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  Autographica 20, London, UK, March 2014 (Page 4)

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Author Topic:   Autographica 20, London, UK, March 2014
Tyrell's Owl
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posted 03-23-2014 01:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tyrell's Owl   Click Here to Email Tyrell's Owl     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by robsouth:
In my opinion, the organisers have taken note and improved certain things. Really good show!

I couldn't agree more!

madgwick383
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posted 03-23-2014 02:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for madgwick383   Click Here to Email madgwick383     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great show — well done to Dave, Jason and the organising team.

It was fantastic to have the opportunity to meet Hoot Gibson, Rhea Seddon, Greg Johnson and Bruce McCandless — all four both superb and gracious guests who were a pleasure to chat to and to attend their lectures.

What can one say about Al Bean? He took endless time and trouble to ensure each guest had what they wanted signature-wise and the queue was deservedly very long for him all weekend. Truly a class act and a very welcome repeat guest.

Sadly hard to say the same about Buzz who looked bored and fed-up all weekend. There appeared to be zero interaction with guests and the money-grabbing attitude of his minders was unwelcome. They were even over-charging on credit card payments which was not appreciated beariug in mind the already exhorbitant prices demanded. Needless to say, there weren't many takers for Buzz's autograph so maybe he has at last reached the limit of what most people are prepared to pay.

One wonders why he bothers attending for a weekend if he really would prefer not to be there.

The SR-71 pilots were a very welcome addition to the show and had great stories to tell to anyone who stopped by to chat — please keep these guys coming Dave!

Overall, a memorable show. Well done guys!

Paul23
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posted 03-23-2014 03:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul23   Click Here to Email Paul23     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm surprised to hear you say Buzz's autograph line wasn't very busy, it seemed to me yesterday that there were still plenty of takers, maybe not Alan Bean levels but then given the difference in price and that Alan Bean hasn't attended Autographica since 2007 whereas Buzz was over late last year that maybe wasn't a huge surprise.

David C
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posted 03-23-2014 03:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sounds like maybe you got "the Bad Buzz" sorry to say. I've seen both and sadly the charm and interest of the good version didn't outweigh the unpleasant taste left by encountering the bad side.

Out of curiosity, what was he charging for his autograph and were there any last minute surprises?

Glad the other guests were as good as ever.

paulus humungus
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posted 03-23-2014 03:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for paulus humungus   Click Here to Email paulus humungus     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I agree with David's post. The event was policed much more sensitively.

I was shocked at how busy the weekend was. Normally the queues die down in the afternoon but they were full on all day. Al Bean's lecture was the best attended in 14 years of the shows history. Buzz hardly said a word to anybody on Saturday. It beats me why anybody would spend £700+ for a supposed completion with only one other crew member on it. Oh well.

That said it was a great show once again. The energy is well and truly back!

spacehiker
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posted 03-23-2014 03:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacehiker   Click Here to Email spacehiker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I spent some time at Buzz's table and he did seem quite out of it today. I hope it was just jet lag and nothing more serious.

Robert, Rhea and Alan were all particularly friendly.

It was incredibly busy!

spaceman
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posted 03-23-2014 06:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceman   Click Here to Email spaceman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A very busy show, even today (Sundays are usually a lot slower).

Only attended one lecture, Rhea and Hoot were just that (a hoot). Hoot joked that he'd had twenty good years of marriage (they have been married 33 years). They were slick, a great double act. Nice tidbits of info regarding their missions and patches. It was over too soon and no time for Q&A... 5 star value.

Buzz did have plenty of takers on Saturday, and a lot of big spenders this afternoon. We were situated opposite him. I saw plenty of interaction particularly with children, he had time for them and let himself be photographed for both days.

When he came into the dealer room on Saturday morning the digital cameras and videos were worthy of any paparazzi event. There was a palpable magic in the air, not many people have this effect. When presented with some of the larger items Buzz left his seat and posed in front of the signing table. At the end of the day he is over eighty years old (I think he deserves some slack, he could stop signing altogether and then no one gets an opportunity to see or meet him let alone obtain an autograph). He didn't look particularly well, too much travel, jet lag? Plus age can all play a part.

The queues for the photo shoot on Saturday for Buzz and Al Bean snaked around and around in and out of the room. I'm know for sure a lot of people had decided not to take this opportunity for an autograph but to make the most of having a personal photograph with Buzz Aldrin.

