Sci-Fi Weekender XV

So, about last weekend…

I travelled down to Great Yarmouth on Wednesday. Miraculously, all of the trains ran on time and I got in OK. I then headed to the hotel and checked in. With some time to kill, I went for a bit of a wonder round then had a nap. I was just going to have a quiet couple at the hotel bar, but some other people who were going the the Weekender were staying there and I got more drunk than I was planning. I also went arse over teakettle going back into the hotel after having a last smoke before bed and cut my head.

So, Thursday morning saw me back in town looking for dressings for that. I then checked out and headed to the holiday park. Checked in there, put my stuff in the caravan, headed out for supplies (it’s self catering and the food places on the campsite aren’t exactly cheap). I then hung around the caravan, after buying a bandana so I didn’t have to wear my baseball cap all the time, then headed in for the evenings entertainment. Pirate Pete’s Pop Up Party.

He started working the Weekender last year, after he offered his services in response to a complaint about the karaoke the year before. It went well and he returned this year. As ever, it was a fun night, with him giving away a twerking llama. Yes, you read that right. Of course I sang karaoke and got a room full of strangers to cheer me on as I flipped them all off:

Yes, that is two people headbanging in inflatable dinosaur costumes at the front of the stage. Welcome to Geek Camp.

Friday, I watched the opening of the event. As ever, it was done by Area 51 and it’s safe to say they really outdid themselves this year (see featured image). I then wondered round the traders and got myself a tinnie holder. It’s a thing that clips onto by belt and I can put cans in it. I bought something similar last year for holding pints to use at gigs, but quickly discovered it was useless when the place only sold cans. I then watched the interview with Michael Troughton while waiting to get Peter Davisons autograph.

I’m not sure if any of his work made it outside the UK, but you may recognise his surname as his father was Patrick Troughton, the Second Doctor. He was interesting and had a more varied career than I thought. I watched a bit of the next interview, then it was time to get Peter Davison’s autograph.

The next interview I watched was Davison himself and he was brilliant and hilarious.

I was hoping to watch something next, but it was packed so I just went and made something to eat. Then it was time for the evening entertainment.

Up first was Pop Up Puppet Cinema, with their version of The Shinning:

PUPC are Weekender mainstays and the reason for that it that they are absolutely hilarious. This was no exception, particularly when they were taking the piss out of Stephen King’s predilection for writing stories about writers.

Next up was George Coppen doing stand up.

I saw him last year and he is hilarious. My favourite bit was when he was talking about coming out as a dwarf to his parents.

Then there was Ed Zephyr giving us a couple of magic tricks. The second was impressive as he used randomly chosen numbers to do a sum that ended with not only the days date by the time, to the minute, that the trick finished.

After him was Lost Voice Guy. He’s a stand up comedian who has cerebral palsy and can’t speak. He also won Britain’s Got Talent in 2018:

In case you’re wondering what’s on his t shirt, it says “Wheelchair access costs lived” with a picture of a Dalek going up a ramp. I can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did to his set. He was absolutely brilliant.

Then it was time for another Weekender mainstay, Professor Elemental:

He was on top form. Whether it was making Geoffrey fight Other Geoffrey or asking someone to wear a swan hat to help illustrate the teaming up of swans and squirrels:

It was a great show.

And now I have to address the setup this year. The Weekender always has two rooms, the Main Void and the Space Port. Usually, each room has different entertainment in the evening. This year, however, they were showing films in the Space Port, meaning some acts that would be on there were in the main room.

Case in point, Graham Graham Beck. Clearly he has some fans, he wouldn’t keep being invited back otherwise, but I really don’t want to see their music collections, because he is TERRIBLE. There really are no words in the English language to describe just how shit he is.

Thankfully, the next act were better. Victor and the Bully:

Are a steampunk rock band who end their set with the Hokey Cokey. Next up was Experimental Sonic Machines, who I’m not a fan of, so it was bed for me.

Saturday, I had a lie in, since there wasn’t anything in the morning I wanted to do. I went to a panel about crime writing, then planted myself in the small room for the rest of the afternoon. First up was Paul Eccentric, author of a book series about the first man on the moon, who went there in a gin powered rocket and member of the Anti-Poets:

It was informative and hilarious. Next was When Trek Goes Wrong. This was the hosts of the Re-Trek podcast, talking about what was wrong with the films:

Of course, they spent most their time talking about Star Trek V.

Next, more PUPC:

This time it was Nightmare on Elm Street. Which was a musical. Set to the music of Queen. Purely for the joke of calling Freddie Kreuger Freddie Murdery. Because, of course.

After that was Madame Misfit and her BAPS:

By BAPS, I do of course mean her British Aeronautical Piloting School. Get your mind out the gutter. I took part:

And got my patch. Then, food time.

The early part of the evening was the final of the cosplay competition in the main room and a PUPC quiz in the other. So, I got there in time for Junkoactive Waste Man: