posted 09-25-2010 04:01 PM               

Great to see Al Worden as usual who provided some fine inscriptions.

As for Stafford, when his minder tried to kid me that signing after Leonov and Slayton on a litho of all three was a "completion" I walked away.

Apart from that, spending time in the company of a few beautiful women (sorry Paul C and Paul P, you just don't make the grade!) was a real hardship... not.

posted 09-26-2010 10:44 AM               

I quite liked the new venue. I thought that the rooms were nice and intimate and well lit. It was an awesome location to view the planes taking off from Heathrow (the hotel was situated right next to the runway) and parking was free.

Edgar Mitchell was missed and had he been there it would have made a big difference. So too if Glynn Lunney had made it as originally scheduled, but Al Worden was great as always and Leonov and Stafford looked great side by side.

Again what made it was seeing friends and just milling around having a laugh. It killed me not to get my Saturn V model base signed by Tom Stafford but for once I resisted due to the cost.

posted 09-26-2010 11:03 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by paulushumungus:
We have a year to wait for the next one. Perhaps fatigue is setting in? It is scheduled for 23rd-25th September 2011 at the Thistle Hotel, Heathrow.

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I don't think I could wait a full year for the next one!

posted 09-26-2010 12:31 PM               

Maybe the cost of running this show is just getting too expensive for a twice yearly event, especially at a venue like the Birmingham Hilton. Having seen the two hotels I would guess costs more than the Thistle and all it's 'charms'!

posted 09-26-2010 02:19 PM            

The first time I had seen Bruce Melnick and his lecture was very interesting and put over in a very friendly way.

Good to meet some cS members, especially Geoffrey Bowman who kindly signed his two chapters he wrote in 'Footprints In The Dust' for me. Thank you Blackarrow. It was also nice to meet Ken Willoughby there as well.

posted 09-28-2010 05:12 PM            

It was a wonderful, poignant moment, although few in the audience understood the significance of a sentence spoken in Russian by Stafford, until Leonov translated it for us: "General Alexei is my brother." The applause was loud and warm, and a few tears may even have trickled down a few cheeks.

Having watched Leonov's launch on live TV in a Cocoa Beach motel-room, followed a few hours later by the spectacle of Stafford's launch from three-and-a-half miles away at KSC, I honestly felt that I had come full circle. I was reminded of what Vance Brand told me two years earlier: ASTP did not actually end the Cold War, but it set a good example for others to follow.

As one who is (just) old enough to remember the fear in my parents' eyes during news coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis, I was delighted to hear these two Cold War warriors speaking so warmly of the friendships forged by that first international space link-up, and on Sunday I had the privilege of being photographed between the Generals: a picture to be treasured.

Not for the first time, I find myself turning to a favourite poem: "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

posted 09-30-2010 08:09 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by 328KF:
I hope you got your copy of Footprints in the Dust signed by both of these gentlemen.

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I flew to London on Saturday with the specific mission of getting Leonov's signature on my chapter as he was the focus of Soviet efforts to send men to the Moon. After I presented him with a copy to take back to Moscow - he exclaimed "I get something for free!" - he posed for a quick photo.

After my encounter with Cosmonaut Leonov I had the good fortune to bump into Geoffrey Bowman and we had a pint to celebrate 'mission accomplished'.

posted 09-30-2010 11:23 AM               

I sat next to Tom Stafford at the dinner and he was sitting next to Alexei Leonov, those two are such great mates, and when at the end of the evening they did the double act that was the highlight of the night.

An added bonus was I asked them if they would sign there name cards from the dinner and Tom said it was not a problem and then Alexei signed his well that was an added bonus a great show, and again the company on the day was great, it was also nice to speak to the ASF girls Diana, Linn, and the others they all were so polite and asked how I was it was great to see them again.

The other astronauts were great. Al Wordon was as always great company and to talk to out of the show rooms, and Bruce Melnick was a true gentleman, interesting to talk to at the drinks reception on Friday night and a pleasure to meet his wife, they were both fantastic company and a pleasure to meet.

posted 10-02-2010 07:46 AM               

Good show. Good guests. Great company.

To Jason, Dave, Paul and your crew - your hard work IS appreciated though I daresay the amount of heartache you undergo is not fully understood by all - including myself. Please persevere; you have set a quite extraordinary high standard for these unique events. Long may they continue...

Always a pleasure to see Mick and Linda SpaceSignings, David and Linda SpaceStation and Nick and Bryar SpaceBoosters. Without you these gatherings would not be the same.

Nice to meet Dwight and good luck with the "Live TV from the Moon" book.

To Rick M - your ASTP CDRs photos posted here are superb and capture the very essence of what was the main event of the weekend.

Always a delight to meet up with friends old and new: Dave "Bad Boy" C, Aileen and Tony, Richard P, Paul P, Carl, Howard, Nigel, Hakan, Sheila and David, Miles C, Mark L, Thomas, Team Willoughby, Ciaran and Ian and the Blackarrow - good luck with "our" book "Footprints in the Dust".

posted 10-03-2010 10:00 AM               

I enjoyed having my pic being taken with Alexei Leonov and Tom Stafford, thats one for my walls and Bruce Melnicks lecture was very enjoyable, even had time to chat to him while getting his autograph and I get the impression he was surprised when asked to add "Sempar Paratus" to which he exclaimed "wow" and Al Worden was a pleasure to meet again.

Great to see Nick and Bryar Deakin and buy a few goodies and Dave Bryant as usual an absolute gent and the framed Ablative heatshield has pride of place above my Television which certainly gets a few curious looks!

Anyway I cant wait to next years!

But I must say that Ricks photos and Geoffs post with the sentiment it carries just goes to show that although in times like the Cold war such everlasting friendships can be forged, im quite envious that I never attended now.