The queue for Al Bean's signature went on until 18.00 hours on Saturday and most of today. Moonwalkers and Apollo era astronauts are great crowd pullers but will be seen over here less often.

Looking forward already to three weeks time for the two Ken's event in Pontefract Mattingly/Willoughby a formidable pairing. A great year already for astrofans and Apollo fans here in the U.K.

Next Autographica 19-21st September Birmingham NEC.

Buel
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posted 03-24-2014 06:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, well, well... what a weekend that was. I never thought I'd see the day where I met Buzz Aldrin, Adam Ant, Al Bean, Bruce McCandless and Frank Skinner all in one day!

There were some strange and wonderful experiences to be had... and some not so wonderful ones. Be they listening to Bruce McCandless explaining how Kraft tried to get him reprimanded for insubordination, hearing how a good friend and his girlfriend had to put a certain shuttle pilot to bed due to his 'wear and tear' to watching someone scream "BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ" across the dinner table at Buzz Aldrin repeatedly in an Alan Partridge-'Dan' style until Buzz paid him the attention he thought he deserved.

Surely a special thank you has to go to Hoot Gibson for being such a friendly, funny and outgoing man. One of the very finest I have ever met.

Keith Barber
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posted 03-24-2014 10:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Keith Barber   Click Here to Email Keith Barber     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I enjoyed the show.

Went to Alan Bean's and Bruce McCandless' lectures, Alan's was more a motivational talk as Bruce's was a tech talk and enjoyed them both.

Buzz did look worn and tired on Saturday and almost a little dazed when people were talking to him.

Mark England
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posted 03-24-2014 11:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mark England   Click Here to Email Mark England     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Buel, OMG Where abouts and what time on Saturday did you see Adam Ant? My wife was with me and she is a massive fan of him.

Blackarrow
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posted 03-24-2014 05:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Autographica 20 was very enjoyable. For me, there were two unexpected encounters which, in their very different ways, enhanced a memorable event.

First, having had a very enjoyable conversation with Alan Bean at his table, I had the opportunity to introduce him to the next person in the queue: none other than Mr Sherlock Holmes! (Actor Nicholas Rowe, who starred in "Young Sherlock" had joined Al Bean's queue. While not particularly knowledgeable about Apollo, he was delighted to have the opportunity to meet a genuine Moonwalker).

Second, when I found my seat at the gala dinner there was an empty space to my right. A man of roughly my age-group then arrived and identified himself as "Andy." He looked somehow familiar, and I quickly established that he was Andy Aldrin, son of Buzz. We had a fascinating conversation about Apollo 11, growing up in the Houston space community, the development of commercial launch-vehicles, journeys to asteroids and Mars, and a commercial unmanned lunar lander project.

I didn't seek to pry into personal family matters, but I recall that, for reasons we can perhaps all understand, he attaches more significance to July 24th than July 20th. I found Andy Aldrin to be an intelligent, thoughtful and friendly individual and our discussion added an extra dimension to Autographica 20.

Buel
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posted 03-24-2014 06:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mark England:
Where abouts and what time on Saturday did you see Adam Ant?
Mark, it was just after the dinner, the speeches had finished and as my friends and I were moving out towards the bar, my friend pointed him out. Mr 'Ant' had got Buzz to sign his arm earlier in the day and had then got the signature tattooed on (he had a bandage on when we seen him). My friend briefly asked him about his 'Apollo 9' song. He was friendly enough and seemed OK.

I wonder who else out there seen him...

carl walker
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posted 03-25-2014 05:57 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for carl walker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Re: Adam Ant, would have been great to have met him too, but I probably wouldn't know what he looks like these days!

Tykeanaut
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posted 03-25-2014 06:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Less hair and rounder I believe?

Mark England
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posted 03-25-2014 06:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mark England   Click Here to Email Mark England     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Buel, Adam's a lovely bloke, we met him last year at a meet and greet after one of his concerts. I told him I was going to meet Buzz at Autographica. Gutted we didn't see Adam on Saturday. We saw Frank Skinner and he kindly let my wife have a photo with him.

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 09:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by carl walker:
Re: Adam Ant, would have been great to have met him too, but I probably wouldn't know what he looks like these days!
Well I do have a photo...

Tykeanaut, maybe less hair but definitely not rounder. He honestly looked under 30 years old. I can hardly believe he's nearly 60.

