Christmas is nearly upon us and I hope you will all have a
wonderful peaceful holiday.
Here is a brief update from the past month.
After our marathon trip to the US in October we had a few
weeks back at home then took what seemed like a very short
flight to Boston for the Supermegafest. Ray Park was a fellow
guest from Star Wars and there was a rare appearance from the
original Batman & Robin - hence many lookalikes. There were some
extraordinary costumes amongst the fans including Mr Freeze and
the Predator.
Sitting next to me was the artist Kevin Liell who had painted
a wonderful image of Boba Fett - of course I had to buy it for
my office, although I am running out of wall space.
During the weekend I was thrilled to be presented not once
but twice with honorary membership of the Alderaan Base and also
as an honorary pilot.
The 501st raised an outstanding amount of money for charity.
Fans were photographed with the rather imposing model of Jabba.
Thanks to everyone who was involved with this event - it is
always very enjoyable.
The following weekend we took the Eurostar to Paris which now
only takes 2hours 15 minutes from the centre of London to the
centre of Paris - hardly time to finish my book!
The event was a one day toyfair and was extremely busy. I met
up with Cathy Monroe, who portrayed Zuckuss, for the first time
in 20 odd years, and it became a meeting of the Bounty Hunters
along with Angus MacInnes who portrayed Gold Leader 1.
As the day was so busy there was very little time to take
anymore photos at the show. A friend of ours Hubert came to the
fair - we have met many times at events in France and he has
always asked us to go to the famous 'Restaurant de La Tour
D'Argent' where he is Responsable des Salons. We took the
opportunity on Sunday evening after the show and were not
disappointed. It was great to finally visit this famous
restaurant which is one of the oldest in Paris and boasts a
cellar with 500,000 bottles of wine - some very old (as old as
me!)
After our unforgettable meal we were given a tour of the wine
cellar which is kept under lock & key.
Before returning to London we walked all over Paris and ended
up at the Pompidou Centre at the Les Halles gardens.
Last Friday we were lucky enough to get tickets to see the
Tutankhamun exhibition at the 02 building in London which was
formally the Millenium Dome. The journey started with a cruise
along the river Thames which gives a very different view of
London.
Maureen last saw this exhibition in London in 1972, and I was
lucky enough to visit the museum in Cairo some years ago. The
exhibition was fascinating and it was hard to believe that the
exhibits were over three thousand years old.
That's all for now, take care and catch up with you in 2008.
Hi everyone
Sorry for the delay in getting the website upated, but so
much has been going on with events, work and family that time
seems to have marched past. At the beginning of August my son
Christian and his family came to London for a few days and I had
a chance to show them the sights and also take in a football
match of my favourite team.
August would not be the same without a visit to Tuscany, and
as the weather was not so hot we did some sightseeing......
and plenty of feasting on Italian fare!....
and to round off the day - surprise, surprise...
On our return to England we had a busy weekend taking in two
events. The first was at a store called 10th Planet which was
hosting a Dr. Who signing, and it was great to meet up with
Donald Pelmear again after so many years - some of you may
remember he played the part of Professor Rubeish in 'The Time
Warrior'.
By four o'clock we were on our way to Coventry to attend the
reunion of the Sci-Fi Ball. As we were staying nearby we visited
the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and then went on to see the
amazing stained glass window in the new Cathedral.
Although it was a brief visit it was good to meet up with
everyone again.
The following weekend we took a trip down the motorway to
Bristol. It was a beautiful day and we were lucky enough to see
some hot air balloons.
We were appearing at a shop called Moss owned by Matthew and
Della. I had a wonderful welcome on my arrival and was joined by
Kenny Baker and Rusty Goffe so there would be plenty of laughs
during the day. The shop sold many different and interesting
items including a collection of Betty Boops.
At the end of September we embarked on a four week trip to
North America. Our first event was a Creation show in
Sacramento. Peter Mayhew and myself were the Star Wars guests
celebrating the 30th anniversary. Fellow guests included Marina
Sirtis from Star Trek and Barrie Ingham who has played too many
roles to mention. It was great to see Barrie again after so many
years as we had worked together a lot in the past. We joined
Peter and Angie for dinner with the 501st at the nearby Elephant
Bar restaurant.
