FROM BEDFORD, ENGLAND WITH BUB AND SEEMA TO THE TALK SHOW LONDON COMICS HOST, JONATHAN ROSS.

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Don Mcgregor

September 4th, 2018: This is the view from our hotel room. At the Tower Hotel. My first text. Don

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, standing and outdoor

Comments by friends:

Tom Field I love the Tower Hotel! That’s my favorite place to stay in London. Highly recommend the nearby Liberty Bounds Pub. And if you walk across the bridge, there’s a pub on your immediate left (its name escapes me) that serves a finestkind shepherd’s pie. 🙂
  • Joe Ackerman there’s also a really nice Pie & Mash shop ’round there, too
  • Don McGregor I haven’t had good shepherds pie on years.. How can i find this yum. Don
  • Don McGregor Is it the draft house
  • Tom Field Don McGregor , I just don’t recall the name. But I know if you walk across the Tower Bridge from your hotel, it’s just on your left soon after you cross the bridge. It’s a small pub with all old, mismatched furniture. But I’ve always had great meals there. 🙂
  • Don McGregor Tom Field. We had a taxi take us over there from the Thames river tour. Not one of the pubs we found had Shepard pie
    We took another taxi to the bound pub mentioned.

    More comments from fans:

    Paul Carbonaro Don, are you getting flashbacks to when you last attended a Con there?
    • Don McGregor A surprise was seeing that the spirit i kid you not had a thick album of photos of me at the 1978 London comic con. Don
  • Paul Carbonaro I can still play the ‘video’ in my head of the two of us interacting at that Con. You had a bemused look on your face as I said something idiotic, I am truly sorry to say. It concerned your anguish at your LUKE CAGE dialogue being rewritten by the then powers-that-be at Marvel 😮
  • Don McGregor Paul Carbonaro which dumb rewriting are we talking about. I forget. Don
  • Paul Carbonaro I don’t remember exact lines. You took a pen and scrawled through certain pieces of dialogue, exclaiming out loud, “I didn’t write that! And I didn’t write that!” etc. Obviously, and rightly so, you were upset.
  • Don McGregor Paul Carbonaro. Sounds like me all right. Don
  • Mark Rake ‘Acclaimed Writer Don McGregor’ needs to be changed to ‘Internationally Acclaimed Writer Don McGregor’
  • Phil Latter I’ve been there, but standing outside, by Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London, decades ago, when I was in the Canadian Navy.

  • Our dear friend, Frank Lovece, thank you so much for always having a place for Marsha and I to stay in NY!:

  • Frank Lovece London Bridge is getting down!
  • Frank Lovece Mait and I are so happy you two are deservedly enjoying yourselves somewhere cool and fun where you’re being treated well and, as important, are treating yourselves.
    NEXT:
     I started this Blog with the first time I ever Texted.  I’ll get back to the Tower Hotel
    in a little bit.  Before I knew how to Text, Marsha and I were in Bedford, England
    as guests of Jeff and Bub Chalal’s comic con.  I’m going to try to Post these in order
    as we experienced the events about England and London.
    Here I am with Joe Ackerman, who did one of the first comic related web pages
    and printed great stuff for all fans.  Here Joe and I are conferencing into the
    wee hours of the morning.  It was a neat memory to take as the travels began.
    Image may contain: 1 person, sitting
    comments from fans:
    Joe Ackerman aw, mate! what a night! thank you, Don & Marsha. you made a grumpy old man very happy.
  • Sean Pollock A meeting of great minds 😂
    You’re a saint for putting up with him Don.
    Hope he didn’t go too Cockney on you. 😛
  • Simon Barton The legendary Don McGregor and the Mighty Joe Ackerman! Two great guys! 😎
    >
    How kind were Bub and Seema Chalal to Marsha and I?
    They asked Marsha what she would like to do while I was at the Comic con.
    Marsha said she had always wanted to go to a proper English Tea.
    I didn’t even know what that was.
    And Seema took her, and the next day, Bub and I joined them
    for the ceremony.
     
