Disclaimer: The owner/founder of Star Wars Autograph News is involved in the planning of the Boonta Eve event, including booking the signing guests. He has edited this review in regards to grammar and to ensure it complies with the SWAN style guide. He has not edited any of the author’s opinions in regards to the show.
Boonta Eve is a pre-Celebration event put on by fans, for the fans. This year’s event was held at The Breakfast Club in Canary Wharf and took place the day before Star Wars Celebration opened its doors to the masses.
There was a good mix of Original Trilogy, Disney+ and behind the scenes guests in attendance, here is the full line up…
Alan Flyng, Tina Simmons, John Coppinger, Pam Rose, Barbara Frankland, Frazer Diamond, Warwick Diamond, Hazel Lyth, Paul Shipper, Brian Muir, David Whiteley, Spencer Wilding.
All Guests had a flat fee of £20 per autograph and the Diamond brothers had a special deal of £30 for both.
Doors opened at 3pm and the Blues Harvest live band kicked off with fantastic tunes to welcome people in. It was wonderful to see both Frazer and Warwick Diamond, who played Jawa’s in A New Hope, together at an event for the first time in nine years. They were both popular with the fans and there was good table images available along with Frazer’s art prints.
I added them both to my Official Pix 8×10 Jawa multi and grabbed a couple of table images too.
Next on my list of people to meet was Tina Simmons, Tina played a rebel soldier in Return of the Jedi and was a delight to meet in person. I took some pictures for Tina as she wandered around the autograph area talking to other guests such as Darth Vader Helmet Sculptor Brian Muir and Rogue One Darth Vader Spencer Wilding.
I had a good chat with Brian Muir and his wife Lindsay, who were both really enjoying the event and gave me a preview of their new book, ‘Stormtroopers, the True Story’. This book is full of photographs from the Muir’s personal collection and includes information about other props that Brian has had a hand in building. Looking through the book and talking to Brian about it was a true highlight of the event for me. You can pick up a copy of the book direct from Brian right HERE.
Here’s Tina’s Autograph added to a rebel base scene, signed already by Hugh Spight.
Jabba sculptor, John Coppinger, was in great form and had a decent set of images on his table. I picked out one to get signed that had him with the other sculptors in the workshop with Jabba
This really was a unique event making the most of having Star Wars fans from across the globe all under one roof together the day before Celebration opened its doors. I truly hope there is a Boonta Eve 5 at Celebration Japan – with karaoke being so popular there, Alderaan idol could go to the next level! Well done to all involved in making this event a wonderful way to celebrate Celebration!
You can find me on the socials as Cloud City Collector where I post images from my collection and other Star Wars adventures, until next time, May the force be with you…. always.
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