Red Dwarf X Recording

Last month I wrote a 2011 end of year full circle recap. However, one ‘adventure’ was missing this was because the end result hadn’t reached a full and satisfactory conclusion namely the time I went to see the filming of Red Dwarf.

When I first discovered that Red Dwarf would be returning for a new series in 2012 the first thing I asked was, “would it be filmed in front of a studio audience?” I have followed Red Dwarf since the age of 12 and after reading, ‘ The Making of Red Dwarf’ I aspired to some day watch my favourite show being filmed. After series 6 aired I organised a Red Dwarf fan club at my school (That’s my school tie pictured on the left) in the hope of making up the numbers for a coach trip to see next series being filmed. But unfortunately as any fan of the show would tell you series 7 didn’t happen for another four years and when it returned it wasn’t filmed in front of a studio audience. Never the less this aspiration to see the show being filmed had stayed with me ever since… I had almost given up on it until the rumours of a new series began to circulate. Then it was confirmed, there was to be a new series and it was to be filmed before a studio audience!

Not wanting to miss my chance I signed up with various web sites that distributed tickets for audience based shows. And after several months of deleting endless streams of e-mails promising front row tickets for The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and Dancing on Ice (shows that I have absolutely no interest in) The filming dates for Red Dwarf were made public and one of them was on my birthday! I quickly requested two tickets for the 13th of January and impatiently waited 3 days to find out if I could finally realise the dream and see Red Dwarf being filmed I couldn’t! The show was fully booked. My heart sank.
I thought all was lost until a friend of mine informed me that he had a spare ticket and invited me to a recording on the 16th of December! I was overjoyed and eagerly accepted his kind offer! Merry Christmas Arfon I thought, your luck is on the up! Not only was I able to see the show being recorded but on the first night too! All I had to do was be at Shepperton studios for the 16th of December no later than 5:30pm as admittance would not be given after that. So I highlighted and underlined the date on my calendar and counted down the days! A murmur in my car caused some concern and so we opted to hire a car for the 5 hour drive to London, no easy task as cars are in high demand in the run up to Christmas, after countless web searches and telephone calls we found one and booked it! The trip was set, pick up car, drive to London, realise childhood dream, and catch up with family and friends, a great weekend just before Christmas!

On the 16th we made our way to pick up the car, filled in all the paperwork and embarked on our journey that came to abrupt stop after only 45miles. SNOW, or so we were told… we couldn’t see much around in fact we only saw it on mountaintops along the way. But it seemed that snow had closed off the A55! 2 hours later, we were still there! We eventually started making our way forward but very, very SLOWLY the GPS that had previously told me that we would arrive at Shepperton at 3:00pm was now telling me that we would arrive at 5:15! Then the time slipped away to 5:30 we were then diverted into Cheshire and joined an endless queue of traffic… 5:45 the final blow came when the traffic report on the radio warned of similar conditions on the M6 (our next route) the dream was over… I had no chance of making it in time for the recording. And after a few stop and starts I reluctantly admitted defeat and turned the car around.
My ambition to see Red Dwarf being recorded had been dashed. The opportunity to hear the lines that Red Dwarf fans would be quoting in 2012 being uttered from the actors’ mouths for the first time had been stolen from me. The 13 year old me, that organised that Red Dwarf fan club in school all those years ago melted away like the snow that was blamed for all this (The disappointed 31 year old me blamed the people who’s job is to prevent this sort of thing happening!) Thankfully the ticket was offered to someone else so it didn’t go to waste but poor Beth had to listen to my bitter ramblings all the way home.

Daily Post’s account of the snow related ‘chaos’ on the A55
no mention of Red Dwarf X though…

2012 after gritting my teeth over Christmas hearing the successes of other fans that managed to get to the recordings I was granted another shot! Thanks to a very dear friend who managed to arrange some tickets for the recording of the series finale on January 27th! This was to be my one and only chance to realise the ambition! The same arrangements where made as December only this time round we travelled to London the day before! I’m pleased to report that the plan paid off we arrived safely and saw the show being recorded and I absolutely loved it!! Unfortunately, I am prohibited to divulge anything about the recording as they are quite concerned about spoilers and loosing viewers so I can’t actually go into real detail about the sets, story and acting. But I will tell you this, the effort, pain and anguish that I have just shared with you in this account was worth it I highly recommend that you watch it when it airs later in the year. Congratulations to all involved in the making of the show and my sincere thanks to all involved in allowing me to realise this ambition of mine!