    Before I even knew a proper afternoon English tea existed, suddenly I was introduced to the refined atmosphere of cakes and cups and the friendship of Bub and Seema Chalal.  Thanks for the exquisite memories and your tremendous kindness to both
    Marsha and I.

    Joe Ackerman and I are having an animated discussion on comics in Bub Chalal’s inner sanctum at his comic book store in Bedford, England.  If you’re in the area, you should take time out to visit his comic emporium, because there’s lots of neat stuff there you won’t find anywhere else for miles around.

    Joe Ackerman and I stand in the midst of Bub Chalal’s comic book store
    shelves, surrounded by the very books we are discussing.  I think Joe and I
    are in agreement that comics are a unique artform, and often a demanding
    one at that.

    Jeff Chalal and Bub took all the comic book guests to dinner, where we shared our love
    for the medium that we have devoted our lives to.

    Sculptures in the Bedford, England shopping area.
    Seema took Marsha to this impressive sight
    while I signed books at the comic con and caroused with the fans!
    AFTER THE BEDFORD CON,
    we stayed at the Tower Hotel in London. Our window was like a movie screen exactly framed to view the Tower Bridge from end to end. The room is so small it can hardly fit a bed and two suitcases. Its like a extra cubbyhole glued to the hotel wall for the view. Don.
    Image may contain: one or more people, bedroom and outdoor
    Was it during SKYFALL that they had JAMES BOND
    racing boats about the Thames?
    Here’s Marsha and I following in 007’s wake!
    Hopefully there won’t be any dead bodies floating
    in the grey/brown waters as the do in HITCHCOCK’s
    FRENZY.
    I am wearing my protective BLACK PANTHER T-SHIRT.
       
    >
    Standing above the Thames, with the Wonder Wheel
    in the background, which we will board the next day.
    There was a time I would have been on top of the wall,
    ready to leap, run or tumble.
    • Dave Ryan You look like you’re gonna kick someone’s ass over there Don. Are you searching for Simon Bisley?!? lol
    • Don McGregor Dave i didnt have to search for simon he was at Bub Chahal and jeff chahal s nice Bedford con. Fortinayely it was morning and he wad sober. There was no
      Inner thigh groping
      Phew. Don
  • Todd Taylor I loved riding the London Eye. It takes a good 30 minutes.
  • Tom Field When I return to London next month, my hotel will be right beside the London Eye.
  • Bob Schreck It is SO COOL!!!! Enjoy Londontown! ❤️
  • Boabie Menzies Get there early. Anytime I’ve been there, the queues have been long. Have fun!
  • Pól Mícheál O’Slatraigh Great experience. Enjoy 😊
  • Elizabeth Kramer Gold I’m so glad you’re having fun…and writing short entries! Ha ha. Love to you both.
  • Michael Anyanwu Ohmigosh! Don, you’re in my city of abode. 😁😁😁😎
  • Paul Carbonaro When I was 19 and working for the civil service in the heart of London, I used to hang around the city almost every day until late, have fun, go home and get up and repeat 🙂
  • Mike Mayhew You’ll love it!
  • Dwayne Turner Come on Don, look like you are excited about it! LOL!
    • Don McGregor This is my cool T’Challa impression. Are you not impressed? I mean that i am actually texting you. Don
  • Dwayne Turner I am very impressed by your cool T’Challa impression. I understood you were in character. Denzel, Daniel Day or King Kong have nothing on you! The texting part is other world stuff. Don Mc and high tech who knew there was such a connection!
  • Don McGregor Dwayne Turner. There isn’t wayne. This is like writing in an alien language. Yikes. Don
  • Richard Halegua there’s a big wheel out here in Vegas, Don. I haven’t been on it, but I understand each car holds 48 people and you can have catered parties in them.
  • Rick Gordon London I-Spy
  • Don McGregor Paul Carbonaro. Deep cover
    Laurence fishburn deep cover. Don
  • Bub Chahal That’s a great movie!
  • Michael Powell Welcome over here to the UK Don!
  • Mike Collins Damn, you came to the UK and I was off in Belgium! Missed you mate!
    Cruising up the Thames River.
    Taking in the London sights.
    Dont let facebook know…the statue is totally naked…nipples and more. I spent an hour framing this photo and the cell phone said it did and then screwed me over. Ate the cropped photo and posted the original. Don
  • Don McGregor Joe Ackerman. You are a man of my own heart for sure. Don
  • Norman Boyd Oh, can I join in the “bombard Facebook with the word nipples nipples nipples nipples nipples” campaign? Oh and for the record I do too
  • Image may contain: text
  • Dale Hancock You guys are having way to much fun in our senior years. Looks like a wonderful place to be
    >
    This statuary and fountain are outside the Tower Hotel,
    with an outdoor dining area right near it.
    The Tower Bridge is in the background,
    but who’s going to see it with this in the foreground.
    Jim Brazell Pull your pant legs up a little Don, ha.
  • Barbara K Emanuele This should be your new go to photo!
  • Simon Barton Are those Paul McCartney’s feet, Don McGregor? 😀
  • Robert Campanella It’s ninety one here! I need that fountain!
  • Phil Latter Don M is just missing the mask and the long black gloves! Can you say, “T’Challa”-?
  • Norman Boyd Still with youthful poses. Do NOT leap anywhere Don. 😁
  • Phil Latter Don, that statue behind you is just the coolest! I bet you and your lady are having a great time!
  • Giovanni Rolla At first I thought the picture had been taken in Copenaghen…
  • Clifford Meth Looking good Don! Hello Marsha!
  • Mark Mazz Enjoy every second of this! Way past due for some fun, and adventuring!
    Miss you guys!
    COMIC CATACLYSMIC MEETING WITH
    LONDON LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW CHAMPION,
    JONATHAN ROSS
    Hey folks The biggest best surprise of the day was the comic host king of London invited Marsha and I to his show tonight.
    We met many fabulous people there.
    Jon’s guests that night were Jack Black, Cate Blanchett and Joanna Pettit.
    I gave Jon a Panther signed by Rich Buckler, penciled and drawn by Rich
    before he died, and I personalized it to Jon, as Rich had intended, so that
    fans could have autographs from both of us, though he would be gone from
    us.

