posted 08-11-2022 05:15 AM
I often meet up with my good friend Colin to play tennis together. We talk about all sorts of subjects but it always comes back to Apollo and those Autographica shows we used to attend. Always.After ruminating and mourning the fact that those brilliant Autographica shows do not exist anymore, I stopped naval gazing and decided that something had to be done.
Of course I missed the astronauts, other assorted guests and the extraordinary talks they gave, but it was the other attendees that I also missed - the friends I knew and met up with, the new friends I made and the 'characters' I saw.
Also, in my own personal opinion, the highlight was meeting up with Dave Phillips, for me, the personification of Autographica. He was the one who introduced me to what the shows were about and guided me through what to do. Heck, he even took time to take my excited phone calls. In short, he was 'the man.'
I caught up with Dave recently and asked him if I were to organise a get-together of some sort (a meal, drinks, maybe a few other things) of the attendees who used to go to the shows, would he consider giving a talk about what the shows were like to put together and perhaps let us in to a few 'inside stories.'
To my surprise, Dave said he would be up for this so now it is down to us:
I am aiming tentatively for late November, venue yet to be decided but perhaps somewhere not too far from an airport for any of our international friends who may want to come.
Obviously we will all need to contribute something to cover costs of a venue, food, etc.
Who would be interested in such an event?