© Arfon Jones 2012. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

A 2011 end of year full circle recap

Well, 2011 is drawing to a close it’s been a busy year but it’s also been a good year… Creatively speaking it’s been marvellous! I have been fortunate to have my work featured and displayed and published as I worked on many projects covering a very broad range of themes. Despite the workload I have (somehow) managed to keep this blog updated…. However, I did manage to miss one or two items so I thought I would use this last entry to recap those missed moments

February sadness and joy… Joy at winning Stuart Ashen’s art competition on line with ‘Ashen’s Poundland Peril’. But sadness with the passing of Nicholas Courtney (1929-2011) Nick famously played Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who and was a regular face at Doctor Who conventions, I met Nick countless times over the years and thought he was a lovely man. I shall always treasure an evening in Stockton on Tees discussing giant maggots over Cheese and biscuits.

RIP Nicholas Courtney(1929-2011)

March Invited to Farthings in Selsey to attend a party that both celebrated the Sky at Night’s 700th episode and Sir Patrick Moore’s 88th birthday! It was lovely to be able to return to Selsey and see Sir Patrick again. The star-studded party was held in a marquee that heaved with people discussing astronomy and science over drinks a good time was had by all!

Cameras were not allowed at the party but the Sky at Night magazine snapped this photo outside the marquee… Beth and I can be seen in the window!
© Sky at Night magazine 2011

April a month that not only saw ‘The Cooling Pond’ go on display in Los Angeles it was also the month of Dimension Jump XV The official Red Dwarf convention was held at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham and the 2011 logo was designed and illustrated by yours truly! Inspired by the episode ‘Demons and Angels' the fifth story of series V where the crew try to ‘Triplicate’ food, the logo features a strawberry. The logo was used on various items at the convention including the event banner that was later signed by all the guests and auctioned by the show’s co-creator, writer, director and producer Doug Naylor.

Photo courtesy of Rich Lawden and GNP

The weekend after, Beth and I visited the village of Aldbourne in Wiltshire the setting for the classic 1971 Doctor Who story ‘The Dæmons’ staring Jon Pertwee as the third Doctor. Aldbourne (or Devil's End as it was called in the story) is a popular pilgrimage site for Doctor Who fans so when Beth and I discovered that there was to be an event celebrating the story’s 40th anniversary at the village in April we plot a course for the picturesque village (stopping only to visit Stonehenge!) We had a delicious meal at the Blue Boar pub (or the Cloven Hoof as it was called in the story) then attended several Q& A’s by the surviving cast members including Richard Franklin, John Levene and Katy Manning. Highlights of the day had to sitting next to Damaris Hayman (Miss Hawthorne) watching the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers dancing on the green and going for a drive around the village and back roads in a replica of the Doctor’s car, Bessie! We had an absolutely delightful weekend we left Aldbourne very happy Doctor Who fans.

Original cast and crew on The Green

The Headington Quarry Morris Dancers

Three days after our Who related weekend, the world of Doctor Who, received another tragic blow… Elisabeth Sladen known to millions as Sarah Jane Smith died on the 19th
I met Lis Sladen in Blackpool in 2006 and found her to be exactly what everyone said she was a lovely, warm obliging person by far the best Doctor Who companion and a tragic loss to the show.

RIP Elisabeth Sladen ( 1948-2011)

October seemed to be a month of theatres not only did we attend the ‘Save The Coliseum Halloween party on the 31st. But on the 12th I was able to tick one item off my rather hefty ‘things to do’ list when I had the pleasure of seeing Paul Daniels perform magic live at the Pavilion Theatre in Rhyl! Growing up in the 1980’s I adored Paul Daniels, I look back at his weekly magic show, Wizbit and his teach yourself magic books with great fondness so to be able to see the master perform his magic live was amazing! He didn’t fail to impress both his magic and repor with the audience was as I had imagined, flawless. The “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow” also featured (the lovely) Debbie McGee and son Martin Daniels who was assisted by the wonderful Andi Mac! A traditionalist at heart I favour what you might call ‘traditional’ magic and this show had it all (and rabbits too!). I was doubly pleased at being able to meet both Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee in the foyer after the show they both signed autographs and took the time to meet the public, performing tricks and sharing stories and jokes it was fantastic. I urge you all to check out his site and see what he is up to in the New Year!

Then on the 15th of October attended a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the Theatr Colwyn in Colwyn Bay. The event, marking the reopening of theatre’s £750,000 facelift was presented by the theatre’s patron Terry Jones, who was later interviewed by Phill Jupitus who also took questions from the audience. Naturally I had seen the film many times before but never on the big screen so it was wonderful to be able to sit amongst an audience and laugh along with others, we had a wonderful afternoon.