After the show was over we stayed on for a few days before
going to the second Creation show the following weekend. It gave
us a chance to visit old Sacramento again and meet up with Troy
Carlson and his wife Shannon (we had worked with Troy at the
Californian State Fair a few years ago) and had an opportunity
to see his wonderful toystore and play with the trains.
Our next stop was Chicago for another event with Creation. We
flew via Houston, and couldn't resist this sunset shot.
In the grand ballroom of the hotel a stage had been erected
with two huge banners either side. I showed a DVD of work
spanning my 50 years as an actor. This proved very popular as it
gave a chance for fans to see the many other roles I have
played. As usual there were many fans in costume which always
gives an event the right atmosphere.
We managed to explore a little of downtown Chicago - the
weather was beautiful.
Our third event was over the border in Montreal. We were in
for a shock with the weather as we had been very spoilt with the
unseasonal warmth in the US. We got in early so had a few days
to see some of Montreal. The trees were just changing colour and
down in the old port we came upon this very beautiful scene and
also a friendly seagull.
We also had a chance to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and
were lucky enough to see the 'Gilded Bronzes of Cartoceto di
Pergola'. When discovered in June 1946 they were in 318 pieces,
and were painstakingly put together to make the four statues.
They are the only surviving gilded bronze equestrian group from
ancient Rome.
A group from the Imperial Alliance took us out to dinner and
presented me with an inscribed plaque which came with a rather
unusual box- many thanks girls and guys. I was also able to have
my photo taken with a statue of the famous ice hockey player
Maurice "Rocket" Richard - the most prolific goal-scorer of his
era. He achieved 50 goals in 50 games and a total of 500 goals
in his career - wow!
Montreal hosted the 1976 Olympics Games and one of the
buildings that was used for judo and cycling has been changed
into the 'Biodome' and contains 4 replica ecosystems found in
the Americas. We first walked into a tropical rainforest which
played havoc with the camera lens - hence no photos, but we
found some enchanting creatures who were happy to have their
photos taken.
The event took place on Saturday and Sunday. Concept 2007 was
a very interesting show as the guests were mainly authors
including David Weber, Tanya Huff and also the multi-talented
Larry Stewart who was the M.C for the weekend and kept us in
stitches! It was a very relaxed show and it was great to mix
with so many interesting people.
Thanks to Cathy Palmer-Lister and all the fans for making us
so welcome in Montreal.
The last leg of our journey was to Dallas, Texas for the
Scifi Expo 'Star Wars Fan Days' taking place in Plano. We have
many friends in Dallas and Philip Wise and his wife Anne very
kindly let us stay with them for a few days before the show.
Philip was very busy putting the final touches to his
workshop/museum to which everyone would be invited on Saturday
evening. We amused ourselves in Southlake town square which has
great shops and a very unusual collection of cows? - well this
is Texas after all. One in particular caught my eye 'Darth
Mooder' sponsored by Anne as a birthday present for Philip.
I was allowed a sneak preview of Philip's museum, and very
impressive it was.
We had a very relaxing few days before my early start at the
fan breakfast. Derryl from Hasbro was there with some very
interesting new figures that will be released soon (sorry no
photos allowed), and Steve Sansweet gave a talk about some of
the new projects in the pipeline. Official Pix had produced a
special trading card of Boba Fett exclusively for fans attending
the breakfast and another one that would be part of a set
available to all the fans.
There were many Star Wars guests attending and it was good to
see Femi and Amy again - although the female that stole the show
was surely 'Baby Leia' the whole room said Ahhhh when she
appeared.
Dave Prowse and myself did a little bit of arm wrestling
during our stage show.
On Saturday evening we all piled into a coach to visit
Philip's museum and partake in margheritas and a barbeque.
Philip had really worked hard and all the exhibits looked
wonderful.
