So I just got back, and despite dire weather warnings, it was an easy few hundred miles from Wales to Sussex, from what may have been the most awesome weekend of my life. Why so awesome? I shall tell you.
1 - Brian Blessed. 'nuff said.
2 - I got goosed by a dalek and bear hugged by a wookie.
3 - Despite me not liking funk particularly, Craig Charles's set was su-bloody-perb.
4 - A member of my writers' group, Gaie Sebold did a signing of her new book (Babylon Steel which you should all buy, cos it's awesome, and Gaie is all kinds of wonderful) and it sold out.
5 - I met several people I've only met before online - Stacia Kane, and Overlord from Fantasy Faction, for starters. Really nice to put names to faces.
6 - Other Half got Dan Abnett's autograph, including a small note to our son, making us (very briefly) cool.
7 - And here is where the awesomeness really starts. We were invited to a party. We went, and a very nice party it was too. We played some pool and then, because we'd had no dinner, started to lurk in the kitchen where three men were supervising the production of pizza. I recognised one of the men - Adrian Tchaikovsky. Which was a bit of an 'oooh cool!' moment. But he's chatting with the other guys and being generally friendly and nice so I didn't feel too star-struck.
Until, during the course of the conversation I say to the other two gents, 'I don't think I caught your names'. To which the charming guy on the left says 'Well, I'm Joe Abercrombie', then points to the equally charming guy on the right 'And he's Peter Hamilton. Do you think the cheese is ready on the pizza?'
!
!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Just as well I wasn't holding my glass at that point. But it has to be said, it really topped off the level of awesome on the weekend. And possibly my life.
*I probably swore in my head slightly more than that.
