From Brony to Bronte – Festival of Friendship 2023
Hoarse News Convention Report 2
Dr. Foal Duke, Basingstoke, Saturday 18th March 2023. Note: In 2024 the con moved to Southampton and expanded to two days; would it hold up?Stay tuned to find out.
Small, but ambitious That's how I'd describe this particular convention.
This was a one day event out in the suburbs of Basingstoke, in the midst of the old stately manor of Downton Abbey and the classical redbrick home of Emily Bronte. This was my first time to this part of the world and while I expected it to be a bit off the beaten track, I certainly didn't expect it to be this far off; train strikes were planned for today, and appeared to follow me everywhere, from EponaFest in Milan last May to Nottingham and now here. Or should have been.
As I nursed a headache on Sunday's replacement bus with the smell of vomit on the other seat and the alarm threatening to pound my skull and stomach until their contents oozed from their holes, I reflected upon how lucky this convention was, in a country where even delays are delayed. It first started as a meet up for fans in the countryside in 2019, and thanks to having almost no budget, was able to come back in 2022 as a very small convention. This year attendance was actually up by about 20 percent and despite its location being a little difficult, the thing went ahead without a hitch. There's not much to say so I'll keep it brief.