Phew - that was a long update - covering nearly three months.
Next update will be before Christmas - Happy Thanksgiving to you
all in America and take care everyone.
- Jeremy
New Appearance Dates:
17th/18th November 2007
Boston Super Megafest 2007
Sheraton Framingham Hotel
1657 Worcester Road
Framingham
MA 01701
www.supermegafest.com
25th November 2007
Paris Jouets Collection
Porte de Champerret
75017 Paris
France
www.salonpjc.fr
Hi Everyone
Since the Star Wars weekends in Orlando we have had three
very busy shows.. The first one was the big Celebration Europe
held here in London. It was an outstanding success with the
attendance figures way and above what was expected. The venue
was brilliant standing alongside the river Thames and the
weather was perfect. One of the highlights for me was meeting up
with Stuart Freeborn who was responsible for the makeup and
special creature design on the original trilogy.
Another highlight was being able to watch Star Wars 'A New
Hope' from the comfort of our hotel room. It was shown on a huge
screen just outside the convention centre and Ian McDiarmid gave
a short address to the rather large gathering.
We had the luxury of staying at the nearest hotel and it was
great to meet up with everyone in the bar in the evening. It was
also good to see my brother Robert again, and we had a great
evening along with Mark Hamill and his wife. This was Mark's
first ever event in the UK, and the fans loved him.
The three day event was very busy and fans were very patient
considering the difficulty in moving around the arena. There was
lots to see and do, and it was good to see Jabba again, as I had
been instrumental in helping arrange his presence there from
Belgium.
Well done to Cards Inc for producing a great event.
Our next trip was four days later when we traveled to San
Francisco for a shop signing on Pier 39. We had no idea what to
expect as piers in the UK are rather strange affairs dating back
to the Victorian era. Many of them have detached themselves from
the mainland. Anyhow it was a great surprise to see Pier 39
which is an amazing collection of shops, restaurants etc. Our
first view was of a gigantic cruise ship which had docked
earlier - it looked like a massive hotel.
Brian from Antiquities had set up a small marquee with an
incredible array of Boba Fett merchandise. People were intrigued
when they saw the marquee and wondered what was going on - but
became very interested when they knew Boba was there. The 501st
were also on call and attracted a lot of attention - how they
managed to stay cool in their costumes is beyond me.
After a long day we found a wonderful restaurant on the 46th
floor of our hotel with magnificent views over the city.
En route to the Pier we were driven past the famous Lombard
Street and as tourisst we took the inevitable snapshot -
apparently it takes 15 minutes to drive from top to bottom.
Another spectacular view was of the infamous Alcatraz prison.
Brian and his wife and a few friends and staff took us to
dinner at a fish restaurant on the Pier so it was nice to relax
with everyone after the signing. On the last evening the Dented
Helmet, who I am sure you all know of presented me with a lovely
T-shirt. Thanks guys.
It was an unusual event, in an unusual setting but great fun,
and we hope to go back again next year.
On our last evening Maureen & went back to the 46th floor
restaurant to enjoy the spectacular view once again?
We had a few days off before flying to Pittsburgh and
arranged to stay up at Skywalker Ranch. Although we have visited
a few times before we had never actually stayed there. Our
apartment was wonderful and in the most perfect quiet setting.
The whole area is very beautiful, and in parts reminded us of
Tuscany with the olive groves and vineyards.
Most of the staff from Lucasfilm have now moved down to the
Presidio in San Francisco, and we went for a visit, and met up
with Lynn Hale who very kindly gave us a guided tour.
The final leg of this trip was to Steel City Con in
Pittsburgh. This was an unknown event for us, but Dominic the
organiser had done a very good job and was a pleasure to deal
with.
There were plenty of the Carida Garrison on hand for support,
and special thanks to Darryl who portrayed Boba and posed for
many photos.
There is something about Star Wars and weddings etc. This
time I was asked to announce the proposal from Joe to Tina -
luckily she accepted and the happy couple are now arranging
their nuptials.
