Sci-Fi Weekender

I have just got back from a Sci-Fi weekender (previously known as SFX weekender) and I thought that it was amazing. It is only my second time that I have been and both times I have enjoyed it immensely.

When you hear Sci-Fi, Fantasy and convention in the same sentence you think nerdy men with glasses who lives in a cupboards in front of a computer screen all day and night. And your not wrong. That's if you don't include the good looking women in corsets, the buff men and woman and the popular college/school kids.

Sci-Fi weekender is still fairly young as a convention. This year is there fourth convention, yet there are thousands of people go through the doors every year and they invite huge British stars for the weekend, such as Brian Blessed and Craig Charles. There are also many Sci-Fi comic book artists and fanticy writers. They have many talks and desscusions on different subjects.

It's based along the Welsh coast but they haven't been in the same town twice. This year was in Pwllheli, Gwynedd.

This year was only my second visit to the weekender and I am still amazed by the shear number of people that turn up. Many of them in dressed up in there favourite Sci-Fi/fantasy characters.

Both years over the course if the weekend, every evening hundreds of people were greeted with a burlesque, put on by a company called Area 51. I have been told that they have been there from the very beginning. They also have a team of young men and women who, though out the day, go round in various costumes on stilts.

Often the costumes don't cover much and even when the sun is out and sky is clear it is still slightly chilly. When I asked one of they guys on the stilts if they get cold outside. They jokingly said "There is nothing wrong with the cold, it's the stilts." he said, "but we do prefer it inside where it's a lot warmer."

Another person said that the it was difficult to keep still when up on the stilts. They said "It's not just for balance, it gives our feet slight relief."

It is something that erverybody should go to, even if you are not into science fiction or fantasy or don't like going in fancy dress. It's just a great place to meet friendly people, enjoy the entertainment and have plenty of drink.