The Ben Chatham Annual 2010

Its annual time again folks! Coming soon in this thread will be several short stories and quizs. Presented FREE online - create a link and email it to others and it will make an excellent Xmas gift!

sparacus wrote:Its annual time again folks! Coming soon in this thread will be several short stories and quizs. Presented FREE online - create a link and email it to others and it will make an excellent Xmas gift!

i was wondering what to get my gran...

Fantastic. Really looking for to it spara. What a great Christmas & New Year present!

Anyway, here is my first story for the annual:

TERROR OF THE SNOWMEN

It was a cold December evening in Cambridge. The snow had been falling all day and a chilling, driving wind had blown it into deep drifts. Ben Chatham was trudging home through the town, frowning at Christmas shoppers laden with parcels and a student charity choir singing near to Trinity College. As Ben turned away, a student approached him with a collecting tin:
"Spare any change for orphans in Equador?"
"Er no actually. I pay taxes , some of which is used for international aid programmes. I dislike being pestered in the street." Ben replied.
"Well merry Christmas anyway," the student said, grinning.
"Huh? I doubt I'll have that. A Christmas of just visiting my parents and going through the motions is what I've got coming" Ben exclaimed, his dark dreamy eyes filling with tears. He turned and trudged on through the driving snow.
As Ben turned a corner he saw a group of children finishing off a snowman they had built on a patch of grass near King's College. A boy had just finished making its eyes out of chestnuts when a strange eerie light descended from the sky. The light shot into the snowman and illuninated it with a transluscent glow. Suddenly the snowman began to move and its chestnut eyes turned deathly black. Ben shouted "run" at them as the snowman picked up some snow and firmed it into a ball. A man walking his dog was caught in between the fleeing children as the glowing snowball flew through the air. It hit the man on the head and his whole body was bathed into a golden glow and his skin shrivelled and smouldered. He collapsed into a smoking heap.

Ben grabbed a crying little girl who had fallen over and ran.
"Did you have to fall over like that" he chastised her, irritated. A girl of about 20 shouted at Ben and the children from a shop doorway to run into her art shop as the snowman lobbed more deadly snowballs at passers by, hitting a student on a bike and two old ladies. Once they were inside, the girl slammed the door.
"I saw what happened, I'm Jess by the way. What the hell is that thing?"
"I have a good idea", Ben replied, "I think its an energy absorption entity. I used to travel with someone called the Doctor who told me about them. They travel through space and descend on planets, illuminating inanimate objects and using them to drain the life energy of living things. The more it kills, the more it grows. I'm Ben Chatham by the way."
"Cool to meet you Ben. But how do we get out of this?"
They looked out of the window and to their horror saw the snowman divide and replicate itself several times.
"As it drains the energy of more people it replicates. They'll be an army of them soon" Ben exclaimed.
They witnessed the snowmen pummelling a salvation army band further down the street with deadly snowballs. The bandmembers are reduced to smouldering heaps of shrivelled flesh. Suddenly one of the snowmen turned and headed towards the shop. The children cowered.
"Quick, I have an idea" Ben shouted. "Turn that gas fire in the corner there up to full blast. Do you have a kitchen in this shop?"
"Er yes, in the back."
"Good. Jess take the kids back there and fill some bowls and buckets with hot water."
They did as Ben asked. Ben waited a while then opened the front door. He waved at the snowman. It turned, its deadly black eyes fixing on Ben. Slowly it trudged towards the shop. Ben grabbed a bowl of hot water from Jess and as the snowman entered the shop, threw it over it. The snowman writhed and melted. As the other snowmen marched into the shop, Jess directed the children and they all threw hot water at the deadly ice killers. They writhed and melted as the heat from the gas fire increased the process. The deadly energy emerged from the last snowman and shot out the door and back up into space.

"That was well exciting, if rather scary for the kids" Jess said later, while enjoying a glass of wine with Ben in the Mermaid Wine Bar.
"Oh kids soon get over things, especially at Christmas" Ben comments. " I must say I like your shop. Its nice to see an art shop that has proper art in it, not mass produced rubbish for the vulgar homes of the aspiring dim" Ben said wiith a smile. Jess sipped her wine:
"Well I wouldn't put it in those terms Ben, however we do sell authentic paintings by real local artists."
Ben looked sad:
"Look I know we've only just met, but how would you like to spend Christmas with me in my parents' country home?"
Jess gazed into his dark eyes.
"Yes Ben..." she replied.


