Post by RitaLittlewood on Nov 23, 2004 20:21:03 GMT
I was fortunate enough to meet the lovely William Russell on the 13th during my weekend away for a Dr Who convention (yes, I like that stuff). You can always tell when someone meets with my approval because they're lovely. Saturday was a WR-fest!!!!! Went to get his autograph at 10am and I gave him the birthday card, which he thanked me for and put up on the table for people to see. I gave him the Reet & Ted postcard to sign and he said he hadn't seen that for a long time. He also signed my companions book. I took a pic then went to the Paul McGann huge queue (he's lovely too), and as we got nearer to Paul, I took a pic of William at his table with the card on it! 2pm was his panel in the hall and Richard saved us seats down the front. My friend Richard shhed me at one point as me and my other friend Paul were discussing whether to stay or go to the autographs since our numbers were the next batch up. Richard later explained it was because Gary Russell (the interviewer) and William Russell were glaring at me. Paul knew as well as I did, William often made eye contact with me throughout that hour! Hey, I am the only one who gave him a card after all. 
William was really funny and I asked if he enjoyed his stint on Corrie (I was saving the killer questions, but more of that later - hehe). He said he did but not as much as Dr Who because it wasn't as friendly and there was no socialising. You'd do your lines then learn the next lot and at the end of the day if he suggested going for a drink, there was no one there. 3pm was the photo session and I told him I wasn't stalking him even though I was also going to the coffee club at 4 (that was a thing with one guest and 10 of us and you paid £10 for the privilege) and he laughed. I got a hug!!!!!! Stuff will go up tomorrow when I'm more with it. As I left I said I had more Corrie questions for him. Then the coffee club and I said next to him. 
I said again I wasn't stalking him, he laughed and joked to the woman on his other side, "I'm getting worried about Patricia with all these Coronation Street questions." He made me go first too, so my first was that I'd heard Barbara Knox was difficult to work with and asked if that was true. He was surprised but praised her to the hilt, saying she was wonderful, was very successful in rep, terrific singer etc. Then a VERY interesting revelation. He said she raised her daughter ALONE and took the job to see her daughter through law school. He said he expected I knew all this, so I just nodded, said yes and hoped for more! He clearly had no idea about these different versions she's given down the years. I said she's rumoured to be difficult and he replied she could well be now due to being older and it being harder work, so people can get crotchety. Then I asked about the famous Barbara nose drip on the dead Ted and if it went on his neck. Again he looked surprised, laughed and said down his neck and all over his face! He had a hard time being dead with her and all that spray but each time he tried to move out of the way, she told him to keep still! Later he was talking about filming and having to do retakes and emotional stuff, and was saying about when Ted had his attack, held his forehead but couldn't remember what Ted had so I reminded him it was a brain tumour, he did a scene and was asked to pick it up near the end and reshoot. He told them he couldn't because it was all emotion. It finished at 4.35pm because he had to go to the station. So, a great Saturday and he is luvverly!!!!!!!Patsy
