Fanderson convention: 2019

Posted on 24th September 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

20th to 22nd September 2019
Holiday Inn, Maidenhead

Fanderson presents a full weekend event celebrating 50 years of UFO, Doppelgänger, The Secret Service and the productions of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

• Guest appearances • Rare screenings • Model, puppet, costume & artwork displays • Games • Exclusive merchandise • Workshops • Evening entertainment •
And much more…

Autumn 1969: principal photography was underway on UFO at MGM Borehamwood Studios, Universal Pictures was readying Doppelgänger for its theatrical release and on 21st September the last Supermarionation series – The Secret Service – would receive its broadcast premiere on ATV in the Midlands.

Fifty years on, and fans of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s iconic creations will be celebrating this and more – including their other amazing visions of the future Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Space:1999 – at Supercelebration, Fanderson’s convention for 2019. For convention details and the latest updates, keep an eye on www.fanderson.org.uk.

THE PROGRAMME

Join us at Supercelebration – Fanderson’s weekend of events celebrating 50 years of UFO, Doppelgänger, The Secret Service and more. Catch up with old friends and make new ones; hear from the people who made our favourite programmes; add to your autograph collection; marvel at original and studio-standard replica models, puppets and costumes; get into the nitty-gritty in our interactive workshops; browse our gallery of stunning artwork; catch an episode or two, or rare screenings. And be ready to transport all the goodies you’ll be taking home from Fanderson Sales and our traders.

The weekend will include a sparkling celebratory reception, but you’ll need a clear head to take in all there is to see and do in a packed convention. Find time to recharge your batteries for our Saturday night Supercelebration disco.

Paul Weston at Fanderson's Special Assignment convention

The full schedule won’t be confirmed until much closer to the weekend itself, but the outline is:

Friday 20th September 2019 – 15:00 registrations and traders’ room opens, 19:00 sparkling reception, 19:30-22:00 evening entertainment
Saturday 21st September 2019 – 08:00 registrations opens, 09:00 opening ceremony, 18:00 temporary closure to allow rooms to be re-set, 20:00-00:00 SUPERCELEBRATION disco
Sunday 22nd September 2019 – 09:00 registrations re-opens, 09:30 opening ceremony, 18:00 closing ceremony

The Supercelebration disco will be full of the very best music, and the best Anderson characters as we’re hoping everyone will get into the spirit with an Anderson-themed fancy dress outfit. All we ask is that your costume isn’t an off-the shelf number, and that you’ve not worn it at a Fanderson event before. We’ll have prizes for the best costumes.

THE GUESTS

We’re inviting a long list of guests from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions to join you at Supercelebration.

Guests so far confirmed:

THE CHARITY

Fanderson has a great track record of raising funds for charities including The Alzheimer’s Society, BBC Children In Need, Breast Cancer Care, Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. Macmillan Cancer Support, Terrence Higgins Trust, Guide Dogs For The Blind and Diabetes UK.

We’re asking everyone who books a place (or supporting package) at Supercelebration before 1st June 2019 to let us know the charity that they would like us to consider as the convention charity. Put your preference in the ‘special instructions’ box when you checkout on our website, or in the appropriate box on the PDF booking form.

AUCTION/RAFFLE

We’ll have lots of goodies in our live auctions, silent auctions and raffles during the weekend. No matter your budget, everyone will have the chance to leave Supercelebration with something very special, and raise important funds for our convention charity.

THE VENUE

The popular Holiday Inn, Maidenhead is once again our venue for Supercelebration, following excellent feedback from our The Future Is Fantastic! event in 2015 and Special Assignment in 2017. Reservations can be made from 5th October. It’s set in a residential area one mile from Maidenhead town centre and has a complimentary car park for residents. The health club includes a large swimming pool, children’s pool, whirlpool, sauna, steam room and two gyms. The restaurant serves seasonal dishes as well as classics like steak and pasta, and there’s 24-hour room service. There is also a very large open plan cocktail bar that serves bar snack meals and is great for socialising.

