Hi chaps! 
First time i've had the opportunity to really get on for a few weeks. The build up to Celebration was immense, and my priority (after family/work health etc) had to be the Vintage Rebellion podcast; our prep for the booth and my Celebration Military panel (never mind :lol: ). The 'so what' being that i've recently had no time for being an active member of this forum, a forum which has been my favourite internet hang out for nearly 5 years. I absolutely love being part of this forum, i take great satisfaction from the Latest Acquisitions pages, the welcome page, the Secret Santa, the where are you from, and all of the latest news stuff etc etc.
Not much is going to change really, work is still fairly crazy, i'm spinning too many plates however i am optimistic that all will be better by October. Anyway, enough of my awful excuses. What did i really was to say....
...Celebration was an absolute blast, whilst initially laced with negativity prior to the event ( mainly i guess by people who had never been to one before) it was brilliant: The organisation, the panels, the cueing system, the exhibits, the information, everything. However the best part for me (and i guess most of you) is what celebration represents. The camaraderie! I was absolutely blown away with the swag, the effort, the ingenuity, the fun, the friendship, the selflessness and common love that was shown by members of this community, and mainly from this forum. Meeting up with genuine friends who i hadn't seen since December 2015 was great, as was meeting up with people i had never met before. The pub, the bars, the selfies with Ray Park etc were all brilliant. Topped off with working with the top crew that is Grant, Stu, Pete and Rich.
The world is full of trouble, 2016 in particular has seen acts that question everything about humanity, we will all face issues and have problems, however this collecting community will always be there. It is a constant. It can help, comfort and bring sanity in an otherwise insane world. What you collectively achieve is great and i love it. I'm so chuffed to be part of your world. Big or small, your contribution is appreciated.
Finally, i was massively moved and for once lost for words on the final day of Celebration. I had decided to take my wife and kids on the Sunday, so they could see part of my hobby, they could briefly understand the joy i get from hanging around with you reprobates. So what moved me? My Sunday was planned way before the podcast crew had been given a fan table and podcast stage, so the lads were gracious enough to allow me 'the day off', however they had asked me to hang around at the end of the podcast live panel. Right at the end the lads asked me to come up with my kids (in front of everyone) and briefly spoke about the Stormtrooper marathon. They then proceeded to ask the kids a few questions (which whilst shy i'm sure they loved) and then presented me with the following gifts all gathered by SWFUK members after a post marathon whip around.
Lads what can i say? I'm so chuffed, the proof card is something so special, the thought and design is amazing, i absolutely love it. Plus the Luke X Wing Coin compliments my Luke pitch coin perfectly. And the cards and chinese bootleg game are awesome, most thoughtful. My sincere thanks goes to all who made this happen. I am only embarrassed that its taken me 10 days to say thanks (i have been on holiday though :wink: )
OK so a **** load of text to bore you with, thanks for bearing with me, those who have. To conclude, i bloody love this place. I saw genuine acts of friendship and camaraderie this month. This forum has generated a brotherhood. A brotherhood i love being part of.
SWFUK nail it.
First time i've had the opportunity to really get on for a few weeks. The build up to Celebration was immense, and my priority (after family/work health etc) had to be the Vintage Rebellion podcast; our prep for the booth and my Celebration Military panel (never mind :lol: ). The 'so what' being that i've recently had no time for being an active member of this forum, a forum which has been my favourite internet hang out for nearly 5 years. I absolutely love being part of this forum, i take great satisfaction from the Latest Acquisitions pages, the welcome page, the Secret Santa, the where are you from, and all of the latest news stuff etc etc.
Not much is going to change really, work is still fairly crazy, i'm spinning too many plates however i am optimistic that all will be better by October. Anyway, enough of my awful excuses. What did i really was to say....
...Celebration was an absolute blast, whilst initially laced with negativity prior to the event ( mainly i guess by people who had never been to one before) it was brilliant: The organisation, the panels, the cueing system, the exhibits, the information, everything. However the best part for me (and i guess most of you) is what celebration represents. The camaraderie! I was absolutely blown away with the swag, the effort, the ingenuity, the fun, the friendship, the selflessness and common love that was shown by members of this community, and mainly from this forum. Meeting up with genuine friends who i hadn't seen since December 2015 was great, as was meeting up with people i had never met before. The pub, the bars, the selfies with Ray Park etc were all brilliant. Topped off with working with the top crew that is Grant, Stu, Pete and Rich.
The world is full of trouble, 2016 in particular has seen acts that question everything about humanity, we will all face issues and have problems, however this collecting community will always be there. It is a constant. It can help, comfort and bring sanity in an otherwise insane world. What you collectively achieve is great and i love it. I'm so chuffed to be part of your world. Big or small, your contribution is appreciated.
Finally, i was massively moved and for once lost for words on the final day of Celebration. I had decided to take my wife and kids on the Sunday, so they could see part of my hobby, they could briefly understand the joy i get from hanging around with you reprobates. So what moved me? My Sunday was planned way before the podcast crew had been given a fan table and podcast stage, so the lads were gracious enough to allow me 'the day off', however they had asked me to hang around at the end of the podcast live panel. Right at the end the lads asked me to come up with my kids (in front of everyone) and briefly spoke about the Stormtrooper marathon. They then proceeded to ask the kids a few questions (which whilst shy i'm sure they loved) and then presented me with the following gifts all gathered by SWFUK members after a post marathon whip around.
Lads what can i say? I'm so chuffed, the proof card is something so special, the thought and design is amazing, i absolutely love it. Plus the Luke X Wing Coin compliments my Luke pitch coin perfectly. And the cards and chinese bootleg game are awesome, most thoughtful. My sincere thanks goes to all who made this happen. I am only embarrassed that its taken me 10 days to say thanks (i have been on holiday though :wink: )
OK so a **** load of text to bore you with, thanks for bearing with me, those who have. To conclude, i bloody love this place. I saw genuine acts of friendship and camaraderie this month. This forum has generated a brotherhood. A brotherhood i love being part of.
SWFUK nail it.