THE END

OK here is the first feature article in the annual: a profile of Ben Chatham star Adam Rickitt:


ADAM RICKITT: A PROFILE


Future Ben Chatham star Adam Rickitt was born in 1978. Adam is the youngest child of four in his family. He has three older brothers: Timothy Grant, Mark Edward and Samuel James. The family business is the estate agency Rickitt Grant which operates in Chester and London. Adam was educated at Sedbergh School, an exclusive boarding school in Cumbria.

Adam has spoken about suffering from bulimia in his teenage years and about how male sufferers have largely been neglected.He lost 3 stone (42 lb; 19 kg) in weight. However just like Ben Chatham, Adam has bravely overcome personal demons.

After leaving school, he considered a career in journalism, but his work experience placement at the Northwich Chronicle in Cheshire lasted only one day. He was too good for such a publication.

When Adam turned 20, fans swamped him with 200 teddy bears, mountains of chocolates and bunches of flowers. He stated: "I didn't know what to do with them all. The house was full to bursting. It was amazing." He handed the gift bonanza over to local hospitals and other charities.

Adam is 5 foot 11 inches (1.80 m) tall.

Adam is most famous, apart from his role as Ben Chatham, for his role on popular ITV soap opera Coronation Street, where he took over the role of Nick Tilsley in 1997.

Adam left the series in 1999 in order to pursue other successful projects, returning briefly in 2002 and for a longer spell from 2003 to 2004 after which he left for new challenges. His most famous and controversial storyline was in 2003 when the character of Nick was involved in the series' first gay kiss with Todd Grimshaw (played by Bruno Langley).

Adam left Coronation Street in 1999 to start a music career. He signed a six-album deal with Polydor, although he only released one album - Good Times - in 2000. Adam's groundbreaking album changed the face of popular music and has been compared in impact to Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust". Adam's first single, "I Breathe Again", reached no.5 in the UK, but follow up singles "Everything My Heart Desires" (also recorded by Mandy Moore), and "Best Thing" were less successful, reaching no.15 and no.25 respectively, although they werre hugely successful in terms of quality. The album was also a critical success, peaking at no.41 in the UK album chart. Adam then left his record label Polydor in order to pursue other challenges. In 1999 at a performance at The Prince's Trust in the Party In The Park a fan sprayed gas onto the stage when Adam was performing and he inhaled the substance and was taken to hospital after he fainted. This shows how brave Adam is. Adamwas awarded a Silver award for his single I Breathe Again and a Gold award for his classic album Good Times.

Adam actively courted gay audiences during this period, appearing regularly at gay venues, the BBC series Gaytime TV and in a photoshoot for gay lifestyle magazine Attitude, as well as children's television and mainstream pop festivals. In 2003, he played Mark Cohen in the musical Rent


Prior to his acting career, Adam had briefly been a child model. He subsequently has modelled for numerous UK magazines such as Attitude and Cosmopolitan.


In October 2005, Adam was approved as a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party. As part of this attempt to reinvent himself, in February 2006 he appeared on the political debate show Question Time, as the non-partisan guest. In May 2006, he was one of 100 would-be MPs chosen for the Conservative party 'A-list'. The following month he appeared on Sunday AM with Andrew Marr. He attends major party functions and local party functions in the hope of being selected as well as developing a political blog on his website. However Adam decided that he didn't want to deprive the public of his superlative acting skills and so abandoned politics.


Adam is currently playing the role of Kieran Mitchell in the New Zealand drama Shortland Street and he has said that he prefers Shortland Street, to working on Coronation Street.


It is hoped that the BBC will sometime in the near future offer Adam the role of Ben Chatham in televised Doctor Who, starring alongside Matt Smith.

double post

double post

Please, Spara, have mercy!

I'm having problems with posting here ; delays & freezing etc

Spara, you are a man obsessed. Claiming you have double posted will fool no-one.

sparacus wrote:delays & freezing etc

That's what happens when you get snow in Essex spara.

