I'd bought a picture of Vila in the trading room for Michael to sign. It was the only one available, a very sad Vila looking miserable, depressed, and cold outside in Rescue. Why, I asked myself, was there only one Vila picture available when there were three or four Avons and Blakes, especially as a lot of people wanted Michael's autograph?
The queue snaked right out the door and round a corner, so I'd completely missed Steven Pacey's solo panel by the time I'd finished. I must have been grinning like an idiot in the queue because when Michael saw me standing a few people back, he smiled and waggled his eyebrows at me—or perhaps he remembered me from the photo session. When I got to him, he let me take a lovely picture of him signing my Vila picture, then asked if I'd like one with him—of course I would! And it turned out very well too (my hamster-cheeks aside).
Jacqueline Pearce also very kindly let me take her photo too.