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[BigPete]

Right, so on Friday 1st August, me and **BRUTICUS** went to Copenhagen Airport on the 06:02 train from Malmö, in order to catch a flight to Birmingham at 08:40.

We bought "breakfast" at Starbucks... 49 DKK for a bun with ham and cheese. Ridiculous. At least I got to drink Matilde, my favorite Chocolate Milk





The flight went as planned, and even though we had some turbulence along the way and the fact that the plane was pretty small and cramped, we arrived safely in Birmingham at 09:40 local time. We took a taxi to the hotel only to find out that we couldn't check in before 14:00. We decided to go exploring and then check in later. We left our luggage in the hotel reception and went outside. We tried to get on a bus which showed to be an impossible task since you can only pay the bus fare in EXACT change, and coins only... We then decided that we should walk into the city centre, using only a very small and incomplete map of Birmingham that we found at the hotel.



In England, they are very serious about what's legal and what's not. Signs like this one and other signs like "Smoking here is against the law!" were very common in the entire city:



After walking for two and a half hours straight (not including a 10-minute stop at McDonald's) and asking for directions every now and then, we finally made it into the city centre! Immediately we went toy hunting We entered a mall called Bullring Mall and found a toystore called The Entertainer. We struck gold on our first try! I picked up Alternator Shockblast, Animated Ratchet, & Blackarachnia. Marcus picked up Ratchet, Bumblebee, Starscream, and voyager Megatron. It was almost time to check in at the hotel so we found an information centre and learned that a local commuter train stopped in the same are as the hotel was in. It actually turned out being a 4-minute train ride, with the hotel clearly visible, just a few metres from the train station! Gahhhh! 2,5 hours of walking in the wrong direction and around where we were going, all in vain!



We checked in at the hotel and decided it was time to rest our tired feet/open up our newly purchased Animated toys We were both astounded by the coolness and awesomeness of the Animated line!

The room:


Some Animated love



After resting for a bit, we decided to do some more toy hunting before going to the Clarendon Suites where AA is held. This year they introduced another benefit of pre-registration. We could pick up our registration packs the night before the convention, so when it opens the day after we can just skip the 100 m long waiting line and walk straight in!

We went back into the centre on the train and found a store called Argo's. I remembered that chain mentioned on the TFW2005 boards so we gave it a go. Despite the incredibly complicated shopping system, I managed to pick up Universe Tankor and Animated leader Megatron.

We figured out how to get to the Clarendon Suites and went there after some well-deserved food at Subway (I'm never getting a sub with double cheese and meat again... Ever!) We picked up our packs and went back to the hotel, fiddled with the toys for an hour or so, went down to the hotel bar for a beer, took a shower, and then we went to bed

END OF DAY 1. CONTINUED IN NEXT POST!

[palaste]

After walking for two and a half hours straight (not including a 10-minute stop at McDonald's) and asking for directions every now and then, we finally made it into the city centre! Immediately we went toy hunting We entered a mall called Bullring Mall and found a toystore called The Entertainer. We struck gold on our first try! I picked up Alternator Shockblast, Animated Ratchet, & Blackarachnia. Marcus picked up Ratchet, Bumblebee, Starscream, and voyager Megatron. It was almost time to check in at the hotel so we found an information centre and learned that a local commuter train stopped in the same are as the hotel was in. It actually turned out being a 4-minute train ride, with the hotel clearly visible, just a few metres from the train station! Gahhhh! 2,5 hours of walking in the wrong direction and around where we were going, all in vain!

Don't worry Pete, I had the same trouble finding the hotel in Millstatt on my summer trip. Walking around in a city I have never been in before, with a 10 kg backpack on my back, in over 25 °C heat, is very annoying.
Anyway, the pictures so far are very nice, and I wish I could have gone there with you guys. I'll definitely try to make it next year.

[Inkku]

that sounds so much of funn you guys have there.. now i'm really really Really envious..

[SureShot]

Sounds like an awesome trip

[BigPete]

Ok, time for day 2!

We got up fairly early, planning on having breakfast, and then go to Auto Assembly by public transportation. The weather gods made us change our plans though, since the famous English weather decided to show its ugly face. Rain... Lots and lots of rain. We went with a taxi instead, hehe We arrived more than an hour before the convention started, but it didn't take more than 20 minutes before we started bumping into several TFW2005 members. Anyway, this first picture is me showing off my Attendee badge. Nevermind the cigarette



Since we'd picked up our registrations packs the day before, we didn't have to stand in the ridiculously long line that formed. It finally grew to more than 100 meters in length, with about 400 people waiting to get into the Clarendon Suites. Meanwhile, me and Marcus sat in some comfortable blue retainers and just looked at the crowd, hehe A few minutes late the convention opened, and people RUSHED in to find the dealers. This next picture is taken about 30 seconds after AA opened.