A great event and it was good to meet up with my old mate
Felix Silla again.
Off to Italy for a break, and speak to you all next month.
Ciao
- Jeremy
8th September 2007
10th Planet
37a Vicarage Field
Barking
Essex 1G11 8DQ
UK
12.00pm - 2.00p.m.
www.tenthplanet.co.uk
15th September 2007
Star Wars Villains
Moss
278 Wells Road
Bristol
BS4 2PU
UK
www.mossltd.co.uk
28th/29th/30th September 2007
Creation's Sacramento Salute to
Star Trek, Star Wars & Battlestar:Galactica.
Doubletree Hotel Sacramento
2001 Point West Way
Sacramento
C.A.
www.creationent.com
5th/6th/7th October
Creation Salutes Star Trek, Star Wars &
Battlestar: Galactica.
Wyndham O'Hare Hotel
6810 N. Mannheim Road
Rosemont
IL.
www.creationent.com
12th/13th/14th October 2007
Con*Cept 2007
Days Hotel (Formerly Days Inn)
1005 Guy Street
Montreal
Canada
www.conceptsff.ca
20th/21st October 2007
Star Wars Fan Days
Plano Convention Center
2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway
Plano
TX
www.scifiexpo.com
Hi Everyone
Its June so it must be Disney! After the hectic three week
tour we were back at Disney, this time for a week to have a
break before the Star Wars weekends. We arrived in torrential
rain, much like English weather, but a little warmer.
What is it with ducks and swimming pools in the US?
Everywhere we seem to go ducks rule the pool!
It was wonderful to spend three days touring the parks, and
we managed to ride 'Soarin' again, and walk around the whole of
Epcot.
Another trip took us on the safari ride at Animal Kingdom.
The ride was a bit bumpy, but we did manage to get one photo in
focus.
After the safari ride we were back on terra firma, and found
this gentle creature sleeping off his lunch.
It was soon time to get ready for the Star Wars weekend. My
fellow guest was Peter Mayhew, and our host was Jay La'gaia. The
parade is always a fun time and I always feel like royalty
sitting atop a limo and waving at the crowds.
The rains held off luckily, and all the signing sessions went
ahead - I did hear that people were lining up from 3.00a.am. in
the morning to get tickets - I admire these people greatly. I
did see a lot of familiar faces which is always nice. One fan
Tim who had been with us at C4 made me a custom built guitar - I
did manage to get it home in one piece - Thanks Tim.
Jay was a very good host and our talk shows were packed. He
also did a terrific 30 minute one man show which left us wanting
to see more.
As usual the cast members at Disney have to be applauded
wearing their magnificent costumes, and this Queen Amidala
looked stunning.
A perfect week and thanks to all at Disney and the 501st for
making it a great weekend. Also thanks to Alison, our tour guide
who looked after us very well.
We could not resist these Mickey Mouse ears, and the
grandchildren will love them.
Next update will be from Celebration Europe in a few weeks
time.
Take care everyone, and thanks for visiting my website.
- Jeremy
Hi Everyone
Wow! what a busy three weeks travelling from the east coast
to the west coast and back again!. We started off our trip at
the Motorcity Con in Novi, Detroit. It had been about four years
since I was last there so it was great to see everyone again. I
was joined by Peter Mayhew and we were kept very busy for the
three days. Before the event opened I was able to get around the
hall to meet up with some friends and see some exhibits etc.
The 501st Michigan garrison had their own booth, and I tried
out my aim at Jar Jar Binks....
The 501st very kindly gave us a goody basket on our arrival
which was much appreciated. Another surprise gift was from the
father of one the 501st garrison we had met in Grand Rapids last
year. It was a beautiful handcarved Boba helmet made by Charles
Bowman. This is the second beautiful carving I have received in
the last month.
Costumes were out in force and these two caught my eye, along
with the 501st parade.
Those of you from the U.K - who does this remind you of?
Thanks Andy for allowing me to use your photo.
Now was time to gear up to the big one - Celebration IV. We
flew in a day early and had dinner with friends up at Universal
Studios.
