MCM Manchester 2014

So I went ahead with attending MCM Manchester 2014 as stated on the previous post and now that it's (sadly) all over, I can now express my thoughts on the whole event. If I was to describe it with one word it would be sweaty. :P Kidding around aside, I easily describe is as unforgettable. Having never attended any Comic Con events before, my expectations of the event exceeded! I knew it was going to be a really good time but damn, it really blew me away. Sure, there were some difficulties such as waiting in the rain for a few hours, having to carry my luggage around on the Sunday due to no cloakrooms at the venue, those issues were really overshadowed by everything else.

There are so many great moments to mention that it's hard to know where to begin. I'd say for starters it was great having many people approaching me calling me The Doctor as I was dressed up as the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and I appreciated everyone taking photos of me. However, the photo shoots that the Whovians did a few times throughout the weekend did actually get a bit tiring due to posing with a sonic screwdriver for half an hour which really did make my arms ache over the weekend but it was still worth it. I only hope I can find loads more photos of myself with the cosplay whether it be on my own or in a group of any size.

Other moments I really liked was some of the awesome cosplayers that I came across. While so many were fantastic, I have to give a shout out to the ones that went as Daft Punk, the one with a cardboard box over their head and ran around the building with it and the two that were cosplaying as the Star Wars AT-AT. Those all are undoubtabley legends as well as others. Another notable moment was meeting Hattie Hayridge, Holly from Red Dwarf. I had wanted to meet the Dwarfers but was unsure about spending £15 on an autograph at first. I sadly missed out on Robert Llewellyn and Judy Pascoe due to meeting up with one of them on the Sunday and they were left with Chris Barrie and Hattie but it was still a pleasure speaking to Hattie as she said "Hello Doctor!" to me. Decided the autograph would be for the whole family and managed to get a photo with me which I'm pleased with.

As much as I enjoyed the whole event, if there was one thing I was rather disappointed with it was my shyness. Seeing so many people that I didn't know with them being in cosplays and everything, I felt awkward just approaching everyone and trying to take photos with them but I really should have thought that others there would have been just as nervous as I was. Being fair, this was my first time so I will be a little rough around the edges but it still disappoints me that I had spoken to very little of those in Adventure Time cosplays and I really love that show so missed opportunities on speaking to likeminded people is a bit of a bummer but I suppose I can't win at everything. At least hanging out with the Whovians was a pleasure and it was easier to speak to them due to relevant cosplay and the way their group photos turned out, I'd say I made the best choice with my cosplay. Perhaps next time cosplay as someone from one show/game/etc and then someone else from another to mix myself in better.

Overall, it was an amazing experience and this along with my birthday celebration and seeing Black Sabbath, Faith No More and Motörhead in Hyde Park has no doubt made this month one of the best yet! I will definitely have to go to future MCM events and would like to see about attending London in October, even if it is more crowded than Manchester's events. Failing London, I'll try and leave the next event as late as Manchester for 2015 but hope to go to a sooner event. At least for next time, I know to ask for ANYONE whose cosplay that I like seeing if I could take a photo of them and I can go ahead and go on my own to these events as you're bound to be talking to people throughout the day so no need to find my friends, although seeing them would still be great.

Lastly, I said to myself that if there was one thing I hoped to do with this weekend it was to discover new people and thanks to those Whovians, I more than succeeded with that so I'm very proud of myself for going to this!