Brian Bayley
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posted 03-25-2014 09:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Brian Bayley     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Everyone knows that Buzz was charging £350 for a signature on a flat item and we all have our opinions on that. Nobody has to pay it and everyone in the queue was there because they wanted to shake his hand. I have no problem with that.

I was two tables down from him throughout the show and I saw him engage enthusiastically with the public and at other times he looked bored and tired. He is 83 and can be forgiven for that. Don't compare him with the great Alan Bean. They are two individuals with different personalities.

What I did find too much was the enthusiastic 18 year old young man who queued to meet Buzz with a book, which Buzz had signed sometime in the past, and all that was required was a dedication. All he asked was, 'could you please just put "To Daniel" so my book can be dedicated to me.'

The fee — £185!

Make your money, Buzz, you've earned it, but where's your goodwill? The young man declined. Sometimes he just doesn't seem to care what people think of him.

Otherwise I had a great show and met some great people. Thanks to everyone who came up and said 'hello.'

Keith Barber
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posted 03-25-2014 09:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Keith Barber   Click Here to Email Keith Barber     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Can put you off people that, hope the lad was not to disheartened.

gliderpilotuk
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posted 03-25-2014 11:12 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
AT £23 per letter that must be a new record. Disgusting... and disrespectful of a (now former) fan.

Mark England
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posted 03-25-2014 11:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mark England   Click Here to Email Mark England     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Buel:
Well I do have a photo...
Buel. Any chance of uploading the photo of Adam?

I'm off to see Adam in concert next week in Manchester and believe me if you saw him on stage you would never believe he was 59.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 03-25-2014 11:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There's a time and place for everything. An autograph show, where everyone is charging for everything they write is not the time or place to expect anything free. You can ask, but the expected answer should be "no" (followed soon after by a fee), and then be pleasantly surprised if met with agreement.

Otherwise, if I am standing right behind the 18 year old, having waited the same amount of time for my chance to see Aldrin, why wouldn't I ask for a free personalization, too? Sure, I'll pay for the autograph, but you just signed for the other kid, why not me?

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 11:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I believe this is only half the story. I was there at this point too and from what I could work out, the reasoning was this: The lad had got the book at cost price and got the signature free, probably at one of Aldrin's signings. So, if Buzz had personalised it with those two words, at a cost of £30, then the lad would have got a personalised signature for £50 (£15 per word + book price of £20?) instead of the £185 quoted.

Also, I believe it was his assistant who explained this to the lad, not Aldrin.

I hope this helps (but I fear it won't). For the record — I felt for the lad too. But business is business, I guess.

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 11:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Robert, that makes perfect sense.

In the lad's defence- I don't think he was asking for a free personalisation.

Keith Barber
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posted 03-25-2014 11:38 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Keith Barber   Click Here to Email Keith Barber     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
For £350 a pop you would think he would inscribe it for free anyway, I am surprised you have to pay to have your own name written on your item. If I was behind, I would have thought it nice for him to do that for the young lad. It's put me off Buzz Aldrin now...

Robert Pearlman
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posted 03-25-2014 11:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Buel:
I don't think he was asking for a free personalisation.
Okay, the way it was initially described, it sounded like he was. The reasoning you provided, and that it was Aldrin's assistant and not Aldrin who cited the fee makes sense, too.
quote:
Originally posted by Keith Barber:
It's put me off Buzz Aldrin now...
So if I share a heartwarming story of Aldrin signing a long inscription at no cost and without even being asked would that put you back on Aldrin?

A single anecdote is just that, a single anecdote. At this point in his life, Aldrin has signed for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people. Any one given incident shouldn't be how anyone judges the man.

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 11:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Keith Barber:
It's put me off Buzz Aldrin now...
Keith, did you not read my post? It was his assistant who explained to the lad.

Also, I may be wrong but I think personalisations were included in both prices (for books authored by Buzz and those not).

Finally, I could provide you all with a lovely example of Aldrin being very generous with his time to a young boy after Saturday night's meal. As Robert says, will that now put people back 'on' Buzz? Sadly, probably not.

Keith Barber
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posted 03-25-2014 11:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Keith Barber   Click Here to Email Keith Barber     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sorry missed it. It's just sad that a young chap maybe spent ages to get there and be let down, not maybe because of Buzz but more in his own belief Buzz would do a kind act. Understand reading now...

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Keith Barber:
Sorry missed it.
No problem Keith.

David Bryant
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posted 03-25-2014 12:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Bryant   Click Here to Email David Bryant     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Unusually, I find myself in total agreement with Mr Pearlman...