We were staying at the luxurious Omni Hotel in downtown LA
and had great views over the city.
The hotel began to fill with Star Wars actors from all
corners of the universe. The show was about to begin. LA was
full of Star Wars fans, and everywhere I went there was someone
who called 'Hi Boba' - in the bus from the airport, in the Post
office, and walking along the street - Star Wars Celebration
seemed to be taking over the whole downtown area. Thursday was
exclusively for the Star Wars fan club and was one of the
busiest days. I was amazed at the amount of Boba Fett
merchandise and artwork that was displayed, and also how many 'Boba's'
there were in costume.
On the Fett theme, Daniel, Tem and myself were asked to give
an interview for G4 TV which was shown nationally.
Our favourite Elvis stormtrooper Ken was there with a few
more jewels on his belt.
The opening ceremony was held on the Friday evening, and one
of the highlights was rocketman Dan Schlund dressed as Boba
flying in. Unfortunately I missed a photo, but managed to get
one the following day when he repeated his extraordinary stunt.
I am a pez, a lego and a bronze statue among many more, and
now a US stamp - how cool is that?
I have seen many, many Bobas but never a Captain Colton
costume from Ep. 3. - so it was quite a surprise to see a female
version!
Saturday evening was taken up with a huge party put on by the
501st at the Westin Hotel - thanks all you guys.
On Sunday evening Master Replicas were holding a party at the
Jim Henson Studio - formerly the old Charlie Chaplin Studios. We
taken to the studios in a rickety old open top bus - I never
thought we would arrive in one piece! - but the driver was very
careful.
Delicious food and wine were served, and then we watched a
lightsabre competition. I was asked to be one of the judges and
it is always very difficult to judge these events as everyone is
so talented.
Unable to contemplate the rickety bus back to the hotel, a
Japanese friend of ours, Mune, kindly offered to drive us back
in the comfort of his car - thanks Mune.
One of the highlights for me was meeting up with my half
brother Roberts Watts who had been associate producer on the
early Star Wars films. Unfortunately we were both very busy, and
did not manage to spend any time together - even to take a
photo..
On our last evening Maureen & I decided to return to the
Westin Bonaventure hotel where we had eaten the first evening.
The restaurant is on the 35th floor with amazing views. Just
below the restaurant is the revolving bar where we took this
photo.
Thanks to everyone who made the trip to LA as you made it all
worthwhile - it was great to see so many people gathered to
celebrate Star Wars. Thanks also to Gen-Con and C2 Ventures who
put it all together. Mary Franklin and Steve Sansweet also
deserve thanks for all their hard work.
With the show put to bed it was time for a little relaxation
before heading to Knoxville. Luckily we have friends in Bel Air
who invited us to stay for a couple of days. On our arrival we
noticed that their swimming pool had been taken over by some
feathered friends - so much for my early morning swim?
Our friends Alan & Meredith whizzed us around Beverley Hills
to some pretty good restaurants. Ethan Dettenmaier, filmaker and
director had contacted me in London earlier this year regarding
making a film called 'Brigade' and as he lived in Hollywood it
was an ideal opportunity to meet and discuss things further -
Watch this space.
The final leg of our trip was to Knoxville. Again I was with
Peter Mayhew - good job we are pals as we have spent the last
three weekends together. It was a very busy show, and much of
the money raised was going to good causes. The surprise of the
weekend was a wedding. Jonathan Wollack was getting married to
Rose-Ann and instead of him wearing a normal wedding suit he
decided to tie the knot wearing a Boba Fett costume. Many of the
wedding guests were also dressed in costume. I was asked
(without Jonathan knowing) to borrow a Boba costume and surprise
him just as they were about to take their wedding vows. It was
great fun, and made the front page of the local paper plus the
TV news.
The show was great fun and the fans from Knoxville were
thrilled we had made the trip. Many thanks to the Midsouth
Garrison - you are next on my list.
Time for the long journey home, and a nice view to see us on
our way.
Off to Disney next - do you like the advertisement?