If this were Wikipedia, there'd be a lot of 'citation needed' tags on that Rickitt biography.

Here is my second story for this festive annual


CURSE OF THE ZENON AMULET

Shakey Jake examined the object closely, looking at its strange metallic surface and glowing red jewels through a magnifying glass.
“Like wow. This is no metal found on earth. This amulet is of alien origin. Like far out. How did you say you found it?”
Katie Ryan frowned:
“On the dig at the Little Maidens stone circle, the one you refused to help with. Some idiot student we had working for us smashed the casket it was in while unearthing it. I told Professor Hansonby not to let students onto the dig.”
Jake placed the amulet into a machine in his workshop.
“This is really heavy **** we’re into here. The Little Maidens are at the intersection of three ley lines. The site is sacred to the worshippers of Ithancos the earth spirit. They are already angry about your dig. And this object is definitely emitting a signal of some kind. Like far out.”
Katie flicked her hair back:
“Don’t give me any of your hippy new age bull**** Jake. Just tell me what this signal is.”
Jake looked up:
“Hey if I knew I’d say, ok?”

It was a bright clear afternoon as Ben Chatham drove through the Wiltshire countryside to his parents’ house . The fields were covered with snow and Ben took a deep breath and smiled:
“Mmmmm you can’t beat the fresh clean air of Wiltshire. No smoke, no noise, no chavs” he remarked to Jess who was sitting beside him. She smiled:
“You’re so funny Ben. If a little snobbish.” Ben laughed:
“One thing that does continually amaze me is how well vintage cars like Bessie here can handle icey roads. Anyway, we are nearly here. My parents will be more than happy to meet you . You look good on my arm and I need to build bridges with them.”

They arrived at the large eight bedroom country house and parked the car in the extensive driveway. Ben was greeted in the doorway by his parents and introduced Jess as his girlfriend. They were ushered into the lounge, decorated with paintings of foxhunting and grouse shooting, and Mrs Chatham, a very well dressed woman in her fifties poured them all a glass of sherry. Mr Chatham, a formal looking man in his late fifties, took Ben to one side in the hallway:
“I must say Ben that your mother and I were delighted that you were bringing a girlfriend home with you for Christmas. We were both very shocked and disappointed when that other person you brought in here suggested that there may be an improper relationship between you.”
“Oh that was just a joke” Ben nervously answered.
“Well it wasn’t a very funny one. Homosexuality is no subject for levity. What people do in their own homes is their own business but it should not be encouraged or promoted. That sort have had it far too easy in recent years. Same with these animal rights idiots. You have to keep foxes down.”
As they re-entered the lounge there was a loud knock on the front door. Mrs Chatham went to see who it is and returned with Jake and Katie:
“What the hell are you doing here?” Ben angrily exclaimed:
“Hey don’t get heavy with me man, don’t get heavy. We came to show you this. Its far out” Jake replied, holding up the amulet.
“Its emitting some kind of alien signal” Katie said.

Ben examined the amulet closely as Jake slumped down on the sofa and helped himself to a mince pie. His coat was covered in mud and Mrs Chatham winced.
“Er please don’t get mud on my sofa. Let me take your coat.”
“Ok babe chill.”
Jake handed her the coat, after removing a large roll up and lighting it. Mrs Chatham gasped:
“We are a non smoking house!” She exclaimed.
“Oh like you got no stuff? Here have a toke on this.”
Mrs Chatham grabbed the roll up and threw it in the fire grate. Meanwhile Katie noticed Jess.
“Who are you?”
“Oh that’s Ben’s new girlfriend” Mrs Chatham said. Katie was overcome with a rush of hurt and jealousy. She hid it with a sardonic laugh:
“Ha. Girlfriend? I think you’ll find that Ben prefers the boys.”

Jess looked embarrassed and Mr Chatham grabbed Ben & pulled him outside into the hall:
“I’m very disappointed that you should know these people Ben. That man was smoking an illegal substance in our home and looks like a damn hippy. And what on earth did that girl mean when…..”
Before he could finish there was a crash and the front door had been kicked open. Inside the house were five men dressed in black hooded robes:
“We are the order of worshippers of Ithancos the earth god. You have defiled the sacred circle. We have followed you here to recover the object you stole. You will die to appease the god.”
“Hey don’t get heavy with us man, don’t get heavy” Jake exclaimed. Ben offered them a Fox’s Glacier Mint however one of them kicked the packet out of his hand. The hooded figures pulled out knives from their robes and Mrs Chatham screamed.