The hotel is a short drive from AP Films, Century 21 and Pinewood Studios and a vast array of filming locations nearby:

3.6 miles/12 minutes to Islet Park
6 miles/12 minutes to Bath Road (AP Films)
6.6 miles/13 minutes to Stirling Road (Century 21)
12.1 miles/23 minutes to Pinewood Studios

The hotel has good transport connections to Heathrow, London, the West, the Midlands and the motorway network:

1 mile (3 minutes) to M4
9 miles (13 minutes) to M40
12 miles (14 minutes) to M25
taxi from London Heathrow: 25 minutes/£35 one-way approximately
taxi from London Gatwick: 1 hour/£60 one-way approximately
train from London Paddington to Maidenhead: 37-47 minutes/from £11.10 one-way
taxi from Maidenhead railway station: four minutes/£4 one-way approximately
Rooms at the Holiday Inn are available to delegates at the special rate of £100 per standard double room/per night (bed and breakfast) whether for single or double occupancy. Just call 01628 506070 in normal office hours (9:00-17:00 Monday to Friday) and quote the reference ‘Fanderson’.

Alternative hotels in the area:

Crowne Plaza, Marlow – www.cpmarlow.co.uk, 01628 496800
The Thames Riviera Hotel – www.thamesriviera.com, 01628 674057
Travelodge Hotel, Maidenhead Central – www.travelodge.co.uk, 0871 984 6456
Premier Inn – www.premier inn.com, 0871 527 9520
Kingswood Hotel & Gandhi Restaurant – 01628 633598
Taplow House Hotel – www.taplowhouse.com, 01628 670056
Fredrick’s Hotel, Restaurant and Spa – www.fredricks-hotel.co.uk, 01628 581000

PRICES

As a fan-organised event, the earlier everyone books for Supercelebration, the earlier we know how extravagant we can be in staging the show.

Tickets start at just £55 per person for one day, or £90 for the whole weekend. We’ve managed to keep the price the same as our Special Assignment convention in 2017 because we’re a fan club and no-one is taking a salary. Every penny you pay for your place goes into staging the event. Ticket prices will rise on 1st January 2019.

Book your place(s) online now or, if you’d prefer to pay by UK cheque or postal order, print and complete the registration form and return it to us with your payment.

MEMBER TICKETS

Saturday only £65 – Add to Basket

Sunday only £65 – Add to Basket

Full weekend £110 – Add to Basket

NON-MEMBER TICKETS

If you’re not already a Fanderson member (even if you’re coming along with a Fanderson member) you must apply for a trial member’s place at Supercelebration, which includes a sample membership at a special price of £10. This will start when you arrive at the convention and run until 31st December 2019. It will include the latest issue of the club’s FAB magazine, membership badge, enable you to buy our merchandise at the convention at special prices, access our full range of merchandise online and access to the members’ area of the Fanderson Forum.

Saturday only £75 – Add to Basket

Sunday only £75 – Add to Basket

Full weekend £120 – Add to Basket

Not able to be with us in person?

If you’re not able to join us at Supercelebration but would still like to support the event, you can buy a Supporting place. You’ll be supporting our convention charity and we’ll send you a full convention pack straight
after the event.

UK £10 – Add to Basket

Europe £12.50 – Add to Basket

Rest of the world £15 – Add to Basket

Traders tickets

If you’re a trader or licensee who’d like the opportunity to sell your merchandise to fans of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s work (or even a club member who wants some of your collection to go to a good home) you can buy tables in our Supercelebration Traders’ Room. Each table is approximately 1m x 2m and permits one person to attend that table (so, for two people at your table, you’ll need to buy two tables etc). A Trader’s table doesn’t give you access to the main convention areas.

Saturday only £65 – Add to Basket

Sunday only £65 – Add to Basket

Full weekend £110 – Add to Basket

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Supercelebration is being staged by Fanderson. The world’s only official Gerry and Sylvia Anderson appreciation society, Fanderson is endorsed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment, Anderson Entertainment, Gerry Anderson Productions, ITC Entertainment Group and the family of Sylvia Anderson. Based in the UK, with over 1,300 members worldwide and run by a small unpaid committee of fans, Fanderson was formed in 1981 from several small clubs at the request of ITC Entertainment and Gerry Anderson, so that they could support a single independent fan body for all Anderson productions.

As a club, we can only sell merchandise to club members, which enables us to keep costs down and direct all our funds into our products and services. No-one running Fanderson takes a salary, ‘mutual trading’ with our members means we’re exempt from certain taxes that would inflate our prices, and copyright holders are often willing to forego the expensive merchandise licences that commercial companies have to buy. And, because we’re fellow fans like you, we aim to get the little details right. Join us at www.fanderson.org.uk

This information was correct at the time of going to press, but does not constitute a contract to supply any of the attractions mentioned, nor a definitive timetable. Convention images are from previous Fanderson events and do not necessarily represent everything you’ll be enjoying at Fanderson’s Supercelebration.

