2008 Ripper Conference, Knoxville, TN

[Monty]

Ripperland

Philip.

Awesome. I cant wait to discuss it and the research behind it, 12 months is a long time you know.

Ripperland has been premiered too? No wonder John has laid low. The best doc ever!

Monty

[George Hutchinson]

Hi all. Final breakfast of the Conference is out of the way. Tim has already left. Eugenia Parry is about to do a talk, then people are checking out, having lunch, and then we'll be finishing with Alan. I suspect Alan won't be uploading photos of himself giving his talk.

Had great fun with Martin last night. We had a big arguement, but unlike the usual Ripper ones you see, it was all good humoured. He refused to believe that Church Passage was open, and he maintained that my 1961 photos of it were 'wrong'. I then showed him a photo we have in the book of Duke's Place, showing the opening, in 1905 which got a pause in reaction, a realisation, and no retraction of the initial assertion! It was funny because I knew absolutely I was right about this but I couldn't persuade Martin. It was all very good humoured, though. People were taking photos.

Monty - as to the reaction. Funnily enough, the photo of the woman who took it actually drew an audiable gasp long before I showed them the photo itself. I think people might have thought I'd found a life photo of Liz Stride or something.

The photo itself was a slow realisation. I showed a shot of the photo on the page, unrestored. People were making guesses, and all the ones I heard were wrong. Then I showed a shot of the inside today, then the outside today, then a series of then and now shots. When they saw the famous one, the penny dropped. It wasn't a sudden revelation, it was a slow dawning on people more than anything. No amazing uproar, no spontaneous applause, but certainly a vibe of a room of people witnessing a special moment.

What was more fun was the premiere of John's film RIPPERLAND last night. I know he was scared about how Martin would react to his impersonation of him. I can tell you now, his table was in uproar and so was he. He loved it and felt flattered and was very amused and said that John did an extremely good impersonation of him. The film went down really well. The in-jokes were far better understood than I expected. People were laughing all the way through it. It was the take-off of SPE's list of good and bad authors that got the biggest laugh.

Ten minutes before the first talk starts. Not enough time now to go public. Later today, my pretties. Later...

PHILIP

[Suzi]

The tension is unbearable... Damn you, Hutchinson, spill it, man! Or I swear by all that is unholy, I shall send Spiny Norman to get you!

B.

OR............ even worse......THE CAT!!!!!!!!!!!

[Suzi]

COUGH Frip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on I want to see the Sunday morning pics!!!!! (Thank Gawd nobody can hold a camera steadily enough at the UK Confs on a Sunday mornin'!)

AND get that Flash pan sorted this time!!!

Well done Alan!

Suz x

[Bailey]

The tension is unbearable... Damn you, Hutchinson, spill it, man! Or I swear by all that is unholy, I shall send Spiny Norman to get you!

B.

[Lyn]

Add your own captions.

It took a while for Philip Hutchinson to calm down after US Customs had confiscated his shorts and cap because he'd broken the "Only US Citizens wear such silly outfits" rule. (Thank goodness for podiums!)

I did try to leave a message with Kelly at the hotel wishing you lot a wonderful weekend, but sore throat made it tricky, thus the message on the machine was probably unintelligible. (Kelly, that incoherent message was from me.)

Sounds like you're all having a wonderful time!

[Celesta]

Hi Philip,

I had a feeling. It sounds like it's going to have to be a golden thread.

I'm glad your talk went well.

Bestest,

Cel

[Monty]

Philip,

I know how long youve waited, so saviouring the moment is understandable. Besides, Im one of the lucky few.

However, Im dying to know the reaction. Gasps? Yelps? was it a slow comprehension?

Oh do tell Mr Hutchinson.

[George Hutchinson]

I suspect a thread might indeed be in order, Mr Bell. Just wondering when and where to do it and to prepare myself for all those people demanding to see it who are going to have to wait until I'm ready, and then put up with all their comments about how it's not really 'mine' to keep to myself and how I 'owe it to the Ripper community' to share it.

I shall pre-empt those comments : I've shared everything I get. This is one for me.

I'll slowly lift the lid off the box by saying this image is one of the biggest finds in Ripperology since the return of the Mortuary Photographs to Scotland Yard in 1987. It is, firstly, the first known tourist photograph of a Ripper murder site.

Secondly is more exciting. But I shall enjoy playing the teasing game.

It is so odd now discussing this after going spare trying to keep it from becoming public for almost a year!

PHILIP

[Monty]

Prey, do tell.

Philip,

Do you mean to tell us that a particular photo exsists?

I suspect a thread is in order.

Monty

[George Hutchinson]

Alan, I hate you. Two of the worst photos of me I've ever seen. You git. All wonderfulness I heaped on you for doing the powerpoint has been rescinded. I want my flash stick back and you ain't having my laser pen. Big jobbie.

Yeah, it went well. I'm debating whether or not to let you all know now what it was that I spoke about for most of the talk (giving a talk on The Whitby Collection was about 40 minutes, the second bit was about an hour).

Shall I tell you? Shall I?

I have a photo. A very, very, very special photo.

PHILIP

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Is it the photographs, or has electricity not yet come to Knoxville?

Regards,

Simon

[Jewal]

Thank you Celesta!

So glad I read about the conference on this very site! Feel very lucky to be here.

[The Grave Maurice]

Tell him to speak up.

[Ash]

And here's Mr Fido!