November Friday the 18th to many this was Children In Need Day but it was also Beth’s birthday and a return trip to Selsey was on the cards (see March). For Beth it was a routine trip to visit Patrick for super, but for me this was a trip that had been several weeks in the making as I intended to ask her to marry me! Before we embarked on our trip a surprise Birthday dedication courtesy of BBC Radio 2’s Ken Bruce who kindly granted me the opportunity to declare my love and well wishes via his show!



A few hours later we safely arrived at Sir Patrick’s home for a lovely home cooked meal and a glass of champagne to toast Beth’s special day and then out to the garden to use Patrick’s famous 15" Reflector to view Jupiter! The garden was busy that evening as the Adur Astronomical Society were holding their monthly meeting with John Fletcher of Mount Tuffley Observatory. As everyone observed deep sky objects I walked Beth over to the 12" Newtonian telescope (used by Patrick for his historical lunar mapping work). Ironically a street light proved to be most useful for this amateur astronomer as it allowed me to be see and be seen as I knelt down on one knee! Beth who had no idea what I was up to looked on in bewilderment as I produced my specially made ring box complete with hand crank when wound played Elvis Presley’s ‘Love Me Tender’… Knowing that Beth would instantly recognise the tune I let the music box ask on my behalf and to my delight (not to mention relief!) she said yes! A kiss and a reassurance that I was serious later, we went back to the house to let Patrick know the outcome of our plan! Another bottle of champagne later we shared our news with all in attendance receiving many kind well wishes from the Adur AS and John Fletcher who logged the event in the telescope logbook! And that was the night this artist proposed to his muse, my sincere thanks to everyone that shared our special evening.

There we have it 2011! A year of ups and downs crammed full of wombles, frozen/ shrunken dinosaurs, zombies, Papier-mâché heads, sea monsters, mutant jelly/pumpkins and fish, chainsaws, glow in the dark paintings, classic sci-fi, iconic superheroes, ducks and not to mention one or two childhood heroes thrown in for good measure! I was determined to make what sounded like a dull year one to remember and I thank all concerned for helping me achieve this Happy New Year!
Right then, 2012…

© Arfon Jones 2011. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Taming the Pound

Released just in time for Christmas, Taming the Pound: Making Money Your Servant, Not Your Master tells you everything you ever wanted to know about handling your money. Written by psychologist and financial advisor Kim Stephenson an accredited coach with over 25 years' consultancy who has appeared in The Guardian and FT, Financial Solutions, Therapy Today and on BBC radio stations not to mention numerous conferences. His book is designed to help you gain control of your money, instead of it controlling you and the inside illustrations are by me!

A lovely project to work on I illustrated several cartoons that can bee seen throughout the book in an attempt to help you gain control of your finances!
Check out Kim’s web site for more information or order your copy through Amazon its also available on Kindle

© Arfon Jones 2011. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Tom Baker Drawn and Quartered

Painted in acrylic and pen on A3 card back in 2006 this is a painting within a painting and is based on a ‘what if?’ idea I had based on Tom’s character in 1973 Amicus film ‘Vault of Horror’. In the story ‘Drawn and Quartered’ Tom plays an artist that has voodoo powers! Whatever he paints can be harmed by inflicting damage on the painting, this allows him to exact his revenge on the three men that wronged him.. However his self-portrait proves to be his downfall as he too can be harmed if anything happens to that painting! The subject of this painting is namely, what if the outcome of that story had been different and he was still a working artist alive in 2006…

© 2011. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

The mutant jelly experiment: Phase 1,2,3 & 4

For the last two years I have been experimenting with a new medium, Jelly (jello to everyone in America!) I decided to create a mutant jelly composed of several flavours complete with brain.

The mutant jelly experiment: Phase 1
The mutant jelly composed of lime jelly with a raspberry brain. Both flavours can be separated for people whom favour one over the other…in other words, the brain can be easily removed! Progress has been made However, the thickness of the jelly prevents you from seeing the brain properly...


The mutant jelly experiment: Phase 2
This mutant jelly is composed of lemon jelly with a raspberry brain. Because the thickness of the jelly prevented us from seeing the brain of the last mutant I decided to give this one an external brain.


The mutant jelly experiment: Phase 3
Mutant Lemon jelly with larger Strawberry brain. I felt the external brain needed to be larger…


The mutant jelly experiment: Phase 4
Strawberry jelly with a single eye.