By booking any places at Supercelebration, you are agreeing to the below, in addition to Fanderson’s standard terms and conditions on the Fanderson Forum.

All payments are non-refundable.
You’ll automatically receive confirmation of your order if you book online at www.fanderson.org.uk, or by e-mail if you use this form and include your e-mail address. If you’d prefer us to send a hard-copy acknowledgement of your order, please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope with your completed form.
It is your responsibility to book and pay for your own accommodation and any associated costs, or to pay any cancellation costs due to your failure to attend the event.
The convention committee and/or the hotel reserve the right to decline registration for any reason whatsoever and, should your application for registration be declined, any registration fees that you have paid will be refunded in full.
The convention is not suitable for children under 5 years of age
Any children in your party are your sole responsibility for the duration of the convention, and that the organisers will not make any special arrangements for children of any age.
The organisers will make every effort to provide you with the contents of the programme of events as described, but changes to the programme may be implemented at the organisers’ discretion due to unforeseen circumstances that may arise nearer the date of the event.
The organisers cannot control the taking of personal photographs and/or video footage which includes delegates at Supercelebration, and by booking a place at Supercelebration delegates consent to such photographs and/or footage being used to promote Fanderson and/or its products and services.

Ray Harryhausen book signing and film screening in London

Posted on 6th September 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

Anderson fans will be interested to know that legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen will be celebrated in a twin event on Saturday 8th September in London.

Writer and broadcaster Richard Holliss will be signing the newly released Harryhausen The Movie Posters Book at Forbidden Planet Megastore in London from 12.30pm – 1.30pm.

This will be followed at 3pm by a special 4K screening of Harryhausen’s classic 1964 movie First Men in the Moon, starring Edward Judd, Martha Hyer and Lionel Jeffries at The Regent Street Cinema – London’s oldest Cinema. The film will be presented by Harryhausen Trustee and filmmaker John Walsh.

Uber-fans may know that Ian Scoones, Special effect director on Thunderbirds, worked under Harryhausen during his career – not that you’d need any excuse to attend these great events!

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation to help with the delicate and on-going restoration programme for the creature collection.

Ray Harryhausen with medusa

Find out more about the book signing at The Forbidden Planet website
Tickets for the screening can be purchased from the Regent Street Cinema

Photo credits: Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation

NOW ON SALE! Fanderson’s Doppelgänger Soundtrack Album

Posted on 23rd June 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

Doppelganger soundtrack CD UPDATE: Fanderson’s long-awaited album of Barry Gray’s stunning soundtrack to Gerry Anderson’s Doppelgänger is now available to buy online! Go to:

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/fansales/fansale.html#CD

Yesterday the CD had its world premiere at the UFO convention, SHADO Con 2, and now it’s the turn of all other Fanderson members to get their hands on this stunning release.

The 77-minute CD album contains Barry Gray’s complete stereo score for Doppelgänger (AKA Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun), performed by a 55-piece orchestra with Sylvette Allart on the Ondes Martenot. Composed and recorded for an initial edit of the film, including scenes that were ultimately trimmed from the final cut, it includes cues composed for those scenes that have never been heard before outside the studio.

This is accompanied by a corresponding assembly of mono cues, arranged exactly as heard on screen.

A bonus track included is Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima by Krzysztof Penderecki, a short section of which replaced part of Gray’s composition in the final edit of the film – the only piece of library music used.

This latest addition to the critically-acclaimed Fanderson soundtrack library is completed by a 20-page full colour booklet.

Fanderson members had their first chance be able to buy their Doppelgänger soundtrack at SHADO Con 2, which took place on Saturday 30th June 2018 at Quad, Derby. You can find out more details of the event here.

It now goes on sale from the club website today – 1st July 2018 – the 50th anniversary of the start of principal photography on the feature film.

The Doppelgänger soundtrack is a limited edition release and, like all of Fanderson’s merchandise, is available exclusively to Fanderson club members.

Take a look at Fanderson’s library of amazing soundtrack albums.

