Weekend in Sherwood III
by Judy Spreng

It started for me Thursday afternoon, when I arrived at the Sheraton Oaks Hotel in Novi, Michigan after a 6 hour drive from Chicago. I started seeing familiar faces right away and it was not long before I saw Chris and Denise. They told me what was happening that night and then I checked into the hotel. After determining that two of my friends were there but otherwise occupied, I was on my own for a couple hours. (The calm before the storm, as it were) I ended up going down to the restaurant around 6 to have dinner, then at 8 we started gathering by the boardroom for a staff meeting cum party. Ray came in a bit later, and plopped down right next to me. So, although I did not initiate any conversations with him-I am so shy-I was in on a couple discussions he had with other people. He smokes, so he asked around to make sure it would not bother anyone, and the polite person I am, said no (even though it did). Helen Avry, who with Laura Blunk is half of the team who edit the fanzine ALBION, also smokes, so she and Ray became smoking buddies starting on Thursday night. It became sort of a running gag throughout the weekend. Rays 12 year old daughter Lois was at the con, and came into the party after about an hour (she had been swimming). She immediately began sketching a portrait of Ray (with a cigarette hanging from his mouth-she is trying to get him to quit) which turned out quite good. It ended up in the Art Show, but was marked NOT FOR SALE. She is very creative and was often seen making things out of play doh or drawing something. I guess she has done a few plays in school too, so we may end up seeing the name Lois Winstone in lights one day. I left the party around 10:30 or 11., not being one who enjoys partying all night, and went to bed.

Friday morning, we had a staff meeting at 8am, mainly just to make sure everyone had everything covered and did not need any extra help. I was really amazed at how everyone had their responsibility well in hand, and at least from my perspective, everything went very smoothly. Since my duties were over, (I had been handling publicity for the con since last November) I volunteered to help with the Spirit of Sherwood table in the Dealers Room. So, after the meeting, I helped Chris and Denise set it up, and although the dealer room was not scheduled to open until noon, it was open right away. I stayed to watch the table so that Chris and Denise could see to the con itself. (Much appreciated-grin!!!-C&D) While I was in the Dealers Room a few Fan Panels were held: Ethics in Sherwood and Glitches in Sherwood-both sounded really interesting. Also that morning, was a workshop on Storytelling. One of my roommates, Laura, arrived that morning too, and got herself ensconced in our room.

At 1pm, I close the table to attend the opening ceremonies and the first guest panel with Ray. Mark Ryan was scheduled to come, but at the last minute had to bow out because he is working as the Assistant Swordmaster on the movie FIRST KNIGHT starring Jasons dad, Sean Connery and Richard Gere. He also has a small part in the movie, but I guess he gets killed in the first scene or something. Anyway, Mark felt really bad that he could not make it, so he sent along a taped message for us which was played during the opening ceremonies. It was really garbled, so I could not understand exactly what he said, but I thought that was really sweet of him to do that. A lot of actors would not care enough about the attendees to a con enough to send a personal message. I think he has been invited to Visions and I believe shooting on the film will be done in the first part of November, so hopefully he will be able to make it.

(TRANSCRIPTION OF MARK'S MESSAGE: Hello everybody! (in a kiddie voice) Hello Uncle Marky! Come on, hello Uncle Marky! Yeah, I'm here and you're there. I hope you're having a good time. I'm working very hard, as you know-I'm back in harness, swords swinging, swinging about in the trees, lots of horses, crashing about into wild stuntmen, all that kind of stuff. It's like being 10 years back. Terry Walsh, who swears I've stolen his job, Dinny Powell, Nick Wilkinson, Stevie Dent, all the boys, the same guys-even the same horses! Even Fury, would you believe?! Fury of course recognized Terry Walsh straight away and stomped on his big toe, so he's running around with a big black toe and we're just getting stuck into it, it's great fun. Of course, we're waiting for "BIG SEAN" (doing Sean Connery imitation now-) Who's got the biggest Winnebago on the set and of course he flies everywhere in a helicopter! Anyway, I don't know if I'll get to do any fighting with him, but I don't want to anyway! What can I say? I'll miss it! I mean, I'[l miss it, this is the first time, so...Have a good time! Everyone have a large Jack Daniels and coke on Raymond. I'm sure he won't mind spending lots of money. Try and keep Lois out of trouble. In fact, forget that-Lois will get you all into trouble but have a good time, enjoy yourselves, lots of singing 'round the pool, lots of Wallyball or whatever...Love to everybody, I'm really sorry I can't be there but unfortunately, what can I say? I'm working! (Laughter) It comes as a shock! It comes as a surprise! Anyway, God bless, look after yourselves and NOTHING IS EVER FORGOTTEN!!! Bye!)

