I'd arrived in London the night before, and spent Friday shopping with Tlaloc. We were late getting to the Paragon (traffic brought to a standstill by jubilant England supporters) and joined the very long queue for registration at around 4 o'clock. After half the day texting each other on our mobiles, we finally spotted Capbiker and Corina joining the queue and got to meet them face to face at last - the four of us have been MSN buddies for what seems like years. After registration, the four of us went for a pizza, then back to our respective hotels to change.

Unfortunately none of us had tickets for the cocktail party, but the disco that night was great! Some were in their pajamas, but most were in their own versions of 'evening wear'. I asked the DJ to play Michael Jackson's "Thriller", thinking that would bring the CoA citizens onto the dance floor but I guess they were too shy. *coughs* yeah, right!*coughs*
The night ended all too quickly at around midnight with an audience participation version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (I'm still not sure why!). One of our group, who shall remain nameless but is a huge Lover of Christian Kane, managed to walk past the Ritz Hotel and Harrods on her way to her hotel which was less than 20 minutes from the Paragon. Such is the bizarre life we lead ...

Saturday 8th June

Up at 7.30, and arrived at the Paragon just before 9 to join one of several queues for the first sessions. The audience voted to watch the new "Spiderman" movie that morning rather than Buffy/Angel episodes and, frankly, Tlaloc and I walked out in disgust. We were very disappointed and felt like we'd spent a lot of money to queue for way too long and then they were showing "Spiderman"! I mean, yes, okay, good movie, but - hello?? Buffy convention?? We grumbled our way around the local shops, had lunch, then returned - hobbling, with incredibly sore feet, you'd think we'd walked miles! - in time for the Charisma Carpenter/Robin Sachs Q&A session which completely transformed our mood! Charisma is lovely, so charming and sweet, and had some very interesting things to say about Dennis who apparently is very good with a loofah; after a while, she left and Robin stayed onstage. He is very very entertaining! As is his friend Nigel ... We took time out to visit the Merchandise Hall, where I spent a small fortune (and an even larger one in my head!). They had everything, and then some! Fortunately for my bank manager, Tlaloc held me back from purchasing everything in sight - she was the calm voice of reason in my ear, shooing away the little devil that was telling me I had to have everything there! Of course, once she'd convinced me I didn't really need/want the mousemats and t-shirts and posters etc etc she promptly went off and bought the lot!
Whilst leaving a message on the notice board for CoA citizens to meet us later, we met Kaz (TotallyDavidBoreanazUK.com) and her daughter, and spend some time with them during the weekend. Tlaloc met up with Fabby in the Charisma autograph queue, but CKL was unconvinced as she couldn't find her at all! We also met a French woman and her daughter, who spoke very little English, but there love of the show and their enthusiasm for the event helped us break through the communication barriers. When we returned to the main hall, Danny Strong and George Hertzberg took to the stage - those guys are a hoot! Our ribs were aching by the time they were done! Just don't mention you were in room 706 or 707...
Tlaloc and I had Afternoon Tea at Harrods, not wanting to stint on the London experience!

Saturday night - party night! - began with a fancy dress parade. The costumes were amazing, and included Spike, Angelus, Faith, Darla, Drusilla and Miss Edith, the Grrr Arrggh monster, amongst many others. Non-Buffy entries included the Scooby Gang, who I think won first prize. (Things got a little blurry after a while!) There were also four females dressed as what looked to me like 'horsewomen of the apocolypse' but I'm sure they were comic book characters - they all looked fantastic, as the men in the audience were quick to testify! Another great disco followed, during which the four of us (Tlaloc, CKL, Capbiker, and me) made a complete spectacle of ourselves by announcing ourselves as the "waving weirdos" in an attempt to find Fabby in the crowd, and we met a table full of people from City of Angel - it was great to finally put faces to names! The evening ended again in the audience participation version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" (someone needs to tell me why!)