ITV launches live interactive Thunderbirds experience

Posted on 25th April 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson members have been given first access to an amazing new live interactive Thunderbirds theatrical event taking place in London later this year. Thunderbirds: Beyond the Horizon will be hosted at The Buzz at Mercato Metropolitano, from Wednesday 7 November 2018. Tickets go on general sale from Thursday 26 April, but Fanderson members can book from today, Wednesday 25 April, at https://www.beyondthunderbirds.com/presale-access

Thunderbirds: Beyond the Horizon is a collaboration between Limelight Productions, ebp (Emma Brunjes Productions) and ITV Studios.

Richard Lewis from Limelight Productions said today, “Three years ago, I began a journey with ITV which will culminate this autumn in the opportunity to experience the world of International Rescue. My ambition has always been to have our audience experience the visceral feeling of being rescued by a Thunderbird. It’s not an easy task, so much so that we have had to build our own venue in London to do so!”

Emma Brunjes and Ralph Brunjes from ebp said today, “All our immersive productions have been technically and creatively complicated and encourage you to escape, but this one offers us the chance to push the boundaries even further.”

The Buzz at Mercato Metropolitano in Borough, London is the first venue of its kind, and has been specifically built with immersive and event theatre in mind.

The format of the show sees Lady Penelope inviting audience members to the launch of The Horizon Project at a top-secret location. But all is not as it seems, and the audience will need to help International Rescue to save the Horizon Project from the evil clutches of the Hood.

We can’t wait for the show to start! Thunderbirds are go!

Jeremy Wilkin has died

Posted on 29th January 2018 by 1266 Nick Williams

We are saddened to hear that Jeremy Wilkin, the voice of Virgil Tracy and many other Anderson productions, has died.

Jeremy replaced David Holliday as the pilot of Thunderbird 2 for the second series, voicing Virgil in all six episodes as well as both feature films. Following this, he voiced a host of voices in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe:90 and The Secret service. He also had an uncredited appearance in Doppelgänger before being cast in UFO as the SkyDiver crew member Lieutenant Gordon Maxwell. Besides Anderson productions, Jeremy is fondly remembered for contributions to other iconic series and films, including Doctor Who (Revenge of the Cybermen), Blake’s 7 and the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me.

Jeremy became a regular attendee at Fanderson conventions alongside his fellow Tracy brother voice artists.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends. An obituary will be appearing in FAB 88.

Fanderson brings fans together for a very special assignment

Posted on 14th October 2017 by 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson staged its first convention in two years at the Holiday Inn Maidenhead over the weekend of 29th September – 1st October. Special Assignment was designed to mark the 50th anniversary of the Andersons’ iconic Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, but as an event it turned out to be so much more than a homage to a single show.

A Golden Shot at a golden anniversary

captain-scarlet-champagne-special-assignment Special Assignment started with a bang on Friday night, as guests assembled for a bucks fizz reception at 8pm, with bottles featuring specially designed Captain Scarlet commemorative labels. After a toast to the series, fans settled down to a screening of the first episode, The Mysterons, first shown on ATV 50 years ago to the day, in the ‘Cloudbase Theatre’ (a.k.a the main features room).

the-golden-shot-special-assignment

Fans were then treated to a surprise re-creation of the Captain Scarlet-themed episode of The Golden Shot game show that aired back in 1968, complete with faithful replicas of the original targets. The competition was enthusiastically compered by Fanderson co-editor/designer Mike Jones, and prizes were on offer to anyone who wanted to prove they were a deadeye marksman with a nerf gun.

Costumes and quizzes

The evening entertainment continued on Saturday night, with the main features room reset for the traditional Fanderson hot fork buffet. Some creative souls really dressed for the occasion, and Captain Scarlet, Colonel White, Lieutenant Ellis, Tin-Tin, Lady Penelope and an Alien could be seen sitting down to dinner among the other delegates.

After the meal, Nick Williams ran a cult TV quiz that featured a round on regional TV network logos and tested powers of observation as well as trivia knowledge. Perhaps most importantly, the quiz was less fiendishly difficult than the one held at The Future Is Fantastic! in 2015. Yet another sign that the club listens to feedback! After the quiz, some fans retired to the bar into the small hours while others sloped off to bed.

The guests – old and new faces

The convention was blessed with a wide range of guests who generously have up their free time to talk about their work for the Andersons.

