Contanimated
or
The time I actually got a room in the New Cobden.
I'll start by just warning those who aren't used to my writing style that this isn't going to be a blow by blow account of the con, more a personal observation of the weekend, so read on.
I arrived at the New Cobden direct from work, prompting a few sarcastic comments from those already assembled in the bar - this being because I was still (unusually for me) wearing a shirt and tie.
My first thought was for food so Leigh Williams and I decided to take a trip down to the local drive-thru McDonalds in his recently restored MkII Land Rover - nice job Leigh.
One food trip later and the bar once again called - I'd registered and checked in earlier but had still not seen any anime, the bar held a stronger attraction.
Most of the next hour was spent in the afore-mentioned bar as I was too knackered to move very far from it's comfortable surroundings and besides, I was waiting for J.M. to arrive so that I could hand over the Dirty Pair pencil case that I'd bought him back from Tokyo (yes suckers, I've been).
When the rest of the 'posse' had arrived we once again decided to head off in search of food. And find it we did, we found what must qualify as the greasiest chips in the country sold be a chippy not 200 yards from the hotel.
I think (I'm writing this sometime after the event) that I went to bed relatively early on the Friday night, which brings me nicely round to Saturday morning.
Saturday morning meant my first breakfast at the New Cobden (last year I had to suffer the pitiful handouts at the New Norfolk up the road) and a decent breakfast it was too (lovely actually John, should you ask)!
Saturday morning also meant that the dealer's room was open. I must have been the only person not spending money that morning, the reasons for this being two-fold. Firstly, I didn't have any and secondly, having only just returned from Japan, I couldn't justify paying UK price. Wait until you go out there and you'll see what I mean!
With Saturday came my first snippets of Anime, most notable of which was the Battle Angel anime, something to add to my collection when I get round to it. I just wish I'd managed to get a seat for it at the con.
Birmingham (city of my birth incidentally - glad I moved away if my cousin's education is anything to go by) to by some new tapes and secondly a trip to Birmingham University for a photography seminar.
Plenty of pics of scantily glad women later I returned to the hotel to find a collection of souls contemplating the obligatory curry trip. Still being new to curries - don't ask unless you want my full medical history - I made a bad choice and didn't finish mine. Needless to say the Rick Cowling finished it for me!
Saturday night meant only one thing - Jim's live action all-nighter. Twenty minutes into the first film and I realised that although I could vaguely hear the soundtrack my eyes had long since failed to see anything other than the insides of my eyelids so I decided to retire - prompting a call of "you wimp, sir" from Jim.
Sunday was a bit of a non-event for me, as I had to rush home to put the clock back (or was it forward) on my video in order to tape the film I'd set it for!
Well, overall comments about the con:- I personally didn't think that it had the same atmosphere as A.D. 3 or even ConTanimeT. My own feeling on this is that as anime fandom grows in this country it will become fragmented with the 'old school' perhaps forming cliques and even perhaps developing a snobbish attitude towards the average Manga Video fan. I hope this doesn't happen but who can tell. Are the Manga Video fans the future of anime in this country?
Right, now to end on a happier note by wishing everyone a happy new year and I'll see you at either the AUK event or A.D.4.