2008 Ripper Conference, Knoxville, TN

[RJM]

Hi All

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm much taller, much younger, and much better looking than that guy in the photograph. He's an imposter, a clone; one of those pod people.

Can you believe that American customs actually let me bring Cuban cigars into the county but confiscated my hand lotion! I can always buy more hand lotion.

Martin Fido's here and I forgot to bring all of his books and tapes to sign. Sorry JM, forgot the digital voice recorder but the pod(cast) person drinks too much to operate the equipment properly. Ally... please drive down! Nobody will buy Martin a drink

Thanks for the kind wishes Suzi et al. Will do my best to make the UK conference next year.

Cheers,

Robert

[jmenges]

Yea! Robert!







JM

[Magpie]

For all those at the conference, I'd just like to say:


You lucky b*stards!

You lucky, lucky B*STARDS!

[George Hutchinson]

Jeez, I can't believe this. These were only taken in the last couple of hours. You don't hang about, Alan!

Linda, yep - it's the programme I did. How mad it should be premiered in the US just minutes after the first day of the Conference ends.

Monty - Rob is one year and three weeks older than me. No matter how he cuts it, he was born in a different decade to me and there's nothing he can do about it!

PHILIP

[Ash]

And they're off....



Dan and Kelly open the show.



Robert McLaughlin provides the opening presentation on the victim photographs.

[Bulldog]

This is one awesome place and I'm having the time of my life.

Bet I'm the youngest here, though!

Sonny,

Y'all behave yourself now, y'hear?

Bulldog

[Celesta]

Hey Phil,

I copied this from the TV Planner on Comcast, online. Who knows? They're wrong half the time. They show it is new.

In the World of ... Jack the Ripper
052 HISTORY [Closed Captioned]
Fri, Oct 10, 10:00p - 11:00p
The pattern of life of Victorian London plays out as though seen through the eyes of one of the most-infamous and bloodthirsty serial killers in documented history.
2008 | TVPG | 60 mins

Look, you guys up there, have a great time.

Nice photos, Ash.

[Ash]

Another quick one. I spotted this on the way from the Hotel into town to get some lunch, and it seemed to sum up the difference between Britain and America in a nutshell!



(I thought registration wasn't for another hour?)

[Monty]

Philip,

Youre the youngest? that Rob told me he was!

Have a good un and best o luck with the talk...not that you need it. We both know its going to be a brahmer.
Monty

[George Hutchinson]

Registration has just started. A Canadian walked up to me about five minutes ago whilst I was on this very computer. He looked rather like Rob, and by golly he was.

Madness this morning - I was picked up in a big car and driven over to the town of Maryville. I gave a private Ripper tour to some Americans last year and we stayed in touch. Turns out they live just outside Knoxville. This morning I was taken over to the woman's company and gave a talk on JTR to a load of factory workers (not so bizarre as it seemed; they do this as a group bonding and motivational thing sometimes). I left with a bag stuffed with goodies, a Thai meal with some of her colleagues, a guided tour round Knoxville (it's beautiful and the sun is really bright and it's about 25C outside - so unexpected!) and $200 for an hour long talk - totally unnecessary and unexpected.

Suzi - I don't know what you think it is that is going to be let out of the bag tomorrow (no cat) but I don't think you know what it is. If that makes sense.

It's so weird to be sitting in this hotel with Alan's jpegs above knowing I'm in the building and the view from the window is rather like his other photo! This is one awesome place and I'm having the time of my life.

Monty - you just talked yourself out of another ten years of your life. Just remember that there is nothing Rob can do about being older than me, even if it is only by a year.

Bet I'm the youngest here, though!

Celesta - you sure that the programme on tonight is my one? In the UK it's being called IN THE WORLD OF JACK THE RIPPER. If you don't see me in a long brown raincoat at the start in a montage giving a tour to one of the presenters (a precursor of things to come), then it's not the one I did last.

Right - time to go and register and finally meet this Fido bloke.

PHILIP

[Ash]

My contribution!



The Hotel



The City

And to confirm what Phil says, this is definitely the nicest hotel I've stayed in in my four conferences so far, the rooms are fabulous, the staff couldn't be more helpful, and the sweet potato fries are going to make me even more clinically obese than I already am.

I flew to Atlanta and drove up from there. I didn't have much trouble with US customs this time (not compared to last time when it took me over two hours to get through, anyway), but they did insist on re-checking my bag meaning I had to wait for it at the baggage carousel twice which was a pain in the rear.

But the staff at the Alamo Car Rental at Atlanta Airport are morons who couldn't organise a piss up in a proverbial. On the other hand, this has resulted in me driving round in a beast of a seven seater van with a five litre engine or something, all for the price of an economy size. Killing the planet and loving it.

[Celesta]

As a reminder, it looks like the JTR special, Jack's London, airs tonight, in the US, at 10 pm on the History Channel. That's Philip's, I do believe.

And Rob's too?

[Celesta]

As a reminder, it looks like the JTR special, Jack's London, airs tonight, in the US, at 10 pm on the History Channel. That's Philip's, I do believe.

[Suzi]

Hey Frip!
I couldn't agree with Mont more!!! Right and the last point is-
GET THAT CAT IN THE PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
----and say hi to Jana and Rob Mc C [Power Point be the devil's work!]-and anyone else who knows or can remember me!!!

Suzi x

Anyway Go Frip!!!!- and Alan and Rob Mc C !!!!!!!!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxx

A N D beware of ANYONE who you overhear saying anything along the lines of 'I've written 2 books' or mentions THE MASONS-OR God forbid a single whisper from a little grey haired guy with glasses and a deerstalker---- RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We wait for Agent Hutchinson's next report!

[Celesta]

Hi Philip,

I'm sorry they gave you a hard time in customs. I was afraid they would. I hope you will, at least, write some letters of complaint about the way the airline treated you.

Meanwhile, I hope you have some nice Autumn scenery to look at up there and that everything goes smoothly for you from here on out. Good luck on the conference.

Cel