Go USA
It was announced today that Ant is moving to America. It's obviously a difficult decision for anyone to move to another country. And for those left behind - we'll miss Ant! I've known him for several years during which time he's grown up a great deal. I'll always remember sneaking him into pubs around London, at first any pub and then the Over-21 ones. Not that he was ever an underage drinker... he's a good friend and he was always integral to our PS Meet ups.
The first contact I had with Doctor Who Fans Off The Internet was Ant. We'd arranged to meet up in the old Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue, along with a guy called Alex. We'd swapped phone numbers and he called me just as the train was coming into Finchley Road. As this was the days of Web 1.0 I hadn't seen a photo of anyone and I didn't know what to expect. Judging from a voice is exceedingly difficult - naturally he wasn't at all like I expected! I think I was surprised to find out that he was almost ten years younger than me. I was also relieved on meeting him because he was pleasant, easy to talk to and clearly had a measure of self-confidence way beyond his age. Again, it was different from what I imagined Doctor Who fans to be like! No offence meant to anyone, especially seeing as I have yet to meet a fan who has quite fulfilled the geeky stereotype.
Anyway, that was back in late 2002. An epoch ago. I haven't seen as much of Ant over the past couple of years as I'd have liked. It's no criticism, going to University changes your priorities and opens up loads of opportunities for socialising in a wider network. It would have been good to have arranged a few more meet-ups though. There was a particularly pleasant occasion when we went to see The History Boys in London, along with his girlfriend of the time. Si couldn't come with me as he was very ill - especially disappointing for him as he'd bought us tickets as a Christmas present. It was a good night anyway.
Ant set up Planet Skaro, the forum that's kept us going. So we've a lot to thank him for! He was the founder of our community, so it's easy to say that without his input things could have been very different. For example, I might never have met Simon. Eeek!
I don't know if I could move overseas. I know several people who have done it. In today's megacommunications world, you're never that disconnected from home. It would still be sad for me to distance myself from our families. I'd be nervous too about finding new friends and settling down. As Si and me are unlikely to have children, it might be harder to settle in to the local community. For others though, it's the right choice. I wish Ant all the best and hope that he stays in touch!
At the very least, we now have a reason to visit that place where the movies come from.
The first contact I had with Doctor Who Fans Off The Internet was Ant. We'd arranged to meet up in the old Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue, along with a guy called Alex. We'd swapped phone numbers and he called me just as the train was coming into Finchley Road. As this was the days of Web 1.0 I hadn't seen a photo of anyone and I didn't know what to expect. Judging from a voice is exceedingly difficult - naturally he wasn't at all like I expected! I think I was surprised to find out that he was almost ten years younger than me. I was also relieved on meeting him because he was pleasant, easy to talk to and clearly had a measure of self-confidence way beyond his age. Again, it was different from what I imagined Doctor Who fans to be like! No offence meant to anyone, especially seeing as I have yet to meet a fan who has quite fulfilled the geeky stereotype.
Anyway, that was back in late 2002. An epoch ago. I haven't seen as much of Ant over the past couple of years as I'd have liked. It's no criticism, going to University changes your priorities and opens up loads of opportunities for socialising in a wider network. It would have been good to have arranged a few more meet-ups though. There was a particularly pleasant occasion when we went to see The History Boys in London, along with his girlfriend of the time. Si couldn't come with me as he was very ill - especially disappointing for him as he'd bought us tickets as a Christmas present. It was a good night anyway.
Ant set up Planet Skaro, the forum that's kept us going. So we've a lot to thank him for! He was the founder of our community, so it's easy to say that without his input things could have been very different. For example, I might never have met Simon. Eeek!
I don't know if I could move overseas. I know several people who have done it. In today's megacommunications world, you're never that disconnected from home. It would still be sad for me to distance myself from our families. I'd be nervous too about finding new friends and settling down. As Si and me are unlikely to have children, it might be harder to settle in to the local community. For others though, it's the right choice. I wish Ant all the best and hope that he stays in touch!
At the very least, we now have a reason to visit that place where the movies come from.