Progress is being made on Phase 5…

© Arfon Jones 2011. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Glow in the Dark Marie Curie Portrait

This would have been Marie Curie’s 144th Birthday. A pioneer in field of radioactivity she discovered the elements, Polonium and Radium. She received two Nobel Prizes and conducted the world's first studies into the treatment of neoplasms using radioactive isotopes later founding the Curie Institute a research centre specialising in the treatment of cancer.
So I thought I would use this day to share one of my latest pieces with you. Inspired by the story that a beaker glowing brightly in the dark lead to her to the discovery of Polonium and Radium I painted this portrait that both harks back to my ‘Science Spotlight’ series and glows in the dark!
Once the light is switched off the portrait lights up, the piece can be enjoyed during night and day and be useful if placed near a light switch as it remains bright for several hours making it easy to locate the light switch again. The first of my up and coming series of ‘Gamma Portraits’”

© Arfon Jones 2011. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Hallowe'en

Its that time again…. Halloween! Happy Halloween to you all! I love Halloween, and with just barely a few hours to go of it I thought I would share some of the things I have been getting up to over this Halloween weekend…

On Friday Beth and I attended a Halloween party organised by The Friends of the Coliseum. The Coliseum Cinema in Porthmadog was built in 1931 and remains a fine example of an Art Deco style that harks back to the golden age of cinema. Admittedly I wasn’t a patron of this fine establishment until 2005 but I was instantly blown away by its look and design and so I was saddened to hear of its closure and uncertain future. Thankfully some of Porthmadog’s residents decided they would do something about it and so they formed a group that raises funds and awareness. The event was called ‘Spirit of the Coliseum’ and was held at Portmeirion’s Hercules Hall a one night only fancy dress disco with all proceeds going directly towards saving and re-opening the Coliseum.

For a costume I decided to go as Ash Williams from the ‘Evil Dead 2’ movie complete with chainsaw hand made from various things I found around the studio. Using the dvd for reference I applied the necessary tears to my shirt and cuts to my face. Then from boomsticks to broomsticks Beth decided she wanted to go as a witch but not the ‘conventional’ witch one would normally associate with Halloween instead going as Samantha Stephens from the television show ‘Bewitched’ wearing a beautiful 60’s evening dress and supporting a broomstick worthy of Elizabeth Montgomery!
Hercules Hall was a magnificent venue with its dark wood panelling, portraits and carved ceiling that complimented the music provided by DJ Y Bwgan. There was an excellent turnout, great many imaginative costumes to be seen and everyone was having a great time. I was also able to meet up with some of my fellow zombies from the ‘Zombies from Ireland’ shoot back in July. A little later into the evening partygoers were invited to view the premiere of the mini documentary about the Coliseum, which was shot recently by local filmmaker Stuart Murray, the film highlighted what the Coliseum meant to the local residents.
Then it was back to the dance floor to dance the night away, we had a “groovy” evening and I ‘doff my hat’ to the organisers who managed to raise £1055 for the cause!
If you would like to find out more, sign the petition or better yet make a donation please follow the link.

The big day! It was time to carve pumpkins! I love carving pumpkins (second only to decorating Christmas trees!) and this year I thought I would add some life to our jack-o-lantern by creating a mutant pumpkin complete with glowing mutant green eyes, mouth and twisting roots ready to catch a Trick-or-Treater that dared to get too close! He kept guard on the table as we tucked in to a bowl of home made mutant pumpkin soup.
Unfortunately the weather cut short my daughter’s plan to go out Trick-or-Treating so it was back to the house for a warm drink and bowl of popcorn!

Later on I then joined a National Séance that is quickly becoming an annual tradition for me! To celebrate the nineteenth anniversary of Ghostwatch's first UK television broadcast the Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains site repeated the success of last year’s event!
Just like many other Ghostwatch fans I like to watch Ghostwatch on Halloween night, so this event allowed us to do so along with countless other fans by taking part in a 'live' simultaneous repeat viewing! All that was required was a Ghostwatch dvd and a Twitter account set your Ghostwatch dvd to start at 21:25 (the time it originally aired in 1992) and then tweet comments and share thoughts on the proceedings as it plays. Great fun, lovely to see so many fans joining in! I anticipate next year’s 20th anniversary!

I now plan to return to the sofa and watch a few more dvd’s before the first of November arrives, Happy Hallowe'en to you all!

© Arfon Jones 2011. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.