Collectormania Milton Keynes

Friday 28th May

I started the drive down to Milton Keynes at about 5.40 and it took just under three hours to get to the MK Dons Stadium in Milton Keynes.

I will be staying at the Doubletree by Hilton which is actually built in to the football stadium. Check in was really smooth and they gave me a free chocolate chip cookie. The room was very nice, you could tell this is a new hotel as everything is still fresh and clean. My room even looks over the pitch.

At 9.00 I decide to go over to Ikea for dinner, the store is just next to the stadium. As I get there I see the opening times sign and it shuts at 9.00. All the other Ikea’s I have been to usually shut at 10.00. So go to KFC instead for a fully loaded meal.

I go back to the room and relax.

Saturday 29th May

I get up and go down for breakfast, it was a usual British buffet that you can usually find at a Hilton and tasted good.

I then go and wait in the general admission line outside at 8.30 and go in at 9.00. I quickly collect all the virtual tickets I need (virtual tickets let you come back at a later time when you number is called so there is no need to wait in lines all day).

The first person I meet is Robert Duncan McNeill, who is most well known for being in StarTrek but to me I prefer him as the director of Chuck. He was really friendly and talked about Zachary and Adam (from Chuck) coming over to the UK last year and was happy to pose for a photograph with me.

Next up was Barry Bostwick from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Spin City. I told him that I actually attended the filming of one episode of Spin City ten years ago and he asked me questions about it and was dissapomted the production company did not feedme. We talked for a good couple of minutes and he was really nice to chat to and was happy to pose for a photograph with me.

Next I went and got an autograph from someone I was not planning to but then decided to on the spur of the moment. Kate Mulgrew from StarTrek Voyager. To be honest she did not seem friendly at all and did not make eye contact with me or talk. When I asked if I could take a picture with her she agreed but then told her helper to tell people can only take pictures of her when she is signing and not with her.

Next was Joe Flanigan who plays John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis. He was chatty and seemed nice spending time talking to everyone.

Then I went over to Myanna Buring who has been in Lesbian Vampire Killers and The Descent. She was really nice spending a lot of time chatting with everyone so the line took a bit of time to go down but I don’t mind that if the want to do something over than sign their name and move on, she seemed genuinely happy to be there and was happy to pose for a picture with me.

The penultimate autograph for the day was Lance LeGault, he played Col. Decker in the A-Team and was a really nice guy to meet chatting and joking with everyone.

The final autograph of the day was Peter Kwong who played Rain in Big Trouble in Little China, the classic John Carpenter movie, he was great to meet and happy to pose for a photograph.

That was all the autographs I needed and it was only 11.00 so I go back up to my room for a bit.

I had three photo shoots today with the first one being at 11.50 with Barry Bostwick and he remembered me from earlier commenting again on the colour of my jumper.

My next photo shoots was with Patrick Stewart who was really busy, at least 400 people wanted a picture with him. The line took quite a bit of time to go down.

The final photo shoot was with Joe Flanigan, who was as friendly as ever (much friendlier than the photographer who had a right go at a few of the girls who where working there).

And that was it for the show today, I drive to Milton Keynes Station and catch a train to London to spend the evening there.

The train takes just over an hour to get to Euston and when I get there I take the underground to the Apollo Theatre where I pick up my ticket for “All my Sons”.

I then head over to the Savoy Theatre and wait to get the autographs of the cast of Legally Blonde when they come out after the matinee performance. Apparently Sheridan Smith had to stay behind for a meeting so only Duncan James and Alex Gaumond came out to sign for everyone.

I then went for something to eat at Mr.Wu; an all you can eat Chinese buffet, I have a few plate fulls and take my time as I still have some time to kill before my show starts.

I head over to the theatre at 7.00 and take my seat for the 7.30 start. I am right at the top of the balcony overlooking the stage, it is good job I brought my glasses otherwise I would not have seen anything. The play was good and well acted but a little predictable.

After the performance I went and waited at the stage door for David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker to come out, after a while the guy who worked there asked if we would like to go in to meet them, this is the first time this has happened to me and when I went in I met Zoe first, she was very friendly and chatted to me for a while and signed my autograph book and theatre programme as well as posing for a photograph with me. A few minutes after Zoe I met David and he was also very friendly and chatted to me for a while, signed my book and programme and had a picture with me.

I then went back over to the Savoy Theatre in a hope of meeting Sheridan Smith, luckily she was still outside signing autographs so was able to get her to autograph my picture of her. She was great to meet spending lots of time with everyone who was there.

I then went back to Euston to catch my train to Milton Keynes. I got back to Milton Keynes train station a little after 1am and drove back to the hotel and went to bed.

Sunday 30th May

Got up late today as there was no great rush. Went down for breakfast and had the same as yesterday then went back and checked out of my room.

Walked around Collectormania for a bit and picked up my photo shoot pictures from yesterday.

After that I went over to The Centre: MK and did a little shopping and had some lunch before starting the long drive home.