Speak to you all again soon, and have a good summer.
- Jeremy
Hi Everyone
On the bank holiday weekend we went once again to the
Leicester Space Centre - it is always an enjoyable event as the
501st do a lot of hard work to raise money for various causes.
On our arrival we were taken to the Space Centre for a special
charity dinner and a Q & A.
The event took place over three days, and all the tickets
sold out. There was a lot to see and do for the children and an
amazing display of lego which must have taken hours to
construct. On Saturday evening there was a karoake party, and I
am ashamed to say I declined the offer of a duet. Malika (from
the Space centre) sang beautifully.
Our next trip was to Valencia in Spain which is a very
beautiful city, both old and new. We took so many photographs,
but sadly cannot include all of them. I was invited by Vicente
Estrelles who owns the toystore Ficromic. We had met three years
ago at the Sitges Film Festival when I had bought two Boba Fett
busts from him.
On our arrival we visted the store and were amazed at the
amount of Star Wars merchandise he stocked, there were so many
interesting items I had never seen before.
In Spain, rather like Italy, dining is very important, and we
were taken to a wonderful restaurant called Bar Asador Remonte
where we cooked our own food on miniature BBQ's on the table.
This was great fun, but rather smokey!
The Spanish people are extremely generous and kind. I was
given a little gift by Pedro of a Boba snowstorm.
The dinner finished quite late but there was still time for a
guided tour around the Art & Science City in the new part of
Valencia. The modern architecture was breathtaking. The city
never sleeps, and although it was now after midnight there was
still an orchestra playing outdoors.
We got back to the hotel in the wee small hours, but luckily
the shop signing was not due to start until 5.00 p.m the
following day.
No rest for the wicked, and early next morning we were taken
to the Port of Valencia where the 32nd America's Cup was taking
place. The whole port was buzzing with excitement and America,
Italy, Spain and New Zealand are battling it out to win the
final. Jorge, who was our translator, joined us as my Spanish is
not what it used to be? Vicente bought us a couple of Spanish
team baseball caps.
For lunch we drove to the little town El Palmar which is in
the middle of Lake Albufera.
The highlight of the meal was the typical Spanish dish of
paella.
Back at the shop they had closed off the street to traffic
and erected a little marquee for me to await my subjects....
After the signing I was given a gift of a Boba helmet custom
made by Hector which fitted rather well.
Dinner later that evening was another sumptuous affair
lasting several hours. I was delighted to be presented with a
magnificent carving of Boba Fett. This was hand carved by
Vicente's father-in-law who is a master at his craft. This will
look great in my office.
Before we flew home we managed to meet up with a great friend
of mine Mike who I was at drama school with. We visited the
cathedral in the old town, and climbed what seemed to be a
thousand steps to get these views of the city.
Mike & Carol now live near Valencia and those of you from the
UK will remember him from the long running Oxo commercials as
well as many other TV shows.
A very memorable trip to Spain, and thanks to all the guys &
girls who helped out, and especially Vicente and his wife.
Speak to you all soon.
- Jeremy
New appearance dates:
May 18th - 20th 2007
Motor City Con
Rock Financial Showplace
46100 Grand River Avenue
Novi
MI 48374
www.motorcitycon.com
May 24th - 28th 2007
Star Wars Celebration IV
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa
Los Angeles
CA
www.starwars.com
June 1st - 3rd 2007
Adventurecon
Knoxville Convention Center
701 Henley Sstreet
Knoxville
TN 37902
www.adventurecon.com
June 15th - 17th 2007
Star Wars Weekends
Disney MGM Studios
Orlando
Florida
www.disneyworld.com
Hi Everyone
After our trip to Migennes we took a 3 week break to do much
needed decorations at home.
The next event was in Liverpool where I was a guest along
with Dave Prowse and Warwick Davis at the special exhibition
'Celebrating the Magic of Star Wars'. This took place at the
Spaceport in Wallasey.
