If your calendar’s anything like mine, you’ll know how much the geek convention scene has exploded over the last few years. With Comic-Cons, Anime-Cons, Sci-Fi Cons and even Lego-Cons every other weekend it can all start to look a little same-old, same-old. If you fancy something new, different and definitely original, make your way down to the Wheatsheaf Centre in Rochdale this Friday 22nd to Saturday 23rd for Dale-Con: Rochdale’s Only Sci-Fi Convention.
Entry to this two-day event is free and will host such special guests as Craig Charles (Red Dwarf, Robot Wars), Pam Rose (Star Wars, Space:1999), Alan Flyng, (The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi), Stephanie English (The Empire Strikes Back, Stardust) Ken Coombs (Return of the Jedi, Superman IV), Brian Wheeler (Return of the Jedi, The Never Ending Story), Paul Markham (Return of the Jedi, Minder) and Richard LeParmentier (Star Wars), all of whom will be answering questions and signing autographs at points throughout the day (for a charge of course, the life of a celebrity doesn’t come cheap!).
As well as the guest stars, Dale-Con will also be hosting best costume competitions on both days, so get ironing those jedi robes! They will also be judging a Design a Sci-Fi Character competition with entries from over 21,000 school children from across the area, all vying for the top prize of £250 worth of science equipment for their school, and vouchers for themselves. The two winners of this competition will also have the honour of having their creations brought to life on Saturday by illustrator Joe Matthews. Younglings (and more than likely one or two grown-ups) will also be catered for in the Kreative Korner where they will be able to enjoy arts and crafts such as colouring and making their own dalek to keep!
Along with the usual stormtroopers, ghostbusters, tardises (tardii?), protocol droids, cybermen, sith lords and more props and memorabilia than you can shake a lightsaber at, this is shaping up to be, if not the biggest convention this year, certainly the one with the most heart. The Force is strong with this one…
The Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre, Baillie Street, Rochdale, OL16 1JZ. 11am – 4pm Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd February.
