Dear Mummy, it’s not often you escape the daily grind and immerse yourself in all things fantasy but you did just that recently when you and daddy attended London Comic Con Spring at Kensington Olympia.

My Daddy is a big sci-fi and comic fan and the prospect of seeing some of his movie heroes like Christopher Lambert and Ian McDiarmid was an absolute must. My folks headed up after the big queues had subsided and arrived around 10am at Olympia. Plenty of Comic Con fans where already inside enjoying the show so they breezed through security into the large hall.

The atmosphere was great with a mixture of movie props stands, fan artwork and merchandise to buy. The cosplayers walking around the show were fantastic and willing to pose for photographs with my folks. Some of their costumes were jaw-dropping and it’s clearly an event that encourages people to dress up in a safe environment amongst friendly fans.

My Daddy is a Star Wars Cosplayer, though due to the weather chose not to go in costume, but as soon as he arrive he instantly regretted not being in character.

It was brilliant to see so many cosplayers from Sci-fi, Anime and Film sharing their passion and craftsmanship. Their character dedication was inspiring.

My folks really enjoyed the 007 James Bond stand which was showing off the Aston Martin gadget car from the new film ‘No Time to Die’.

Alongside the DB7 there was a green screen studio set up to transform attendees into Top Secret agents. My folks left with their MI5 ID and a little video memento. I saw the video and all I can say is stick to the day job! Mummy and Daddy are very much looking forward to the next film, daddy won’t stop going on about it!

The ground floor was dedicated to purchasing goods, such as vintage and new toys, limited addition artwork and fashion with Cosplayer Groups positioned on the fringes.

But what caught our eye was independent merchants selling handmade movie replicas, crafts and cosplay accessories.

Upstairs on the first floor was the opportunity to meet your heroes and obtain an autograph and a photo with your favourite screen icon, comic book artist or graphic novel illustrator. All of the stars who had attended seemed in good spirits and willing to chat briefly.

My Daddy got the opportunity to meet Christopher Lambert (having grown up with the Highlander movies and Tarzan) and Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine, Star Wars) however he would have happily have queued for many more given the sheer variety of stars from shows like Charles Dance to Jerome Flynn (both from Games of Thrones) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) to Caitlin Blackwood (Doctor Who) there really was someone for everyone!

As well as talks and presentations the real draw was the opportunity to hunt for memorabilia. My folks like to find original pieces by talented artists to add to their collection.

Sadly recent bad weather has led to water damaging some of daddy’s Star Wars / Star Trek posters which needed to be replaced. In a hunt for a bargain, they were not disappointed.

It’s worth stressing that one of the biggest appeals of any Comic Con is the overwhelming acceptance by those attending the event of cosplayers as a whole. It was great to see all ages getting involved enjoying the opportunity to dress up and share their hobby and passion with enthusiasm. You cannot but respect the level of detail and obvious hours of effort that’s gone into their outfits as well as the variety of ages from small children attending in costume to much older fans still willing to show off their passion. Maybe I can go next time?

It was a really great day and all the events staff were super friendly and helpful. There were plenty of areas to grab food and drink and sit down (even if it was on the floor) There were plenty of toilets to use around the site, a lift and breakout areas. Also a handy cloakroom to store bags (perfect for cosplayers) and suitcases at a cost.

We all very much look forward to the Summer event now and who knows, daddy might bring me or tempt mummy to dress up! Thank you Showmasters for giving mummy and daddy the opportunity to attend and to escape for a day!

Love Bella x

Fancy going in July? Check out their website http://www.showmastersevents.com

Disclaimer: My folks were invited to attend London Comic Con Spring, all thoughts and photos are their own.