    Jon had a big surprise for me.
    All the original Billy Shawnna Graham artwork from SABRE 8!

    WOWZA!
    In perfect condition!

    Thanks to everyone there for their kindness and enthusiasm for the books and us.
    All of Jon’s staff were amazingly warm and embracing to both Marsha and I.
    Don McGregor

    Don McGregor What a great fun night. Don Can any of you believe Im texting this. Me. Texting. Seriously.
  • Lance Roger Axt Wossy!!!
  • Jim Brazell Wow, haven’t seen originals like that in a long time
  • Gary Dawn Guzzo Don, you MUST have him scan those pages, or, at the very least, take some high resolution photos. Those pages are the missing link in Dawn and I doing an Artists Edition of Sabre. These are the pages that were colored too darkly for us to pull out the …See More
  • Gary Dawn Guzzo Michael Feldman, I don’t know… I hope they were giving them to him, but knowing these pages exist, means a Sabre collected edition will happen, and soon.
     
  • Simon Barton Great photo Don McGregor! Jonathan Ross looks a very happy man 😎
  • Mark Mazz That kicks ass! Would love to see the original Billy Graham artwork.

  • Jon B. Cooke Don’t bury the lead, DFM!!!!

    “JONATHAN ROSS GAVE ME STUFF!!!!”

  • Gary Dawn Guzzo They better, because that would definitely scare me enough to need it. My daredevil days, are gone
  • Paul Carbonaro This is near-perfect for recreating the famous scene featuring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton in ‘The Third Man’… isn’t it? 🙂
  • Michael Feldman Danger Man Don!
  • Simon Barton I love “flying” on the London Eye! Hope you and Marsha enjoyed it 😀
  • William H. Foster III Enjoying yourself?
  • Woodrow Olson Thinking how great a scene for a Killraven story it would be?
  • Joe Ackerman hell, no!!!! 😮
    1
  • David Hathaway-Price I found the stepping over the gap getting into the pod the really scary bit…
  • Charlotte Fullerton Living life! <3
  • Hiram LaFon Doup “Other crazies?” Does that mean you’re one?
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.