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So, sleep patterns are screwed. I’m totally knackered. The list of repairs needed for R2 is rather long. Must mean I’ve been at a convention!

But not only a convention, I was also at a charity event for Dreamflight.

Dreamflight is a UK charity that changes young lives through taking children with a serious illness or disability, without their parents, on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida.

Invasion 2018

The weekend actually started on Thursday morning with the usual game of tetris to fit everything in the car, followed by a fairly uneventful 5 hour drive down to London (well, Heathrow).

We got to the Renaissance hotel to discover the place had been taken over by police, blocking the way into the car park. Eventually we got to park up and discovered that it wasn’t because they’d heard there was a Starfury convention on with Eve Myles, but were there for the Royal Wedding going on that Friday.

After a quick checkin (done online, so only door keys needed) I dumped my luggage and went to unload R2. I hadn’t even got him out of the car when I had people coming up for photos! Of course, the hotel staff are used to him now and barely batted an eyelid when he came charging into the lobby.

We settled in for a chilled evening in the lobby with the other early bird convention attendees, with R2 entertaining the occasional visitor, before R2 went to bed (ie, the luggage store).

Friday was the typical lounging around the lobby waiting for people to arrive, and setting up for opening the convention. Whilst it was quite a quiet convention, the majority of the attendees were regular Starfury people, which always helps to make it a great weekend.

It was a cracking line up of guests from shows such as Dark Matter, Killjoys, Warehouse 13, and Torchwood. I went into the Meet and Greet that evening and got to chat with them all and I must say each one was absolutely awesome. All of them were up for a fun weekend and even came to party with us all a bit on the Saturday night.

I had the opportunity to get a photo with all the guests, tho of course I used my photo proxy instead and got what must be one of my all time favourite pictures for R2. Even better was that one of the guests, Jodelle, actually put a copy of the picture up on Instagram and said it was her favourite from the weekend! Eve didn’t seem to like being upstaged tho.

There are always guests who stand out at a convention that you would love to see again at another. In this case, every single one of them would be fantastic to have back, they were really that good!

Dreamflight

Now, on top of this I had something that was actually better. I was already planning on taking R2 down to Heathrow for Invasion, but then discovered that there was a charity event on at the Terminal 5 Hilton, Dreamflight.

The 99th Garrison had been invited down to participate in the sendoff of the kids going on their special holiday on the Sunday morning, so seeing as I was in the area I put my name down. A few weeks later, the R2 Builders forum had a listing put up with an invite from the Rebel Legion/UKG for going to the Hilton on the Saturday too, to meet the kids as they turn up there from all corners of the country. So I thought, why not?

R2 and I got there on the Saturday a little early, unloaded, and went to meet the rest of the Legion. Plenty of Rebels there, and a few of the evil Empire.

The buses with the kids started showing up just after midday, with police escorts. They certainly know how to make them all feel special. The next few hours flew by with many a photo being taken. Besides us, there were also a lot of police, police dogs, and even a couple of police horses (tho they didn’t actually come into the hotel!).

Finally the last bus dropped off its passengers, and the kids were sent off to their rooms to get some rest before the day of travelling on the Sunday. R2 went to sleep (in the Hilton luggage store – he likes variety) and I went back to the Renaissance.

Sunday was an early start, off back to the Hilton to meet up with the 99th Garrison and to take the kids to the airport. It was actually arranged for R2 to ride on the bus to the airport, which was so much fun!

With one of my arms wrapped around a post, and the other around R2 to stop him rolling around, we set off. What I wasn’t expecting was for it to be a police escorted convoy! We had police on bikes riding ahead (with various cuddly toys strapped to the back of their bikes) to stop traffic and give us a none stop ride straight through to a hangar at Heathrow airport. They went all out to make the kids feel extra special, waving and saluting as the buses all went by.

We pulled up at the hangar and carefully offloaded R2. Inside it was all laid out for each of the groups of kids, with a military marching band, more police dogs, and a great view of the plane out of the big hangar doors.

R2 had a go at conducting the band, tho I think Kylo did a better job with his big glowing stick. The actual conductor started playing the Imperial March tho, which R2 took offense at and may have tried to run him over! None of that Dark Side stuff for him!

More photos, lots of smiles, and even a few requests for autographs (going to have to think of something regarding that). Finally the kids all got onto the plane and were sent off with lots of waving, despite the rain. We dragged ourselves to the buses and headed back to the hotel to dekit and relax.

I was actually expecting this weekend to be a bit heart wrenching, bearing in mind the reason for Dreamflight, but the atmosphere generated was electric and has given me such a buzz.

A few more pics here.

Home

I’m finally home now. Starfury conventions are always fun and rewarding to work, but coupled with Dreamflight this has been such an awesome weekend. Thanks go out to 99th Garrison, Rebel Legion, and UKG for letting me come along with them. And of course, a massive shout out to the Dreamflight team. They all work so hard to organise and run this event, and whilst our work as part of the entertainment is finished, there are so many of them that are now looking after the kids in Florida, making sure they have the time of their life.

Looking forward to more charity events to raise money for next years flights, and hopefully I can make it back again to send them off.

Now back to R2 repairs!