Liz Morgan, who voiced several of the Angels, provided a fitting link to the original Captain Scarlet series. She was joined on Saturday by the unmissable Thunderbirds duo of David Graham and Shane Rimmer to discuss the challenges of emoting with puppets. Later, in a meeting of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Captain Scarlet voice artists, she was teamed up with Wayne Forrester and the hugely popular Thunderbirds voice artist Matt Zimmerman.

special-assignment-lectern

The Captain Scarlet link continued in another three-way interview with Dominic Lavery, Mark Woollard and once again Wayne Forrester, who was an 11th hour guest, discussing the troubled production of New Captain Scarlet.

Paul Weston

Special Assignment featured a number of first-ever appearances at a Fanderson convention. SHADO women Penny Spencer and Georgina Moon were interviewed about their time on UFO, while Richard Culley provided a fascinating insight into the merchandising arm of Century 21. Perhaps the most entertaining guest appearance was stunt double and co-ordinator Paul Weston, who worked not only on Space:1999 and The Protectors, but a long list of films including the Bond franchise.

grahm-bleathman-mike-noble-special-assignment

Taking a brief break from book illustrations and signings in the foyer, Mike Noble and Graham Bleathman teamed up to talk about their work illustrating TV21 and the 1990s Fleetway Thunderbirds Comic, while Mary Turner and Judy Preece talked about their experiences with puppets on the Supermarionation series and Terrahawks.

The focus returned to Terrahawks later in the weekend when Terry Adlam, John Lee and Steve Begg were reunited to discuss their work on the series and beyond.
Model maker Martin Bower gave two fascinating slide presentations over the weekend, revealing some of the secrets of his work on Space:1999, the Fleetway comics and other projects.

Meanwhile, Peter Hitchcock had traveled all the way from Canada to attend and gave the fans great value with two sessions. On Saturday he delivered a special effects presentation that focused on specialist Supermarionation techniques such as electronic lip-syncing, then on Sunday he teamed up with Brian Johnson to talk more widely about their work at AP Films. After that, Alan Shubrook and Mike Trim then picked up the thread with a double-header interview that covered their work on the later Century 21 era.

The return of vinyl

fab-grooves-special-assignment Beyond the guest interviews and evening entertainment, Special Assignment will be remembered as the premiere for a wealth of fabulous Anderson merchandise celebrating Scarlet’s golden anniversary. Author and ex-club chairman Chris Bentley and publisher Marcus Hearn were present in ‘Harman’s Department Store’ traders’ room to greet fans and sign copies of a limited edition black version of Captain Scarlet: The Vault. Robert Harrop also chose an alternative colour to mark the anniversary, releasing a Captain Ochre figurine, along with a Martian Pete from the Thunderbirds episode Martian Invasion. Big Finish were selling their comprehensive boxed set of Century 21 Captain Scarlet mini albums, as well as a new audio adaptation of the John Theydon novel, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons. Big Chief were promoting their lavish new Captain Scarlet figurine, while Graham Bleathman was signing copies of his long-awaited Captain Scarlet Haynes Manual, written by Sam Denham.

Joe 90 soundtrack CD

Meanwhile the club surprised fans with no less than 7 new items on sale, but there was one that stood out among all the others – FAB Grooves, a sumptuous double gate-fold LP of Barry Gray ‘easy listening’ tunes, complete with a CD version and full colour booklet. Another closely guarded secret was the release of a 4-disc Joe 90 soundtrack CD, extending the club’s catalogue of Barry Gray music. The club also released a 2018 calendar, Captain Scarlet anniversary and Joe 90 stickers, and complimentary convention books and Spectrum Shade badge.

Music, films, artwork and workshops

Upstairs on the first floor, fans could sample the LP on a turntable in ‘Ma Doughty’s Listening Lounge’, or request their own choice of music from Fanderson’s soundtracks. Fans could also watch an episode of their favourite series in the Goggleheimer Productions Viewing Theatre, where all-day screenings with a definite Scarlet-theme were the order of the day. zero-x-model-special -assingment

Fanderson events are renowned for their model displays, and Special Assignment was no exception, with a wide variety of puppets and models on show, including original Captain Black and Sam Loover puppets. A big thank you to Chris King and all the other model makers for making the ‘Expo 2068’ room such a visual feast for delegates and the local press!

The club also decided to provide a designated room for professional Anderson artwork, after taking on feedback from previous events. Artists including Graham Bleathman, Lynn Simpson, Chris Thompson, Mike Trim, Jonathan Baxter and Mike Noble exhibited and gave talks about their amazing work in the ‘Braquasso Gallery’.

