DW Symphonic Spectacular - Birmingham 26.05.15

Finally getting around to doing this blog post, sorry it's taken so long.
As usual I got a bus to Manchester then a megabus to Birmingham, a little late because of traffic but I got the earliest bus anyways. Birmingham was even worse than google maps shown it to be and I ended up just reading a book to pass the time. The train station was not like one I'd ever seen, was hard to find the toilets or anything.

The event itself, I befriended a person and helped them get there before meeting with a friend there. It was simple enough to get there with help from google maps beforehand.
Merchandise was very pricey but it is the bbc and doctor who after all. Queueing was awful, parents with children kept trying to push in, their wasn't a clear queue, just alot mixed up and I was behind a group when a family decided to go right next to us so inbetween two queues and tried to push infront of me, even hearing at one point the mother telling the child to slide in. I pushed them out the way to be served first however, completely rude and uncalled for. I bought a Peter Capaldi attack eyebrows tour shirt for £25 and wristband for £5. Then we noticed how was another merchandise area upstairs unused, pft. So the hard part next was finding the seats, as I wasn't next to my friend, decided to risk it and see if anyone would ask to move us since last time I was in birmingham, people sat anywhere. Eventually had to move and was on a row all by myself. However after the break, friend sat with me and suddenly was a few more people around who most likely moved closer due to the height of the place and to see better. Either alot cancelled or someone didn't think to start from the low to the top for the higher cheaper seats.

Peter Davidson was hosting this event and his comic timing was amazing, especially with the conductor; Ben Foster. I have to admit when it started, it felt too fast. It got straight into it. I believe it would of made it better to play the actual doctor who theme at the start, however I think having that at the end did work also as it summed it all up, but it just felt a little odd, maybe could of been done twice? Also Murray Gold was in audience, right in the centre, conviently a spotlight showing on him when mentioned.

List of songs (some in order):  A good man, Listen, Time heist, Robin Hood, Mummy on orient express. Then the companions which shown Rose, Martha, Donna and Amy. The ninth doctor theme aswell as going into showing the tenth doctor. We then had song of freedom, the daleks which included as typical in the doctor who proms the daleks taking over the arena. The pandorica suite which focuses on soundtracks in the two finales, christmas carol, this is galifrey, impossible girl, death in heaven suite (Misssyyyy!!), vale decem and the Doctor Who theme (where we got to see the conductor in the fifth doctor's coat.)

 Pandorica Suite

In general most if not all of my ultimate favourites was played at this. The females vocals was just stunning and I was so glad she was there, I was hoping for this and I got everything I wanted and more. It's so hard to pick a favourite between them but I have to admit I was so happy to hear the eleventh doctor theme playing. Most my favourite soundtracks come from his era. I have to admit I had a better viewing experience after the break, I thought it started far too quickly to get into and I was already a little out of my comfort zone being on my own on the row and how Birmingham was for me so far.

I had enough time to catch the megabus after the event which for some reason a stagecoach came. I wouldn't of minded if they did the usual state what time their bus was for and maybe even which direction they was going but they did neither and they had the most horrible attitude. Very sarcastic when I asked on behalf of alot of others there, well excuse me then, maybe customer service isn't stagecoaches best point.

In the end I loved the event, I just wish they did one in Manchester so I would of enjoyed it 100%. Great viewing experience even for the cheaper seats. After all I wanted to focus more on the music anyways as a big lover of soundtracks and of course Doctor who. I took some photos but I had a camera phone (did see someone with a camera which pretty sure it said only camera phones allowed and he was with a family, not really fair. Must of snuck it in.) and videos which will be uploaded onto this when available and some will be able to be seen on facebook.

Huddersfield Majikkon 2015

Huddersfield Majikkon. It's fair to say I was extremely looking forward to this event because I loved it last year. Sadly more bad luck struck this year as my father fell ill from a bug going around at work, passing it onto my brother and some onto me. The day came and I was unsure what would happen, if I was to take the bus and if I should go in cosplay also if I would feel more worse. Alas he did take us in the end so I could go in cosplay. Everything was going swell, wasn't rushed and got everything done. Then soon as got out of the car for the event, the beard for my Aku Aku mask fell of and we couldn't go inside early like last year so was left queueing in the freezing windy cold! Brrrrrr!  I put the mask in my bag only to discover the eyebrow fell of later aswell. Waiting outside, a queue did sort of form eventually  and we had the most annoying people infront of us. One male had so much room infront of himself yet kept backing up into my brother who was more ill. Rude much? (I did keep moving on the spot but made sure it was in the side ways direction not in anyones way to bug them.) So that started the day of badly and some girl in his friend group I think kept walking into everyone and nearly crushing my bag when I was trying to sort something out. But you do get some ignorant people at times anywhere you go. It was so freezing queueing but this is what gotta do for other conventions and it made sure we was right near the front.



