T here was a time when the only chance a film fan ever had of meeting their idols was to bump into them in the street, very unlikely, or by hanging around stage doors in the hope of a fleeting glimpse or an autograph. Not now. The last ten or so years have seen the growth of fan based film conventions in the UK. One of the largest and certainly well known is Memorabilia.

The most recent event was held at the NEC in Birmingham. I was eager to attend this as it promised more than a few of my boyhood heroes all relating to the glory days of Hammer/Brit Horror. So, armed with a multitude of stills from the Horor Unlimited image gallery and a few copies of Diabolique I headed off to meet and greet the stars.

I arrived at 11:00 with my daughter and her boyfriend and was surprised to see it so busy. Considering the current economic climate it was very encouraging to see such a large turnout.

After a quick recon of the arena I made my way to the first lady of Hammer Horror, Barbara Shelley. I had met Barbara a few times and was delighted that she remembered me. After a quick chat I showed her the collection of stills I had brought as a gift. She was overwhelmed and relished browsing the assorted images. Her memory is still as sharp as ever as she was able to tell me who the photographer was on many of the stills. She then flicked through the Vincent Price issue of Diabolique and commented on what a charming man Vincent was.

"Would you like a photo?" She asked. "Of course I would" Came my reply.

Barbara then lunged forward vampire style and went straight for my jugular. Fortunately she stopped short of drawing blood but it made for a great picture.

Martine Beswick was next and again as with all of the Hammer ladies she could not have been more charming. Her laugh is infectious as is her naughty sense of humour. She told me how she had been up for the part of Cruela De Ville in 101 Dalmatians. How I would have LOVED to have seen that version.

Seated close to Martine was someone whom I had met at Bray studios in 1999 and had been hoping to meet again ever since. The gorgeous Veronica Carlson.

I had brought some photos from that event 12 years ago for her and she got quite emotional looking at them. "So many of the original Hammer family have left us now" She said. I found it hard to reply so swiftly got onto the subject of her hair which was looking amazing. I know ! talk about a gear change but it did the trick. Veronica was smiling again. We chatted some more and I showed her a copy of Diabolique. As with Barbara she had nothing but good things to say about "Dear old Vincent."

I had wondered how busy the Hammer Glamour crew would be as this was not a specialised convention. It covered a wide range from British sitcoms to American Sci Fi but I needn’t have worried the fans kept coming all through the day.

After a quick refreshment I literally bumped into Caroline Munro who was away from her signing table talking with her daughter. I have met Caroline many times and she gave both me and my daughter a hug as soon as she saw us. I took the opportunity to hand her the stills I had brought. She loved looking at them and began passing them to her daughter and some of the Games Of Thrones cast. After much oohs and ahs Caroline’s daughter tucked them away for safe keeping. Out of all the attendees including Bruce Boxleitner and Sir Derek Jacobi I would have to say Caroline’s table was the busiest. It’s a testament to her appeal that fans queued all day for the chance of a photo and an autograph. Then again It helps when the star is someone so naturally sweet and friendly as Caroline.

One of Hammers most glamorous stars was also present, Vera Day. Facebook savvy Vera recognised me from The Hammer Lovers page which I started. As we talked and posed for photos I couldn’t resist and leaned in for a kiss. The resulting photo just shows that old school glamour never fades. She looks amazing.

Ian Ogilvy was in attendance as was his car from Return Of the Saint. Talk about boyhood fantasies. I told him that I preferred his Simon Templar to Roger Moore and I meant it but I really wanted to talk horror. His eyes lit up when I mentioned Karloff , Price and Cushing. He had a wide variety of stills to choose from and I had to go for my favourites From Beyond The Grave and Witchfinder General. There were as many women of a certain age waiting for Ian's autograph as there were male horror fans. He obviously hasn’t lost his heartthrob status.

The only slight disappointment of the day was the proposed Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter Reunion. For various reasons only half of the attendees were present but the fact that they were so approachable and accommodating more than made up for it.

Wanda Ventham, Lois Daine, Anthony Valentine and all the other Brithorror celebs seemed to enjoy the day as much as the fans did. Unlike many so called big names they really appreciate the attention and are only too willing to have a chat. Even when the day reached it’s busiest point it never felt like you were being rushed. Just as well when the prices were what they were but that’s down to the organisers, not the stars.

I prefer more intimate get-togethers such as those organised by Don Fearney in London but as far as large events go, this was a lot of fun. Meeting those whom you’ve admired on the screen for many years is a thrill that I never tire of. It’s also a huge bonus that, without exception, they make you feel so welcome. It wasn’t until I was relaxing in my hotel room later that night that I realised how tiring the day had been. A mixture of fun and adrenaline I guess but it’s worth every minute.

I’m already looking forward to the next time.

by Matt Gemmell Robertson

Happily married with children and dogs, Matt is a huge movie buff with a particular fondness for horror films and especially those from Hammer studios.
Email Matt at: matt@mattgemmell.fre eserve.co.uk