The 99th Garrison [supported by our good friends The Mint Imperials] was asked to help promote the Urban Exchange Retail Park, Great Ancoates Street, Manchester and in return we were allowed to collect for Dreamflight. see.www.dreamflight.org. If you follow my blog you should know all about Dreamflight by now and if you don't... well shame on you!
The event had been promoted by the event organisers [Don't Panic as "Lost in Space" and although I'm shown as Memah Roothes on the poster I wasn't able to wear her costume as I wouldn't have coped with her heels all day yet! I'm gradually building up wearing heels an hour or so at a time!
On this troop I was giving a lift to Dave to the event from Sheffield as he can't drive at the moment due to having a poorly foot [I've told him he's only trying to compete with me!] so that meant leaving home at 7:00am to go and pick him up and then a drive to M\cr over the hills and through the thick mist, where we arrived at about 9:10am after having some debate about whether we were actually meant to be there for 8:00am. Fortunately, we weren't!
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| Stu in action when he de-kitted in the afternoon taking one of his now famous photos from the floor looking up at us! |
The Urban Exchange centre consists of a M&S retail outlet store, a Go Outdoors, an Aldi and a Gym called PureGym. We were given changing rooms for the day in M&S and Go Outdoors and I was based in the M&S one for the day where I have to say that the staff were ever so friendly.
The gym was also taking the opportunity to promote itself and that included having one of their staff in a green morph suit!
We had a table in Go Out doors where we could sell a few badges and postcards etc but we were given free range of the centre including the main road. Dave wasn't able to troop because of his foot so he manned the table all day but did have his face painted as Darth Maul by the childrens face painter who was there for the day with her making the remark that she had a large canvas to work on! And I had to drive him back home looking like that but he didn't get many strange looks off people, it was as if it was a perfectly normal sight to see people going about their business painted as Darth Maul in M/cr.
It was fairly steady but I wouldn't say that we were busy but we shall see what the collection pots hold. I'll let you know as soon as I can.
There was about twenty of us at this event and I'm sorry if I miss any names off at the end but I will try and remember you all. It was great to see Stu and his son James again with Liz. I'd not seen them for about two and a half years and I was worried that in that time James may have forgotten me and be all grown up now [at ten] and not want hugs and cuddles anymore - but I needn't have worried - he wanted several throughout the day, including one where he had had his face painted as Darth Maul as well and got red and black paint all over my Scout armour.
Was also good to see the familiar faces of regular troopers and some new ones too ... Darren, John, Sarah and Dave.
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| The Face painter also seemed to be doing faces as Memah! |
We even had a photographer there from Geek Pride from whom some of the photos on this post have been provided... Thank you!!!
We trooped all day in the various stores and the Gym which included photos of me on push bikes and a Spinning bike.
We also were photographed in tents, camping chairs, in camouflage jackets with a fishing rod and with hats on... mine had to be pink of course!
There was also a rather good set of stairs in the gym with some good lighting from where we got several good photos. Here is just one with our scariest new member [Sarah] at the front... an excellent costume and addition to the 99th!
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We de-kitted at about 4:0pm and then it was a drive over the hills again [still misty] to take Dave home before getting back home at about 8:10pm.
A huge thanks to Paul, Mel, Stu, James, Liz, Jim, Dave P, Alan, Gary, John, Chris, Darren, Dave A, Vicky, Wayne, Ken, Sarah and to Richard, Neil and Stacey and the rest of the Mints... including R2D2.
