“My lovely jewels…”

Off to Halifax, Nova Scotia for Hal-Con – Atlantic Canada’s largest science-fiction convention.

This year Gates McFadden is a guest. Although she’s best known for playing Dr Beverley Crusher, in Star Trek – The Next Generation, anyone who’s reading this blog will also be aware that she was responsible for choreography on Labyrinth.

In honour of this, I’ve made a costume based on one of the dancers from the ballroom sequence in Labyrinth. This just about squeezes into my hand luggage. I’m very glad I’m not asked to open it at the airport, as leather masks can be difficult to explain to security personnel…

I’m not sure I’m up to braving the streets of Halifax dressed as a goblin ballroom dancer, so I decide to change into my costume at the convention. This turns out to be surprisingly difficult in a small cubicle…

But eventually I stagger out into the vendors hall – which has grown so much in the last few years that it’s now in another building, adjacent to the convention centre. I try to resist the bewildering variety of stalls and head for my first stop – Arcane Angel. I have been lusting after one of their limited edition Labyrinth cuff bracelets, and Marina had told me she would have four at the con. All her pieces are handmade, which makes them slightly different, but equally beautiful, so it takes me ages to choose. Finally I decide on this one:

I also end up with an owl necklace to go with it:

Then into the queue to get Gates McFadden’s autograph. Most of the photos there to be signed are from Star Trek, but I (of course) choose the Labyrinth one. Gates seems pleased, as apparently most people choose Star Trek. I then offer her a copy of my Labyrinth book. She is thrilled by this, and asks me to sign it for her – which is bizarre. So she signs a photo for me:

While I sign my book for her. Never did I imagine anyone involved with Labyrinth would be asking me for my autograph LOL