I met up with various friends throughout the day which consisted of Jodie, Shaunie, Michelle and Tim. Who also brought some of their friends along and mainly stayed with Shaunie and Tim throughout the day but met with the others whenever saw them.

I met up with my friend Jellie Bee first and enjoyed spending some time speaking to her which I normally can't do cause the hustle and bustle and wanting to get out of people's way. But I managed to do two lengthy conversations throughout the day with her. (Doctor who *whispers*) But yes I got two sticker packs of her; zelda and game control stickers, pikachu badge and a studio ghibli zodiac poster. I also bought some more badges from another stall and I would of bought more before I told myself not to, since I'm a serious badge collector.. But I do nothing with them! I also bought a beautiful flower crown from a lolita stall.

(Jellie Bee)

The sumo wrestling idea was brilliant and hilarious, got Tim and Josh fighting on camera and will hopefully be making a funny video of that at some point to put here. I didn't get to go the maid cafe but apparantly we couldn't take photos anyways... So nothing much missed there. I sadly forgot all about the gaming room and noticed they had tekken tournaments which I regretted. When finally remembered, it was far too crowded to get into to.

It wouldn't be a convention without my wig and something going wrong. Which although I spent a good hour facepainting my face, a bald spot at the top shown on the pictures and my wig kept falling to the side. I had never had this problem on test runs so fair to say I was disapointed but luckily I know the clone stamp on photoshop and have been using it to correct errors on my photos. I also had to use it for cosplayers at times cause of the wind. So it's a handy tool to have. Fair to say I was gutted that my prop started to fall apart cause it was literally something I was very much proud of cause I'm not good at making things. But these things happen and everyone was lovely about it and still made me feel good. Which enabled me to turn it into a joke in the end.

I didn't expect the amount of photographers to ask me for a photo, last year it was mainly the photography volunteers, didn't see many of them this year around except for the morning sadly. But wow. I also had a professional photoshoot with forecast and A shot in the dark (which I won along with a harley quinn cushion and on the day got a charmanda one too yay!) Other photographers I met on the day were food and cosplay (which I love his photos so I felt really happy about that) and Starwind photography (who I also knew!) also Tim Brockley (who attends meets and who I know from previous conventions). As you can imagine, I was pleased photographers I knew about were coming to me and made me feel a little better about being there in cosplay. I also had a few people take photos who was volunteers and convention goers like me. (Will upload some of the photos of me as I recieve them.)

Funnily enough the most photos I got was of my friend who was Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul and the fact I got a photoshoot with another person next week cosplaying the same, amuses me. But also frightens me to make sure to get the photos even better. Which will be a challenge considering one of my photos I took is my favourite to date. Did some meme shots with Sherlock (who I met in the first year of the convention) and some more new people who came with my friends. Regret not getting more pictures inside but my flash wasn't working inside the convention like I got it for.

 (Ken Kaneki, Tokyo Ghoul)

 (Harley & Sherlock, Batman and Sherlock BBC)

Finally, I am really gutted I was not my usual hyper self for the day, but I guess it made me more tame with everyone. I loved the new layout for the main convention room but I found the stage area to be too loud, I personally thought it might of just been me because I was ill but found out some stall holders were leaving cause the noise to calm their head and also some stall holders had their hands on their ears. Maybe it could be quieter next year like the previous year? Or maybe move the stage to another room. I don't know, maybe bad idea but the noise kept me from staying in that hall for too long and spent much time outside. I will be hoping to attend next year cause it's one of my favourite conventions especially for cosplaying. I definately think it's a conventions you can go to with lots of friend's and manage to see them all, unlike other conventions. Everyone works so hard to put this convention together *takes hat of to them* and I hope their convention continues to grow.

 (Goku, Dragon ball Z)

  (Chi chi (with Gohan cut out prop), Dragon ball Z)