First Contact

Memories of the first visit to a LOTNA meeting

by LOTNA members

As part of our 15th Anniversary celebrations we asked… What happened at the first meeting you came to?

Corinne - Went to HMS Belfast

Ed - It was at the Horse, and there was a viewing of a few DVDs, including the Easter Egg on the Doctor Who War Games DVD of the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre

Kelly - I'd met up earlier in the day to join in with a photo shoot for the calendar. It was hilariously surreal to be posing in the middle of Trafalgar Square with people all around when a month previous I'd been in Australia dreaming of London. After the photo shoot we went to the pub meet, where everyone was really social and welcoming, definitely made me interested in coming back

Dave - I hoped people would show up

Philippa - Food, drink, quiz

Aimee - A great deal of g33ky chatting about TV shows and films. It was very enjoyable and welcoming.

Mark D - Can't really remember that much about the first meet it was at the old pub. I think I just hanged about with people I knew and then got to know other people

Claire G -The first meeting I went to was in a bar I'd never been to in a part of town I didn't know. I wore my red batman top. The bar looked empty, I thought I was early at 7pm. So I asked the bar staff where the event was. Upstairs they replied. So off I went up the stairs to a filled room of people happily chatting away about all sorts of shows movies and events. Twice I was asked if I was lost. My batman top seemed to be failing me. There was a quiz that night and I got a question no one else in my team knew. Ans Evelyn from the mummy movies.

Jackson - My first meeting was September 2012. It was a viewing of a Doctor Who episode. Everyone shouted OOOHHH!!! When there was the big reveal. "Fish fingers" and custard were served. I had nice conversations about subtitling anime, 2000AD comics and favourite films. Everyone was so friendly and passionate about the stuff I was into and lot of stuff I had no clue about. :)

Katrina - I think there was a quiz? Everyone was very friendly and commented on "yet another Kiwi".

Anita - Probably a quiz, I remember quiz master was kind and gave me some Star Trek questions (only sci-fi topic I'm good at, well these days also Stargate)

Adrian - I remember there was cider and good chat. There was also a quiz, which I think the team I was on did pretty well at... however, there was cider, so I can't be sure that's accurate:)

Tim - I met some people whom I now consider old and dear friends

Meredith - It was a warm, welcoming atmosphere and I felt comfortable chatting with new folk. I enjoyed people asking me what sci-fi I was in to, and learning about other people's passions for this genre… we did a very challenging quiz which was organised by Victoria, with English translations of French translations of American films!! The picture round was hilarious! I immediately connected with several people! Definitely a very welcoming group!

Rhiannon - It was a general pub hangout with a quiz from Ed, where he gave us the answers and we had to guess the questions

Ruth - generally a chat and a quiz

Clare - It was at the Horseshoe. When I went enquired as to where the group was, the bartender knew nothing. I'd decided to finish my drink and then leave, when luckily a rather drunk barfly pointed out the room at the back. When I walked in I was politely "pounced" on by Gail who showed me loads of Doctor Who pictures that she had drawn. Nothing special happened during the meet, other than being treated lovely by everyone. Including a certain engaged couple and their son that I walked to the tube station with

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