We stayed at the Leasowe Castle Hotel which was originally
built in 1593 by the 5th Earl of Derby (second in line to the
English throne). Over the years it has been transformed with
extra towers, wings, turrets and outbuildings added. One room -
The Star Chamber - has a beautiful decorated ceiling that was
transported to the Castle from the Court of Westminster. It is
so called as the ceiling is decorated with bright stars so that
the convicts could gaze up at them when being sentenced! It
became a hotel in 1891.
On our arrival we were served tea and cakes in the Star
Chamber and met up with local M.P.Angela Eagle.
It was a two day event and money was raised for the charity
NACCPO which is for children. The weather was ideal and many
people arrived on the Mersey ferry across from Liverpool. It was
extremely successful and families really enjoyed the weekend and
a good time was had by all.
The following Sunday we went to Newport, Wales which is
usually a very busy show, but maybe because it was Easter the
attendance was a little disappointing, but it is always good to
see the fans who do turn up.
It was then off to Trondheim in Norway - my last visit to
Norway was way back in 1973 when I was filming an army
documentary.
I had been invited to attend various events during my stay.
On Friday I went to the local shopping mall for a charity event
with the 501st. When we arrived it was a bit chaotic with
hundreds of people waiting for Boba.
On Saturday I went along to Avalon (a toy and gaming shop)
for a signing where I met up with the famous Norwegian
cartoonist Mads Eriksen who happens to be a huge Star Wars fan
and also also a member of the 501st.
That afternoon we went along to St. Olavs hospital which
treats only women and children. We were there to present the
hospital with a certificate showing the amount of money raised
by the 501st and also to see some of the children. This proved
rather difficult as most of them had gone home for the weekend -
proving just how good the treatment is at the hospital.
We then toured the students union of the Norwegian University
of Science & Technology. This is an amazing building containing
numerous bars and restaurants and a superb library - a great
place for a relaxing interview.
Finally I attended a 'Tribute to Star Wars' in the Grand Hall
of the Student Society. I was very honoured to have been invited
to speak in the Great Hall as previous guests had included the
Norwegian Foreign Minister and Hans Blix winner of the Nobel
Peace Prize in 2004. The evening was a tribute to 30 years of
Star Wars, and started off with the Students Union Symphony
Orchestra playing John Williams familiar Star Wars themes. It
never ceases to bring a tear to my eye when I hear the 'Imperial
March'
I was guest speaker along with Mads Eriksen, and local
politician Snorre Valen. Snorre gave a very amusing speech and
very kindly printed it out for me in English - or I wouldn't
have understood a word!. The students drama department put on a
brilliant parody of Star Wars. It was a wonderful weekend and I
was astounded to get a standing ovation after my talk (this had
only happened once before when the Norwegian Foreign Minister
appeared). The force was certainly strong in Trondheim that
weekend. Many, many thanks to Jon and Edina for arranging and
making this trip so memorable.
On Sunday our fllight was not until the afternoon, so we had
a little time to explore and visited the magnificent Nidaros
Cathedral. Construction started on this in 1070.
Photos of Cathedrals are now running a close second to
sunsets!!
On the way to the airport there was just time enough for me
to give my David Attenborough impersonation - note the Cathedral
in the background.
Off to sunny Spain next week, and speak to you all soon.
- Jeremy
New appearance dates:
5th/6th/7th/May 2007
National Space Centre
Exploration Drive
Leicester
LE4 5NS
National Space Centre
New appearance dates:
31st March/1st April 2007
Spaceport
Liverpool
U.K.
www.spaceport.org.uk
Hi Everyone
The months are slipping by, and I can't believe its already
March, and daffodils are beginning to bloom.
February and it was time to visit the 13th SFBall in
Bournemouth. This is largely a Star Trek show, but our dear
departed friend Michael Sheard was a popular guest every year.
and I have been asked to carry on the tradition of raising money
for charity. Guests this year included fellow Star Wars actor
Jerome Blake, Elizabeth Sladen from Dr. Who, Garrett Wang and
Mira Furlan from Star Trek.