Sunday 9th June

On Sunday, I was up again at 7.30, feeling rather less than perky, and got to the hotel for 9, only to learn the devastating news that Anthony Stewart Head would not be appearing as he'd missed his plane from the states. Disappointed but undeterred, we headed for the main hall. Dayne Johnson started the day's Q&A sessions, and showed how he applied the mask and makeup for the 'comedy/tragedy' demons in the Angel episode "Waiting in the Wings". It was fascinating to watch the whole process from start to finish, and Dayne was very informative in explaining the products and processes etc.
Afterwards we watched the Buffy season 6 finale, which was interrupted with the news that ASH had made it to the UK and would be coming to Eclipse. The hall erupted with wild cheering. After watching "Grave", we were treated to another Q&A session with Charisma Carpenter, who was interrupted by Robin Sachs and Anthony Stewart Head. ASH was greeted with a standing ovation - we were really pleased to see him. Charisma left the two guys to take the stage, and another rib-achingly hilarious session followed: the two of them together make a tremendous double act! We stepped out for 'light refreshment' in the foyer; I had a sweet pastry and Tlaloc - always keen to try new British dishes - had a Steak & Kidney pie. I use the word "had" lightly: she bit into it, then promptly spat it out. The woman serving them stared at her, horrified, and offered her a free sweet pastry instead. Then T, somewhat flustered, tried to ask CKL "Is there gravy on my blouse?" but it must have come out in a mixture of Norwegian and Mexican because CKL thought she'd said "Give us a kiss". So there's T, spluttering steak & kidney pie, and CKL taking hurried steps back from this mad, suddenly passionate, Mexi-Norge woman, watched by the horrified waitress and one slightly mystified Welsh person (me). We can't see S&K pie on a menu now without bursting into fits of laughter. (You had to be there, trust me).
Later we caught most of Christopher Golden's Q&A session, which again was funny and informative. I'd talked briefly with Chris in the Merchandise Hall on Saturday, and found him to be a very charming man. He kindly signed his novel "Oz:Into the Wild" which I was reading that weekend. Photo and autograph sessions were going on throughout the day, and eventually RS and ASH left the stage to take their turns. We joined the queue for group autographs, while George and Danny headed up the auction. I missed the bidding for the show-related items, but it seemed to me that the 'squeeze my bum' part of the auction was most popular! Danny, George, Robin and Tony all gave their cheeks for charity - four lucky women won the delight of squeezing their buns on stage in front of the audience! Tony's got the highest bid.
The group autograph session took a while - more queueing! but this time with chairs, thank joss! - but it was worth it. My SHS Yearbook, which I'd had autographed at the PBP, now has seven more signatures in it - Danny, George, Robin, Dayne and Christopher all signed my book. Charisma and Tony signed it in separate signing sessions (more queues!!)
That evening we ate in the Cafe Bar at the hotel. The food was nice, but the service was deplorable. Then it was back to our respective hotels to shower and change for yet more partying! Have to admit that by that time I was feeling pretty much like a zombie, but what the heck!

Sunday night was a mixed party theme - some were dressed as cheerleaders, some (including Tlaloc and me) came in pajamas and slippers, and the rest came in the obligatory black party wear. There were some Edwardian vampires in the mix, too - amazing to see! I also saw Angelus, and wondered if he'd actually ever gone 'home' from the previous night's fancy dress party! CKL finally got to talk to the gorgeous guy she fancied, and should give thanks to Tlaloc who rendered her reputation in tatters by dancing the YMCA with them! The evening ended with more audience participation ... "Surfing USA" "Joe 90" and "Hawaii 5-0" amongst others ... before the final "Bohemian Rhapsody" enactment. Please, somebody, tell me what that was all about!
After we left the hall, we hung around talking for ages, not wanting the night to end. Tlaloc found that CKL had neglected to get the email address of the lovely guy she fancied, so she went running through the hotel - dressed, remember, in bright pink satin pajamas and huge Eeyore slippers! - to get it for her. The things people will do in the name of friendship ...
No idea what time I got back to the hotel, but I started to pack, and vaguely remember thinking 'I thought I'd brought a bigger suitcase...'

Monday 10th June

So, Monday morning, up at 7 ....yuck! Feeling a little worse for wear, I made my way across London to Euston, where I left my split-at-the-sides suitcase and went in search of an internet cafe. I'd had over 96 hours with no net access and I was getting jittery! Or that could have been caused by other things ... Managed to post at City of Angel before legging it back to catch my train.

On Friday night and Saturday morning, I had made the mistake of comparing Eclipse to the PBP, and finding the Convention lacking. I was unhappy with the queues, miffed at the "Spiderman" movie, not overly impressed with the organisation of the convention. But I soon came to realise that I was doing Eclipse a disservice by comparing it to the PBP: they are two entirely different formats. Yes, I had a great time at the PBP but it was, after all, a party. There was little - if any - verbal interraction with the guests at the PBP other than hurried chats while they signed their autographs (or, in Joss's case, while I forgot to ask him to sign!), but at Eclipse I learned a lot about the guests both personally and professionally, and was hugely entertained by each one of them. I'm definately a hooked Conventioneer!

So, yet again, it had been a hectic, emotional, entertaining, gobsmackingly overwhelming weekend with very little sleep and loads of laughs and too much to eat and drink ...... but worth every second!
Roll on the next convention!

P.S. My photos didn't turn out very well - my zoom lens seems to be not working - but the memories they trigger will stay with me forever.
P.P.S. If you don't mind the wait, there's music on this page!