http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/article3765790.ece
It was probably the first time Norfolk Constabulary officers have broken up a fight involving two doctors and a judge.
Rival science-fiction clubs had to be separated by the force last weekend as the Norwich Star Wars Convention descended into a daft brawl.
Aficionados of the George Lucas space series went head-to-head with Judge Dredd and two fully-grown men dressed as The Doctor from Doctor Who. It was the culmination of a long-running feud between two of Norwich’s most illustrious sci-fi organisations.
In a convention centre far, far away, just north of the A11’s Thickthorn Services, more than 1,000 people, many in fancy dress, gathered to catch up with friends and meet actors who had played minor roles in cult sci-fi films including The Empire Strikes Back and Blade II.
The unexpected melodrama unfolded when Jim Poole, treasurer of the Norwich Sci Fi Club, arrived at the event, which had been organised by the Norwich Star Wars Club. A dispute between the groups began when one of them claimed the town was not big enough for both of their conventions.
The Norwich Star Wars Club held its first annual fair in 2007, but stopped after three events because the organiser, Richard Walker, became seriously ill. According to Mr Walker, he gave his blessing for the Norwich Sci Fi Club to hold its own sci-fi convention in the city with stalls selling games and models, and guest appearances by actors in costume.
When Mr Walker had recovered from his cancer treatment, he announced his plans for the “4th Norwich Sci-Fi and Film Convention”, which went ahead last weekend. The chairman of the Norwich Sci Fi Club objected, however, demanding that the function should not be called a “convention” to ensure there was no confusion with his own event.
“It has been a long running saga,” said Mr Walker, who confronted the rival club’s treasurer on Sunday. “I saw him walking around with a digital camera videoing everything. I walked over and asked him what he was doing here and he told me he had paid his money to get in.
“I told him I wanted him to leave. I put my hand in my pocket and got out £10 and offered it to him, saying it was a refund on his £5 admission and another £5 to get a taxi.”
He admitted that he then laid his hands on Mr Poole and tried to escort him from the convention centre on University of East Anglia campus. “He refused to leave again and I told him I wanted him to go as he had caused enough trouble in the past,” he said.
Mr Poole, who claimed he was only at the event to improve his Doctor Who autograph collection, continued the argument with Mr Walker outside the venue. He was accompanied by three friends from his club. One was dressed as the Doctor Who played by David Tennant, another was impersonating Peter Davidson’s version in a cricket sweater; the third was wearing a Judge Dredd costume.
Police officers confirmed that they had been called to reports of a man being assaulted but made no arrests after studying CCTV footage. “The two rival groups were spoken to and advised to keep out of each other’s way,” a spokesman said.
The Norwich Sci Fi Club will go ahead with its own Nor-Con Norwich Sci Fi convention in September at the Norwich North Holiday Inn.
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