie Duke's table. Its always a very social weekend and this was no exception.

More photos from the show (including what I got signed) can be found here.

posted 04-23-2009 05:46 AM               

But Helen Sharman for me and my daughter was a pleasure to meet she showed a great deal of interest in my daughter and enthused her to work hard and achieve her goals at school and I think Megan was a little bit speechless at the attention, but for me she was a star.

And then there was the meeting of fellow cSer's Nick and Bryar from Space Boosters, Dwight and his young lady, plus the gentleman I was talking for a good while with Nick, I'm sorry but with all the background noise I didn't quite catch your name but your off to Florida soon for the next launch but it was great to chat to you guy's and Nick my wife very much enjoyed chatting to Bryar about Florida and holidays there that very much made it more enjoyable then just following me around.

And then there is David Bryant, thank you for your time and superb stories you shared with my family and I, in fact it was very enjoyable chatting with people who have as much enthusiasm as myself in this subject and next time I'm hoping to stay a night at the Metropole all being well and it would be a greater joy to chat but this time with the welcome addition of a few pints?

And anyway if she works hard and continues to keep her goal in her sights, it will be us asking my daughter for her autograph.

Ad Astra.