Brighton FantasyCon

Just realised I haven’t said a thing about FantasyCon yet, so here’s a quick summary.

Bad things:

1. Being inside at a convention at the seaside on the hottest October day since records began.
2. Being allocated a bedroom in the basement with no windows but with a central light that glowed ominously throughout the night. Mrs P christened it the Pit of Despair. There’s probably a story there or at least a really bad review on TripAdvisor.
3. Those sausages at breakfast. Whoa.
4. A vague feeling that everyone else knew each other (a feeling that did seem to dissipate after an hour or two leaning against the bar, so it was probably just me).
5. Seriously, those sausages.

Good things:

1. Proxima being launched! Yay!
2. Finally meeting Steve Haynes and the rest of the Proxima crew (Charles Christian, Rob Harkess and Niall Boyce) and their respective partners.
3. Finally meeting Geoff Nelder as well as bumping into Adrian Chamberlin again. Also had brief chats with Simon Marshall-Jones and  Andy Bigwood.
4. Christopher Priest’s interview with Brian Alldis.
5. Oh yes, meeting Christopher Priest (although his reaction when I asked him if “A Dream of Wessex” was likely to make it back into print was oddly non-committal).
6. Mrs P, Son P and Daughter P gamely coming along to support the Embarrassing Family Member.
7. Mrs P buying a celebratory supper for the four of us at Jamie’s Italian.
8. Son P upholding the family name by partying until the early hours on Saturday night after I packed it in at 2AM.

I didn’t hang around for the prizegiving on Sunday, which is probably a good thing as there seems to have been some unpleasantness. I can’t really comment apart from saying that Sam Stone came along to the Proxima launch and therefore qualifies for Good Egg status.

Will I go again? Y’know, I think I might. Although I may well avoid the convention hotel next time.