For those with a slightly more niche interest, a number of workshops were held throughout the weekend in ‘Brains’ Workshop’. Sculptor Matt Buckley from Robert Harrop took a break from the traders’ room to talk about the process of creating figurines, while members of the Puppet Guild including Mary Turner held a session on how to make puppets walk realistically.

mini-moke

A beautifully restored Mini Moke as used in the promotion of the original Captain Scarlet in the 1960s was on display throughout the weekend outside the hotel main entrance, courtesy of Sam Denham. A camera crew also visited the event on Sunday afternoon to interview fans and capture the atmosphere.

Thank you

nick-williams-special-assignment On top of all that, delegates raised nearly £2,000 for the convention charities – Orchid and the Cinema And Television Benevolent Fund.

So there you have it. Thank you to all the guests, traders, artists, model makers, hotel staff, suppliers, and everyone else who helped make this such a special assignment. Most importantly, thank you to all the club members – both near and far – for your magnificent support for this event.

By the time it came to Nick Williams’ closing address there was a real sense that Special Assignment would be remembered as one of the best Fanderson conventions in many years.

So, roll on the next one! S.I.G. Over and out.

Preparing for your Special Assignment

Posted on 17th September 2017 by 1266 Nick Williams

With just over a week to go until Fanderson’s Special Assignment convention, here are some details to help you plan your weekend.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING, WHEN?
When you arrive at the Holiday Inn Maidenhead, check into your hotel room, and then head to our Registrations desk to collect your delegate package (see opening times below). As you enter the hotel, turn right before main reception and we’ll be in the Berkshire Suite. We’ll have packages ready for everyone who’s registered in advance, but it will help us identify you if you have your e-mail receipt or club membership card with you. Your package should tell you everything you need to know, but our team at the Registrations desk are also there to help you with any queries you may have.

Friday
We know that many will be travelling some distance and will start arriving at the Holiday Inn during Friday. For us, much of Friday will be setting up the convention areas, but we’re aiming to start the weekend by having Registrations and Fanderson Sales open from 15:00.

Note that the hotel will be hosting a coffee morning as part of Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning (https://coffee.macmillan.org.uk/about/what/) and anyone arriving early is welcome to join in.

Registrations and Fanderson Sales will close at 18:00, to enable us to get ready to celebrate Captain Scarlet’s 50th!

We’ll have a glass of something bubbly (a non-alcoholic alternative will, of course, be available) at 20:00 for everyone who’s registered for the convention in advance, and then have a relaxed evening to celebrate Spectrum’s finest’s golden anniversary. Of course, once the official celebrations are over, hotel residents will be able to retire to the bar into the small hours.

Saturday
Registrations and Fanderson Sales will open at 8:30, and we’ll also start with a screening in our main room until the opening ceremony at 9:30. After that, all the other convention areas will open and you’re free to enjoy all that we have to offer throughout the day, until 18:00. At every Fanderson convention we aim to offer everyone something a little different, and this year will be no exception!

Our main room will re-open at 20:00 for a two-course buffet supper for everyone who’s registered a weekend ticket in advance. This will be followed by another relaxed evening’s entertainment – including a quiz!

Sunday
Registrations and Fanderson Sales will again open at 08:30, then we’ll have a short re-opening ceremony at 9:30. The day will continue in much the same vein as Saturday, albeit with different guests to meet, until our closing ceremony at 17:30. We’ll all be saying our goodbyes at about 18:00.

All times given are approximate and may change without notice.

FANDERSON SALES
Our team have been working tirelessly to bring you some special new items of merchandise (some of which will not be available after the convention), and we have other Anderson licensees (such as Robert Harrop and Signum Books) launching exclusive and new merchandise at our event, as well as others giving you a chance to buy some pre-loved items. So bring a walletful of cash (Fanderson Sales will take card payments too).

GUEST AUTOGRAPHS
Fanderson guests will happily autograph items, and they set the prices they’ll be charging. Many will also have photographs for sale, which they’ll autograph, and most will sign more personal items you may bring along with you too.

CHARITY FUNDRAISING
This year we’re supporting two very worthwhile charities – Orchid (www.orchid-cancer.org.uk) and the Cinema and Television benevolent Fund (www.ctbf.co.uk). We’ll be auctioning rare items, but will also have raffles to enable everyone to support the charities with just a modest outlay. We will, of course, gratefully accept donations into the charity buckets too.

