convention

Fanderson convention: 2019

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

 

Supercelebration logo

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…

The Programme | The Guests | The Charity | Auction/Raffle | The Venue |
Member Tickets | Non-member tickets | Traders Tickets | Terms and Conditions

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
Supercelebration 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

captain-scarlet-champagne-special-assignmentThe 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:

PRICES

Supercelebration 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

Non-member tickets at Supercelebration

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

fab-grooves-special-assignment

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

zero-x-model-special -assingment

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.

Fanderson brings fans together for a very special assignment

Posted on 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-assignmentSpecial 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-assignmentBeyond 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-assignmentOn 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.

Get ready for Alpha 2014

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Alpha 2014 logoBilled as the UK’s biggest Space:1999 convention, Alpha 2014 will play host to a staggering range of guests connected with the making of this iconic series.

Running from 12 – 15 September, Alpha:2014 will be held at the Holiday Inn – Peterborough West. The hotel has excellent facilities including a gym, pool and jacuzzi. Transport links are excellent, with easy access to the A1, A14 and A47 motorways, and by train to Peterborough from London’s Kings Cross.

The guest list includes:

  • Brian Johnson – special effects wizard
  • Catherine Schell – Maya the Metamorph
  • Nick Tate – Chief Eagle Pilot Alan Carter
  • Anton Phillips – Dr Bob Mathias
  • Sarah Bullen – Operative Kate
  • Suzanne Heimer – stand-in for Barbara Bain
  • Suzanne Roquette – Tanya Alexander
  • Pam Rose – various roles in Year 2
  • Paul Weston – security guards and other stunt-related extras
  • Christopher Penfold – story consultant and script writer
  • Jamie Anderson – son of Gerry Anderson and head of Anderson Entertainment

There will also be a charity auction with all proceeds donated to the Alzheimer’s Society.

For more information check out the Alpha 2014 website or visit their Facebook Page

Alpha 2014 flyer

A Fanderson convention is coming and…

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

The Future is Fantastic!

The Future is Fantastic! And 2nd – 4th October 2015 is going to be a particularly special time to be a fan of Gerry Anderson. Start counting the days: Fanderson will be holding its first full-weekend convention in five years in 2015!

Scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds and soon after the launch of the new series, there’s never been a better time to attend a Gerry Anderson convention. It’s a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. These events are all about making great memories and celebrating with your fellow fans, so we thought we’d share some of our favourite convention snaps to get you in the mood!

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The Future is Fantastic offers fans an entire weekend of entertainment, including:

  • rare screenings
  • special guest appearances and talks
  • displays of models, puppets and artwork
  • exclusive merchandise
  • interactive workshops
  • games…

…and a few little surprises!

We’ve selected the Holiday Inn Maidenhead as the venue for the event following extremely positive feedback from attendees at Expect the Unexpected, where we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Terrahawks last year.The hotel is a short drive from the AP Films, Century 21 and Pinewood studios, and a vast number of filming locations just waiting to be explored.

Getting there

Maidenhead is just over half an hour on the train from London Paddington, and the hotel is conveniently located near the M25, M4 and M40 motorways, as well as Heathrow Airport for anyone planning to come from overseas.

Registrations

Registrations for The Future is Fantastic will open soon, so save the date (2nd – 4th October 2015), and stay tuned to www.fanderson.org.uk for more details!

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42 guests at Andercon and counting…

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Andercon ticketsThings are hotting up as we approach April – the month of Andercon!

A flurry of exciting new guests have been announced for the event, and the guest list now stands at 42 members of the cast and crew of every single Anderson show from Twizzle to New Captain Scarlet, including members of new project Gemini Force One!

Anderson Entertainment and Network have joined forces to screen some exclusive and never-before-seen transfers and restorations over the weekend – which they’ll be announcing in the coming weeks.

New additions to the line-up also include Andy Rolfe’s beautiful SPV interior recreation and the Model T Ford “Gabriel” as driven by Stanley Unwin in The Secret Service.

Andercon takes place over the weekend of 19th-20th April at the Park Inn Hotel, London Heathrow.

Find out more about the event and book your tickets online at www.andercon.co.uk