The fees were announced by Dave and Jason months in advance: it would be naïve to turn up on the day hoping you could negotiate a special rate (unless, perhaps, you had a pre-agreed deal for a bulk signing...).

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 01:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
David, I am very, very disappointed in the fact that my girlfriend and I didn't make it over to your side of the room.

NeilPearson
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posted 03-25-2014 02:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NeilPearson   Click Here to Email NeilPearson     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm sitting on the fence here - I can see both sides of the discussion.

Personalisations were included in the base prices for all autographs so, given that he already had an autograph, he could have reasonably assumed he could get the personalisation for free. But Buzz's people wouldn't know the circumstances under which the book was previously signed so a fee should have been charged.

Interestingly the £185 quoted was the same as he was charging for an autograph on a book authored by him so I think £185 just for a personalisation is rather steep. He was charging £15 per additional word in an inscription so £30 for 'To xxxxx' would have been a nice gesture.

I got an autograph at the 2012 show for £250 which seems like a bargain now! I paid £50 for a photo this year and have to say he was very pleasant in the 5 or 6 seconds I had with him! I said something like 'pleased to meet you, Buzz' and he made eye contact, shook my hand and said 'and you'. But I also saw the way he casually tossed peoples photos back to them after they'd spent £350 on an autograph!

Hart Sastrowardoyo
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posted 03-25-2014 02:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Devil's advocate here - I have a few photos and all of Buzz' books, autographed but no personalization. Should I expect to bring them to Autographica and get them all personalized for free?

robert_l
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posted 03-25-2014 02:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for robert_l   Click Here to Email robert_l     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I had an a amazing time at Autographica. For me the highlight was Hoot and Rhea. Their talk was fantastic.

It was great to meet Bruce McCandless again. The last time I had to leave before his talk so this time got to hear it. He went into huge detail. It was fascinating, his experience flying the MMU.

Alan Bean's talk was similar to what he did at Pontefract. It was mobbed on the Saturday. They said it was the biggest lecture attendance.

Greg Johnson's talk was also good. I attended Barbara Bain's (Space 1999) talk and the SR-71 pilots' talk. The highlight was the audio through the loud speakers of the plane's engines! At the drinks reception they where very friendly and came and talked to me.

Also, Buzz, who asked about my Apollo 12 kilt, it was great to see the attention he gave a little boy asking him about how many people had been to the moon and getting him to work out the numbers. I also got to talk to Alan Bean again.

I attended all the talks on Saturday, leaving Sunday to get some autographs and I bought the shuttle book, which was very good comes in a box.

Dave told me that there would be changes to make things better at the next Autographica but would involve more expense. Just hope we are not priced out. I did not manage to go on the VIP pass this time, just weekend pass. Great meeting everyone in the bar again and the shuttle astronaut until 3AM! Fascinating hearing him talk about would they survive a RTLS with the shuttle.

Buel
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posted 03-25-2014 02:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Buel   Click Here to Email Buel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by NeilPearson:
He was charging £15 per additional word in an inscription so £30 for 'To xxxxx' would have been a nice gesture.
I say again: The reasoning was this: The lad had got the book at cost price and got the signature free, probably at one of Aldrin's signings. So, if Buzz had personalised it with those two words, at a cost of £30, then the lad would have got a personalised signature for £50 (£15 per word + book price of £20?) instead of the £185 quoted.

As for a 'nice gesture', as I said, it was his assistant who dealt with the young lad.

Also, once Buzz would have done that then a precedent would have been set.

NeilPearson
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posted 03-25-2014 03:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NeilPearson   Click Here to Email NeilPearson     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Buel:
I believe this is only half the story.
I was merely offering an opinion as to what he could have been charged given that there was no price listed for a personalisation only.

Kite
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posted 03-25-2014 06:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kite     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I only managed to attend on the Saturday for a short time due to family commitments. With my wife in tow we went to the lectures of Rhea/Hoot and Alan Bean.

We really enjoyed the former in which it was unique in that we had a married couple of astronauts who were a great double act in explaining their space missions. My wife was particularly interested in their children and how it affected them whilst their parents were separately in space during a total of eight flights between them. After their talk I asked Rhea what she felt about Hoot's plane racing and she just put her arms up in mock horror. A master stroke getting these two to Autographica.