Me and Marcus went totally bonkers as well, actually We decided to find the dealers with the most vintage stuff first and sift through their stock, and then proceed to the newer stuff. There wasn't as much vintage stuff as we had hoped for. I had hoped on finding a Fort Max to bring home with me, but there was only a Brave Max missing the accessories... Oh well, still happy with what I got


This is the main stage at AA. On the screen they showed different cartoon episodes all day long from all different series, the first trailer of the Animated game for the Nintendo DS, a quiz, and stuff like that. I like the giant plastic letters that form "Transformers"



AS the pople poured in, it grew extremely warm, extremely fast in the main hall. A break to watch Sven Harvey introduce all the guests was more than welcome, and they got the fans in the ceiling working at the same time






Unreleased/rare/prototype/hardcopy/ridiculously expensive stuff on display!

For example: Mindwipe resin copy, MOSC G2 Breakdown, MOSC G2 Blades, Mini-Con prototypes, G1 Jazz, Trailbreaker, and Sideswipe prototypes, a Unicron beach ball (!!!), and more. G2 Blades was on sale for £2000 BTW if anyone's interested




No convention is complete without some cosplay!!




CONTINUED IN NEXT POST!

[BigPete]

DAY 2, PART 2!

Hasbro had a display at AA even though no Hasbro representatives were actually there. Maybe next year? They had samples of upcoming Animated Snarl & Ultra Magnus, some Universe toys, and resin copies of Leader Megatron, amongst other things. They also had a display with original G1 comic artwork and other works of art. Beautiful They also had some funny stuff, like things gone wrong when packaging toys, like the Titanium WW Ultra Magnus holding a yellow feather






Comic guests panel! Unfortunately Simon Furman and Simon Williams got most of the questions, leaving the other guests in the dark a bit, but everyone got to say something at least



The board members from TFW2005 agreed to do a sign like the one they did on the other side of the Atlantic at BotCon. Although not as impressive as the American one, we still had one made.



Time for some autograph/signing hunting!

Me with Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman


Marcus with Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman


Me with Dan Gilvezan. Wow, he was such a nice guy!


I also got a signed movie OP print from Jason Cardy and the Death's Head print signed by Geoff Senior and Simon Furman, along with my signed WW Titanium Fallen, and another signed G1 OP from Simon Furman, and a signed limited edition photograph from Dan Gilvezan.

Oh, and here's the actual entrance to the Clarendon Suites. Forgot to post that earlier, hehe



CONTINUED IN NEXT POST!

[Fighbird]

For example: Mindwipe resin copy, MOSC G2 Breakdown, MOSC G2 Blades, Mini-Con prototypes, G1 Jazz, Trailbreaker, and Sideswipe prototypes, a Unicron beach ball (!!!), and more. G2 Blades was on sale for £2000 BTW if anyone's interested

Looks like Paul Hitchens had brought a handful of his stuff... I can recognise some items from others' collections in there, so I'm betting it's him. Damnit, why won't he sell that G2 Breakdown to me...

The "prototype" G1 cars are most likely lunchtime specials -- and definitely not vintage ones, either. Still, they look nice in those wacky colors. My favourites are the Go-Bots and Mindwipe...

[BigPete]

Hitch actually had his own Breakdown for sale, priced at £500, over at his dealer table

[BigPete]

DAY 2, PART 3

Right, next up we have Locustreign from the TFW2005 boards. He bought a massive amount of raffle tickets without winning a single item out of the more than 200 given away. We took this picture with the intent of having a caption saying "Locustreign - fails at raffles", but he went and won an Animated Lockdown with his last ticket... And he promptly gave the figure to Marcus!



After the convention the TFW2005 members gathered for some pics. Don't have the group shots though so you'll have to go to TFW2005 for those. A bunch of us decided to go have dinner and beers together though. The thing is that we were all dead tired though, so we just had dinner at T.G.I. Friday's and spent some time talking, and we then went our separate ways. It was all great fun though!




Marcus and I got back to the hotel at 01:00, but we just couldn't go to sleep yet without opening up more Animated toys and taking some pictures





After a good and much needed sleep we had breakfast and went to the airport. The flight was slightly delayed but it was a smooth, nice ride all the way back to Copenhagen and from there to Malmö. Maria picked us up and we gave Marcus a lift home, and that's it

We had a blast, and we're probably going there again next year, if we're not going to BotCon

[Lucar-tron]

Wow, that must really have been awesome to be in Auto Assembly and meet Simon Furman and other legendaries, and of course buying Transformers that you can't find in any ordinary toy stores.

[Sir.Grimlock]

ååååååå boy i wish i have been there whit you guys

[palaste]

[Inkku]

..and now.. i feel even more evious..
that stuff over there looks so goddamned nifty.. me likey a lot

and that Unicron peach ball looks so neat

[Splitfire]

That feather killed me!

[palaste]

That feather killed me!

So I'm replying to a ghost here then?

But yes, it was hilariously funny. I can't stop wondering how the heck it got in there.