Back to Ray. This is the hard part, trying to remember all the good bits that he talked about. He did talk more about Robin of Sherwood than I remembered Mark and Kip did last year. I think maybe because this was his first con over here in five years and people wanted to know HIS side of a lot of the stories we have heard. Like, the fact that during the filming of The Greatest Enemy, he and Mark had a contest as to who could kill the most Normans! Mark has always told us that he won, but we wanted Rays story. Ray says that he won, because he was killing Normans off camera too!! You know, the grip, and the sound man and all. People asked the typical questions about how much input he had on his character. He said he based Will Scarlet on a soccer hooligan he knew as a kid back in East London, who would go completely, stark raving mad at football matches. He also said he also wanted to show, throughout the series, that there was a reason behind his psychotic behavior. (I think he succeeded in showing that, dont you?) He discussed the fact that Kip, as he got to know the actors, would write parts of their own characteristics into the scripts, and how he admired him for doing that. Just like all the rest of the Merries we have seen at cons, I got the sense that he truly enjoyed his time with Robin of Sherwood, and has a great respect for the creative people who were involved with it.

Lois came up with some great questions for her dad, too. I guess Ray will not let her watch one of his first movies, SCUM, but she had a poster from the movie in her room. So she had to ask him questions about a certain scene that was portrayed in the poster-Dad, you know the scene where you have the snooker balls in the sock and you hit that guy with it, how did you do that? Were there real snooker balls in there? Ray jokingly answered yes, then no and tried to quickly get on to the next question. Lois was also making things with Play-doh during the panel, (I assume they do not have it over in England) and would present her creations to her dad. By the time the second panel was held on Saturday, she was up on the platform with her dad, answering questions along with him...This is a question for Ray and Lois...

After the guest panel, I went back to the dealers room to mind the table. As the Autograph Session was about to begin, we did brisk business. And a lot of the other pictures we had for sale went quickly too. They also had WEEKEND IN SHERWOOD III T-SHIRTS for sale, which a lot of people had to buy, including me. I was relieved from duty around 4, just in time to get my photo taken with Ray.

After a few hours off to relax and get dressed in my long dress, I went down to the ballroom for the Medieval Banquet. Before we ate, the Pavanne dance from Hernes Son was performed by about a dozen folks, led by Julianne Toomey. It was done very well. The banquet itself was relaxing and fun-good conversation and good eats! Following the banquet was the Costume Contest, and although there were only about 5 contestants, they were all very good. The best presentation award (and the funniest costume I have ever seen!) went to Lisa Halsey (a.k.a. Guido) for her take on our favorite saracen...except that she was called BRASSIERE! Suffice it to say that Madonna would have been very jealous of this costume! The topper to the costume were electric propellers on the bustiere! There was a baseball tournament going on that weekend, and when some of those baseball players came by the ballroom that night and saw Guido running around with her propellers...they just lost it! They were coming in and taking pictures, we invaded the bar, it was wild!

Later on that night was a time for Filksinging, and I guess Ray and Lois both participated by singing some songs. I missed it, although I understand that it was captured on video, so when the videos from the con are released, you can hear Ray singing Harry Connick Jr. songs.