If you’d like to donate anything to either the auction (for rare, one-off or money-can’t-buy items) or the raffle, please hand it over at the Registrations desk when you arrive.

HOTEL and PARKING
The Holiday Inn car park is free to residents, but you must give car registration details when you check-in or you may be charged for your stay. If you’re a visitor for the day we’ll be able to register your car at our Registrations desk.

Feedback from our previous events at the Holiday Inn Maidenhead have been extremely favourable. You can check out their full facilities at their website https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/maidenhead/mdnuk/hoteldetail

GOLDEN TICKETS
Finally, will you be one of the six people that finds a Golden Ticket in your delegate package? In a slightly Wonka-ish twist, we’ll be putting six Golden Tickets at random through our packages. If you find one just bring it along to Registrations to exchange it for a money-can’t-buy VIP treat!

If you have any further queries in advance of the weekend, please contact us at fanderson.org.uk@outlook.com, but remember, the closer we are to the event the busier we’ll be, so you may to wait la little while for a response.

See you at Cloudbase!

Limited Edition of Captain Scarlet: The Vault to debut at Special Assignment

Posted on 4th September 2017 by 1266 Nick Williams

‘Captain Scarlet: The Vault’ is the official hardback guide to the making of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic Supermarionation series. The book will be launched at Fanderson’s Special Assignment convention at the end of September – where fans can get their hands on copies for the very first time!

In addition to the standard edition, a strictly limited edition will also be available at the convention. This version features a different dustjacket, with Captain Black on the front cover. Each of the Captain Black editions is numbered, and will be signed by author Chris Bentley. The Captain Black edition will not be available in any shops and is limited to just 100 numbered copies!

Back in May we revealed the book’s beautiful original scarlet cover, but we think the black limited edition is rather fetching!

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: The Vault is published by Signum Books on 6 October, but Chris will be signing advance copies at Special Assignment on 30 September and 1 October.

SIGN UP TODAY – TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!

Tickets to Special Assignment start at just £65 per person for one day, or £110 for the whole weekend. We’ve managed to keep the ticket price the same as The Future Is Fantastic! convention in 2015 because we’re a fan club and no one is taking a salary. Saturday-only or Sunday-only tickets do not include the Saturday evening meal or any other refreshments that are included in the weekend ticket.

Find out more and register now

1 month to Special Assignment: What will you be watching?

Posted on 29th August 2017 by 1266 Nick Williams

spectrum-needs-you-small Ricochet or Day of Disaster? Mindbender or The Sound of Silence? The Trap or Attack on Cloudbase?

With just one month to go before Special Assignment, we need attendees to tell us the episodes they would love to see featured in our screening programme. We’ve put together a quick survey to find out your favourite episode from each series and will do our best to screen the top-ranking results at some point the convention. What can we say, we aim to please!

Just click the link below to take the survey and we look forward to seeing next month!

Take the survey

SIGN UP TODAY – TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!

Find out more and register now

ITV launches Thunderbirds Day to celebrate show’s anniversary

Posted on 16th August 2017 by 1266 Nick Williams

thunderbirds-day ITV has revealed shock plans for an International Thunderbirds Day to celebrate the series’ 52nd anniversary. The event takes place on 30th September 2017, and will give fans all over the world an opportunity to show their love of the original Thunderbirds TV series, as well as the new revival, Thunderbirds Are Go.

Vue Entertainment will be helping fans across the UK celebrate with a programme of exclusive screenings. The unique event will be held at 2.00pm on Saturday 30th September in 52 venues nationwide in honour of 52 years of Thunderbirds. An episode of Thunderbirds 1965 will be screened nationally for the first time, as well as two brand new episodes of the eagerly anticipated Season 2, Part 2 of Thunderbirds Are Go.

Fans are encouraged to go dressed as their favourite character and post their photos using the hashtag #FAB@Vue to win exclusive prizes! Tickets are available at https://www.myvue.com/film/thunderbirds-are-fab (see local Vue Cinemas for details).

Further F.A.B activities to celebrate all Thunderbirds Day will be announced soon!

20th to 22nd September 2019 Holiday Inn, Maidenhead

20th to 22nd September 2019
Holiday Inn, Maidenhead