Avery Manor: The Tour (Part Three: The Signed Stuff)

These are all prized possessions. Bill Hicks, the legendary comedian who died back in '94 signed this cassette (remember them?) and a video when we met him at the Town Hall in Birmingham. We saw him twice; he was a genius. His comedy will never be matched. Alas the video was lent out to the artist Chris Baker, and I've never managed to get it off him. Chris, if you ever stumble across this blog, I want it back!Back when I worked in Andromeda Bookshop (an SF/Horror bookstore) in the nineties, Clive Barker was one of the regular authors to visit whenever he had a book out. I was a huge fan back then, and he was always an affable and hugely entertaining man, willing to talk to everyone who came to the signing sessions, and sometimes do you a drawing in your book.
Once, due to Barker having a signing session in a nearby Waterstones, our signing at Andromeda had to be a low-key un-advertised affair. Ade and I took full advantage, and spent a fantastic hour or so talking about movies and books with him, while he did us a couple of drawings on some A4 sheets. It's gotten a bit yellowed with age, but it's still a prized possession.

Nowadays, everyone knows who Jeff Buckley is. His one album, Grace is a masterpiece. But I can claim to being there before most. I bought Grace on its week of release and shortly after Buckley and his band came to Birmingham to sign copies in the Plastic Factory, a brilliant record store way back when. He was a lovely chap, stopping to chat to everyone and make sure everyone had something signed. Being a bit of a muso at the time, we chatted about a guitar sound he acheived on one of the songs, Eternal Life. Jeff died far too young, and the world was denied one of its great songwriters.

A relatively recent addition to the collection, this. A Hamlet programme, signed by Patrick Stewart, Oliver Ford Davies and David Tennant when we visited Stratford last year. This being a play featuring Doctor Who and Captain Picard, there were huge crowds every night. Amanda and I persisted and got our autographs. This RSC production of Hamlet (which we finally caught in London a few weeks ago) was incredible. One of the best evenings of theatre I've ever seen.
A Superman Returns poster, signed by Supes himself, Brandon Routh at a Collectormania in Milton Keynes. Currently residing in the kitchen.

A panel from Chasing Amy, signed by Kevin Smith, obtained from the View Askew site.

A poster obtained from a Tori Amos gig way back in the early nineties, and signed by Tori herself after an excellent show at Warwick University. She hugged me twice. It was a good night.