London Calling: yes, I was there too. You know what they said? Well, some of it was true.

[seph_hazard]

Nine years ago, at the 2005 Worldcon in Glasgow, flickgc - who I had only met that weekend for the first time - gave me a slightly aghast look and said, "what do you mean you've never even heard of LiveJournal?" We weren't always carting around three different little magically internet-connected devices then (the first person I knew who got anything on a

Comments

[history_monk]

Welcome back. This posting is the first thing that's made we wish I'd attended the con.

[seph_hazard]

I think I'll take that as a compliment!

[gillo]

I wasn't at the con *with* anyone and that was, at times, really very hard indeed.

I felt that way a couple of times - if your mood has slipped a bit it is really hard to make yourself go up to strangers and talk. Fortunately this didn't apply to most of my experiences. The orchestra was superb, wasn't it? THough I did wonder if the soprano had a tribble on her shoulder.

[seph_hazard]

I love meeting new people, but it's by far most enjoyable when you're introduced to them by someone you both know - that way there's some shared social context, and you're less likely to find yourself trapped in a conversation with someone really boring. I confess that I have pretty much zero desire to go up to strangers and talk not as a result of social awkwardness but as a result of not being a very nice person ;-)

I liked Sarah Fox's dress very much, actually!

[gillo]

The dress was stunning, but I wasn't keen on the size of the shoulder-piece.

[alexmc]

Loads to say on this subject, but only over a pint. :-(

[andrewducker]

I remember your first con. It was fantastic watching you connect to so many people, and you seemed to having an awesome time (and making a real impression).

And I'm so sorry to hear about your dad - your post is incredibly touching (and written very well).

[seph_hazard]

I've secretly always been a bit proud of the fact that as a sixteen year old girl I could go to a convention of eight thousand people and not only have a wonderful time but also get the convention to notice I was at it. I don't have many skills, but I like that I sometimes have that one ;-)

[h8d_bitch]

For some reason I can't figure out how to make my own comment not in a thread, so I'll put this here...

Chiming in as another voice to say I'm sorry to hear about your dad dying. Death sucks, but all we can ever do is try to trundle along afterwards and live a life that would make that person proud. It sounds like you're doing just this.

Also I'm glad to see you're still about and whatnot. I thought about you a while ago (and maybe sent you a message on Google+?) so it's nice to see that you are enjoying friends and family and events.

Take care x

[pwilkinson]

I saw you a couple of times during Loncon, but at moments when I seemed to be going one way and you another. Sorry if I should have stopped and talked, though I don't know how much I would have found to say apart from how good it was to see you back at a fannish event and how sorry I'd been to hear of your Dad's death - I think I first met him at one of the Cix barbies back in the late 90s (and you at another not that many years later?)

I'm glad that, even though in a necessarily rather mixed way, on balance you enjoyed Worldcon, and hope that you now stay around. In the years after 2005, you made a place for yourself in London fandom - and I'm fairly sure that it is still there.

[seph_hazard]

I bloody hope it is; doing all this and then discovering I'm not wanted back would be a bit sad ;-)

[surliminal]

I'm glad I saw you , if only at the very end - it really was sometimes much too large an event.. I wish I'd known there was a memorial drink for Ken as I'd certainly have shared one ( was the end of that when I came across you?) As I said I was and periodically am, simply very sad about your dad - so full of life, and simply such a damn good person. I also second very much the feeling that giant cons are not easily approached alone, even for the really quite socially confident - I knew literally hundreds of people there I think, but yes, someone reliable to go out for dinner with would have been very helpful.

[seph_hazard]

I told everyone relevant who I saw that we were doing it and had a note about it run in the newsletter, which I thought would probably catch everyone who might want to come along.

It occurred to me at one point that there might have been literally a thousand people at that convention who, if I bumped into them in the street, I would at least smile and wave to. As well as several hundred I'd actually stop and speak to. Fandom is pretty huge.

[surliminal]

yes re newsletter I may well have lost the ability to read by then :)