Ever since I heard Paul McGann sing a verse of “I Wish I Was Back in Liverpool” at the interview panel at Gally (I believe this was Friday afternoon), I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. In case you haven’t seen/heard it, here’s a video of that moment, as uploaded to YouTube by nerdchik:

Just to be sure you’ve got all the lyrics sussed, here’s a transcription for you.

I Wish I Was Back in Liverpool

I wish I was back in Liverpool
Liverpool town where I was born
Where there ain’t no trees, no scented breeze
No fields of waving corn
But there’s lots of girls with peroxide curls
And the black-and-tans flow free
And it’s six to a bed by the old pierhead
And it’s Liverpool town for me

Now I can’t remember how it first popped into my head, but somehow I started singing it to myself as “I wish I was back at Gallifrey.” From that moment on, it was only a matter of time till I came up with a full spoof version based upon our favorite con. I’m sharing with you here what I devised. I encourage you to add your own alternate versions – ones that you think scan better and/or relay the spirit of the con more completely – in the comments. So, without further ado, here it is.

I Wish I Was Back at Gallifrey

I wish I was back at Gallifrey
Gallifrey One where I had fun
Where there ain’t no pets, no Internets
No lovely LA sun
But there’s lots of girls from the Doctor’s worlds
And Daleks, guests, and geeks
And it all carries on at LobbyCon
And it’s Gallifrey One for me

This having been my first year to attend Gallifrey One (or, for that matter any con of any kind), it was a learning experience as much as a chance to rub shoulders with some whovian Names. Since there are still bunches of people out there who’ve never been (despite this year’s record attendance of 3183), I thought I’d pass along a few of the things I’d learned, in hopes that others might benefit. Or at least that I can come back and remind myself of them before I go next year…

1. Plan far enough ahead that you can book a room at the Marriott itself. While the place I got was convenient enough (a 4-5 block walk, or about 5 minutes) and had free (if weak) breakfast – something I’m not sure the Marriott offers – it was an extra little hassle. I envied the con members who could just pop up to their rooms at the end of the day, stash most of their things in their rooms and just carry the basics, or not worry about still having to walk stably for several blocks at night after Lobbycon. And speaking of Lobbycon…
2. Arrive early enough to enjoy Lobbycon on Thursday night. Although I in no way regret my Thursday this year – I got to see three distinct sets of friends, all of whom I’d last seen years earlier – it would have been nice to be able to socialize with other con members in that unique way.
3. Stay till Monday morning. Note to self: redeyes suck; don’t do that again. Regardless of the fact that things officially end after the Closing Ceremonies around 7pm (unless you’re lucky enough to be able to go to the Volunteers’ Reception), there is still Lobbycon happening Sunday night. And really, who wants Gally to end? Stretching it out a few extra hours and not worrying about a flight till the next morning would be a nice way to finish off.
4. Use a decent camera that’s good with long-distance shots. Although it’s possible to get super-good seats for many of the panels, let’s face it – not everyone gets the best spot, and sometimes you’re just going to be far away. If you have a simple point’n’shoot camera, it’s not going to get sharp, well-lit photos of all those folks up on stage in the ballroom. Find something that will.
   Also: don’t lose the camera you do have. ~sigh~

There are also a few things that I definitely want to do again or try out next time:

I didn’t see much of Con Buddy on Saturday.

I think it had to do with our different approaches to getting photos and autographs. He’d done a lot of that on Friday, and had a stronger interest in the programming being offered Saturday. Not that this stuff didn’t interest me – there’s stuff I’m pretty sad I missed – but my priorities were different.

So I spent most of my day standing in lines. I started with some autographs. I got them from Eric Roberts, Daphne Ashbrook, Maureen O’Brien, and Richard Franklin. I also stopped by to give Caitlin Blackwood one of each of my ribbons, since I’d heard she was collecting them, and get a picture of her with her mum. Of course, I’ve since lost my camera… (Here’s hoping it’s at the lost and found this morning.)

Con Buddy actually beat me into the next line by about five people. I got to chat with a lovely woman who was there in her wheelchair with her service dog Wiggles (who was wearing a K-9 vest signed by John Leeson) before going in to have my picture taken with the TARDIS console from The Movie. Then I headed strraight to the next room to stand in line to have my picture taken with Paul McGann. (I ended up looking a bit manic. While a bit irritating, I suppose it’s not completely surprising.) Right behind me in line were a lovely young couple with whom I’d struck up a conversation over lunch on Friday. It almost felt like chatting with old friends.