My first meeting with Brian

[Dirk Diggler]

Via my bookseller I found out Brian was doing a small book signing in London. It must have been around 1991 or thereabouts. Along with Brian at the signing session was another favourite author of mine F. Paul Wilson.
I lived at the time in St. Annes in Lancashire and my mode of transport was train. I had two very large rucksacks filled to the brim with 1st editions, proofs, magazines, and short stories. I was going to have a field day having the two sign them all.
The book signing was at a pub and was due to start at 7.30pm. I duly arrived at 6.30pm and waited and had a drink while I waited. At 8.30pm I decided with heavy heart and slightly blurred vision to call it a night. I asked the barman why Mr. Lumley and Mr. Wilson had called off the signing. He told me they hadn't, they were happily signing away upstairs. I dragged my heavy bags upstairs to be met by a giant of a man who happily signed all my books and gave me his phone number. I managed to snag F.Paul Wilson just before he left and got him to sign all his editions too.
What a great night it was.

[BadMushroom]

Hi Dirk. I remember my first meeting with Mr Lumley quite vividly. Saturday the 17th of February 2001 (two days after my 30th birthday) at a book signing in Forbidden Planet - Birmingham, UK.

It took him less than 15 seconds to guess the home town where I had grown-up from my accent (even to which side of the river I came from!), which freaked me out, believe me! Silky astounded me with the breadth and depth of her knowledge of the various book editions and cover variations of the books I had brought Brian to sign, and both Brian and Silky were amazingly generous, friendly and helpful, sharing their time, experience and knowledge with us awkward enthusiasts! Heh!

Brian then graciously took everyone in FP who had turned up for the signing next door to the pub - "The RSVP bar" (don't know if it's still there), and we sat joking, talking about his early life in the North East of England, his love of Greece and Torquay, his ideas and theories about story writing. Mr Lumley answered all our questions, with patience and enthusiasm! I'll never forget it.