This past weekend, 6th – 8th December, Fantha Tracks descended on the picturesque town of Fordingbridge in the New Forest for the 26th Farthest From Collector’s Event.
This show saw a change in format and reboot of sorts with the first difference being that the weekend actually kicked off on Friday evening. This was dubbed as ‘Beer and Burger with Steve Evans’ and was held just round the corner at The George with a fantastic meal and a relaxed atmosphere where old friends caught up and Steve immediately set the tone for a relaxed and fun weekend ahead.
The Fantha’s were staying just down the road at Sandy Balls (which was never said with a straight face by any of us ‘grown men’) and the lodges were a decent size and quality, which made for a nice place to relax and recharge between the different events.
Saturday morning saw the arrival of two things – the vintage collector’s toy show and Storm Darragh. The latter meant that the former saw quieter numbers than hoped, with dangerous conditions on the road meaning some collectors and traders couldn’t make it to the show. A shame, as I felt that having the toy fair on the Saturday was a good move. Still, those in attendance had a great time. Steve Evans was a delight. He was personable, relatable and genuinely interested in what fans and collectors had to say. He also has a cracking sense of humour.
To those of us who attended the show, Steve was wonderfully conversational and be sure to stay tuned for my review of Steve’s panel from Sunday afternoon as well as episodes of Making Tracks over the coming days.
Also in attendance was Brian Hickey, who came to be the weekend’s best-kept secret. I could write a book on what Brian had to say and his talk became a highlight. Once again, I’ll be writing more about Brian’s talk, work and upcoming projects but let me say that talking to Brian and the information he revealed gave me goosebumps. He was an absolute joy, and be sure to check out Making Tracks for more.
The evening saw the annual Christmas meal and entertainment which was hosted by Generation Skywalker and it was packed out. They did a stellar job. We were treated to Q&A’s with Steve, Brian and GW Acrylics and in-between all that there was the Sit Down Picture Game, the 2nd Generation Skywalker Auction (with Disney Parks and Skywalker Ranch offerings) and the Star Wars quiz where teams were playing for the ultimate prize – respect. We won the quiz. Did we mention that Team Fantha won the quiz? We won the quiz.
After all this, it was time to head upstairs for room sales where there were some gems on offer and some real bargains to be had.
Sunday morning brought more room sales which were busy with new fans and collectors and the weather calming down meant it was busier than Saturday. At 1.00pm it was time for panels with Brian Hickey talking about his new project, Steve Evans on his passion for toys and an exclusive Retro Collection reveal and finally Dave Tree took us on a journey to Christmas past with a look at Star Wars toys that were found in catalogues in the 70s and 80s.
After all this, I was absolutely shattered and Mark and I made the trek home. All in all, I loved the weekend and a massive well done to all involved. I’ve made memories that will last a lifetime, picked up some fantastic finds and I’m excited about the fandom all over again (and just in time for Christmas).
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Also, we won the quiz. Did I mention that Fantha won the quiz? I can’t remember.