The Alan Bean lecture was very sincere as he encouraged everyone to be team players in whatever their goals are and to work hard at it, especially the young. It is fourteen years since I last met him at Autographica in Northampton but he hasn't changed and is still a very friendly and positive person. I was disappointed to have missed him in Pontefract so relieved that I have now heard his lecture, well worth the wait.

As I earlier said we only had a limited time so I was disappointed to have missed the other lectures which I am sure were very good. One point I would like to make is why can't we stay in the room after a lecture if we are attending the next one, like they do in Birmingham, as the stewards only need to check you have a ticket before letting the people outside in. As it was we had to go back out and join the queue to get back in. Then it became a bit of a circus when a lady steward started altering everything and us in the middle of the queue ended up towards the back. Fortunately everyone had a good sense of fair play and when moving allowed us back to our rightful position.

Thanks once again to the organisers and their helpers for a great set of guests and I look forward to the next one where hopefully I shall have more time. Also good to see Robert of cS in his kilt who sat next to us during the Alan Bean talk.

star61
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posted 03-25-2014 07:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for star61   Click Here to Email star61     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This was my fourth show and I guess I have slightly skewed view of things. I don't collect autographs!

However, I do collect memories and moments, most particularly for my kids. It means a huge amount to me to have met so many amazing figures from the pioneering days of humanities baby steps into the universe. But to have my two kids with me makes it very special indeed. We are happy to pay for the photo with whichever moonwalker is there and then to chat when possible without taking time away from paying customers. The astronauts we have encountered have always been gracious and particularly good with my 10 year old daughter.

Hoot and Rhea allowed me to take a picture of them with my son and daughter and were just so good to talk with. I think my son was amazed at how humble Hoot was when he learnt where he is studying engineering. What great inspiration they are.

When my daughter showed her school class on Monday a picture of us with the fourth man on the Moon, the reaction was apparently open mouthed awe! Last year she showed them us with Buzz... they think she has a special relationship with moon men. But the thing is, she knows these are historical figures and how lucky that their generations just barely overlap and she can say... yes I met a third of all the humans to walk on another world!! Wow... what memories.

And amongst all these figures Buzz Aldrin has to be seen as one of the most famous people ever in any context. How does he handle that? Yes he puts himself in the line of fire for a fee. And yes he may not always appear to deal with it in a perfect way, but how would any of us deal with being in his shoes. People don't always get on well with others under stress, but when you are not people anymore... but living history, an object to be stared at and wondered about, maybe life is not so easy.

I am grateful he puts himself in the line of fire.

Didn't mean to ramble on.

I love Autographica and long may it continue.

robsouth
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posted 03-25-2014 08:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for robsouth     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Poor Buzz! He's one of my favourite astronauts because he is his own man and won't bend just to please people.

I stood in line behind a couple who spent the best part of 20 minutes haggling about the cost of signing an item for them.

How can you do that? If that is the cost then that is the cost.

Buzz is in his 80's now and why he still puts himself through this is beyond me.

I saw him answering questions and letting fathers take photos as their kids stood in front of his table.

I could also tell you of a very generous gesture he made but I promised the lady at his table that I wouldn't because she didn't want everyone asking for the same.

Buzz is a legend, he is a one off, he stood in a flimsy spacecraft a quarter of a million miles from earth as it descended to the moon's surface. Sometimes it's easy to forget what these guys have done.

David Bryant
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posted 03-26-2014 04:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Bryant   Click Here to Email David Bryant     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Last word from me!

Thanks to all the people who patronised our stall - it was one of our most successful weekends ever! Great to see so many cS-ers there...

By the way: if anyone found a wallet, give us a call?

A special thanks to those of you who send e-mails in appreciation of the effort that goes into setting up at a venue like the Radisson: all those corridors and no service lifts! We're all getting on in years! (Especially Garry and Mick!)

gliderpilotuk
Member

Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 03-26-2014 05:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by David Bryant:
The fees were announced by Dave and Jason months in advance: it would be naïve to turn up on the day hoping you could negotiate a special rate
What utter nonsense.

Buzz had previously signed the book. Buzz had previously received a royalty for selling the book. The 18 year old is not going to make any money by on-selling it and arguably an inscription diminishes the value of an already-common signed book. Sure it's Aldrin's right (or his delegated assistant's) to charge but nevertheless utterly venal to charge another fee for writing two words. But there again, there are a lot of commercial interests speaking here...

Let's get over the hero worship and accept that encounters like this are purely transactional.


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