On Saturday evening the Ball was themed from 'Pirates of the
Carribean', and there were many fabulous costumes - I played
safe and wore a DJ and a Michael Sheard bowtie!
A few days later Maureen & I flew to Metropolis City, and
what a journey that turned out to be via Chicago, Memphis,
Paducah and finally a drive to Metropolis City. And to top it
all our luggage went off in another direction......It was minus
17 degrees when we arrived, but soon warmed up over the weekend.
Friday was my birthday, and many thanks to all of you who sent
birthday greetings. In the evening we went to a media gathering
and I was presented with a birthday cake which was delicious and
demolished by everyone in a few minutes.
On Saturday, at the event I was presented with another huge
cake by the Paducah Imperials.
I hadn't realised that the home of Superman was actually a
real place. A few minutes walk from the hotel and there he was
larger than life. Moments later Metropolis was hit by a
snowstorm.
Sarah Douglas who played Ursa from the Superman films was
also a guest . Although Metropolis has many Superman events this
was the first time a show of this kind had been done. Many
thanks to Tim Gardner and all his colleagues for making it a
memorable trip.
Arrived home on Tuesday morning, and set off again Friday -
this time by Eurostar to Migennes in France. Migennes is a two
hour drive south of Paris, and situated in the wine region of
Chablis. Despite our long journey we were taken to a new
restaurant in nearby Cezy called Le Bistingo. It was French food
at its best, and the chef and his wife made us very welcome.
It was the first time I had met Antonio who portrayed Huggy
Bear in 'Starsky & Hutch' and what a delight he was.
The following morning we were taken to a vineyard at Maligny
for some wine tasting - a bit early! We were given a thorough
tour of the Domaine Yvon Vocoret winery, and managed to taste
some six or so vintage chablis' without falling over...
On our back to Migennes we passed through the very pretty
village of Ligny Le Ch?tel.
It was a two day show, and the French 501st arrived in
strength, and one of the props was a rather well-made skiff put
together by the Star Alliance Rhone Squadron.
We were wined and dined, and attended a buffet for over 200
fans on Saturday night. The whole event was very well attended,
and it was great to meet up with fans from all over France.
Merci beaucoup mes amies - we had a great time.
Speak to you all next month with more tales of the
unexpected.
Boba
New appearance dates:
10th/11th February 2007
SF Ball
The Carrington House Hotel
27-31 Knyveton Road
Bournemouth
Dorset BH1 3QQ
www.sfball.com
17th/18th February 2007
The Metropolis Sci-Fi, Comic & Toy Convention
Amerihost Theatre
203 East Front
Metropolis
IL 62960
www.metropolisshow.com
24th/25th February 2007
Jouets Cin? TV Collector
Avenue de l'Europe
89400 MIGENNES
FRANCE
www.jouetscinetvbdcollector.com
Happy New Year to you all
I hope you are all looking forward to an exciting year with
the 30th anniversary of Star Wars. We spent a quiet and peaceful
Christmas at home with our son Robbie and family, we had already
travelled to Ireland to see our eldest son Christian et al the
week before Christmas. For New Year we were off to Tuscany to
spend some time with Jamie and his family. Tuscany is beautiful
all year round, and especially in winter where you can get a
clearer view of the island of Elba.
One of our trips this time was to the Renaissance town of
Pienza, birthplace of Pope Pius II. The magnificent cathedral is
built on the edge of the hillside, and has wonderful views over
the Orcia valley. Just outside the city is the old parish church
of Corsignano which dates back to the 11th century.
We had a delicious lunch in the town of Monticchiello which
also has wonderful views.
On our journey back we visited the ancient abbey of
San'Antimo which dates back to the 12th century.
On our last day we had a couple of hours in Pisa before our
flight, and went to visit the famous tower which was leaning
somewhat.
Oops - nearly forgot there was another boring sunset in
Tuscany!
On my return I was invited to attend the Toyfair at Excel in
London. I was on the Master Replicas stand where I met some very
odd friends of mine.
Speak to you all soon.
Boba
2006 news archive >