On to Saturday...(All that just for one day? Oy. I hope this goes quicker ) Saturday morning began with fan panels. This time entitled YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE-which was about the precarious relationship between editor and artist, and editor and writer. The second one was called IN SEARCH OF SHERWOOD, a research panel, but I missed it because my good friend Dawn Blake finally arrived and I wanted to get her situated in the room. Also, the dealer room was opened by that time so I sat in there awhile until the Guest Panel at 11. I have already talked about the guest panels before-this was the one that was THE LOIS AND RAY SHOW! They were adorable together! In the afternoon, there were two workshops scheduled-Medieval Dance 101 and Getting Into Character, but I did not attend either of these. (Dealer table duty again!) I did break away long enough for Dawn, Laura and me to make total fools of ourselves getting silly polaroid pictures taken of all three of us with Ray.

At 2:30 we closed down the table so that we could participate in the Art and Charity Auctions. They were great fun , as always. I ended up getting a poster for Michael Praeds recent play, September Tide, (I always end up picking those posters up! I guess because they are usually the only things within my price range ) and a piece of art that did not go to auction. (What was it of, you ask? Why, Loxley, of course, I reply. ) Unfortunately, we had to get out of the room by 4:00 and so did not get to all the charity auction items. They said something about trying to get to them at closing ceremonies on Sunday, but they never did. I somehow missed the Puppet Show, and then while the Gofer party was going on, Dawn and I went out to dinner at a place appropriately called Red Robin. At 8pm was the Herne Jr. Archery Tournament, which was really fun. The idea here is you use a toy bow and arrow and aim at pictures of our favorite bad guys sitting on a table. The person who hits the most pictures with three arrows, wins! I did fairly well, but about 12 of us had to go to a shoot-off, and I totally blew it. Nancy Thalblum did well, and ended up winning the contest. All those who were in the shoot-off got very nicely embroidered pouches. Nancy got a silver arrow pin. After the archery contest, I went to the video room to make sure I saw Mark Ryans Heinz Ketchup commercial-it was hilarious! He is dressed up like a cowboy and sings through the commercial, punctuated occasionally by a very enthusiastic YEE-HAW! You gotta see it sometime! Unfortunately it is only shown on TV in the UK. Those athletically inclined went to play Wallyball at this time. Laura and I caught up with Denise in the bar who was ordering drinks for a bunch of people out in the courtyard, so we joined them. Ray was there, and we talked a bit about soccer, (I loved watching World Cup Soccer this summer) and then music. Laura was really impressed by all the bands from the early 80s that Ray knew from his East London days-like the Boomtown Rats, Madness, and Gary Newman. That was really fun to just talk to Ray like that and from what he said, he enjoyed being one of us, instead of that guy up there on the stage. I got to bed that night relatively early, at 1am.

Sunday went by really quickly-started off with another Fan Panel-Men in Tights, or Why We Really Watch the Show-, then the Major Oak Awards for Excellence in Robin of Sherwood writing and artistic achievement. Rache always writes a very entertaining sketch and this years presentation was no different. We had Loxley (Mick Spencer), Marion (Kitty Gamarra), Sir Guy (Karen Campbell), Meg of Wickham (Linda Furey), and Herne (Helen Avry) present the awards. Oh yeah, and then Huntingdon showed up, too (Mick again after a quick costume change!) Karen Campbell who played Sir Guy was great-she did not crack a smile once- did the whole thing with a straight face. Even when Ray, who was presenting the Gold Certificates, refused to take the certificate from Sir Guys hand, doing his best Will Scarlet scowl! Everyone involved did a fantastic job. Then came closing ceremonies-presentation of archery contest awards, the caption contest, and then saying goodbye-always the saddest part of the con. All in all, a fun-filled weekend, which went by all too quickly...

(Anyone wishing to send cards, letters, etc. to Ray and/or Lois should put on the appropriate postage and send it to the club address for forwarding-- Spirit of Sherwood, 1276 W. Marshall, Ferndale, MI 48220, USA!)