However just as one of the figures grabbed Ben and was about to slit his throat, a strange light filled the room. The hooded figures fled into the garden and away fearing the manifestation of an avenging god. A strange green skinned alien in golden robes appeared.
“I am Akthos of the Zenan. I have come to recover the sacred amulet of our first Emporer Akaaaatas. It was stolen by a being known as the Master. It must have been hidden here and deactivated . Your disturbing of it set off its signal to us.”
Ben handed over the amulet and the alien vanished.


THE END

This is really good stuff.

Lucy McGough wrote:This is really good stuff.

Yes, but could you put down the absinthe and tell us what you think of the Chatham Annual?

sparacus wrote:Its annual time again folks! Coming soon in this thread will be several short stories and quizs. Presented FREE online - create a link and email it to others and it will make an excellent Xmas gift!

I bloody love you, I do.

*is not pissed*

Aspadistra wrote:I bloody love you, I do.

*is not pissed*

I concur with every word you say.

Any chance of a join the dots please spara?

Lucy McGough wrote:

Aspadistra wrote:I bloody love you, I do.

*is not pissed*

I concur with every word you say.

*Leaps on the bandwagon*

Me too

OK folks, here is the third story in the annual:

THE DEVIL BIRDS OF ZENOS


Ben looked around the strange, white marbled hall, decorated with disturbing statues of alien forms. One minute he and Jess had been sitting on his parents’ sofa discussing Kandinsky’s paintings and now they were here, standing in this strange while alien room held up by elaborate white pillars.
“What’s happened” Jess asked, unnerved by it all.
“I think we’re about to find out” Ben replied as a door opened and in walked several green skinned aliens dressed in white, whom Ben recognised as Zenan.
“Greetings to you both. I am Akthos who you saw yesterday on your world. I welcome you to our world. Please don’t be alarmed. It is our custom when we visit other worlds to welcome guests to our world for a brief visit in return” an alien commented.
“It would have been nice to have been asked first. Still this beats another tense day with my parents I suppose” Ben replied. He nudged Jess who was looking nervous:
“Don’t worry. Its nerve racking at first being on an alien world but you soon get used to it” he said reassuringly.

The Zenan showed Ben and Jess panoramic views of their city out of the windows before offering them strange but compellingly tasty food and a captivating blue drink.
“So please tell us about the amulet and why you were so keen to get it back. Why did the Master steal it anyway”, Ben asked Akthos.
“The amulet was made for our first Emperor Akaaaatas, the founder of this city. He wore it always. It contains much power and we do not know how to replicate its circuits. The sacred ones who built it are long dead. The being known as the Master stole it for its power” Akthos replied.

Suddenly there was the sound of screeching from outside.
“It’s the siren. The devil birds are attacking the city again!” Akthos shouted.
Ben and Jess looked out of the window in horror as a flock of giant black metallic birds swooped down over the streets below grabbing the fleeing Zenan citizens in their beaks and crushing them. The sound of laser guns firing begins.
“What the hell are those things?” Ben asked.
“Those things have been built by the Telath, the race with which we share this world. Their country is across the sulphur sea. They are a warlike people who want to destroy this city. None of our weapons and laser guns can destroy the things.”
“Why not move your city underground or build bunkers” Ben probed.
“Our culture forbids it. Akaaaatas decreed that no Zenon should flee underground from an enemy. It is a great dishonour. We must just accept our fate.”

As Akthos spoke several Zenan enter carrying the amulet on a velvet cushion.
“I would like to honour you by letting you see the amulet for one last time” Akthos remarked.
“Hey, if that thing is so powerful, why not use it against those things our there?” Jess chipped in.
“That would be a great sacrilege” Akthos exclaimed.
“No Zenan must use the amulet for violent purposes. It is forbidden.”
Ben looked up:
“No Zenan? That doesn’t rule us out then.” Ben grabbed the amulet and pointed it at the metallic birds outside the window. Nothing happened until he squeezed a red jewel in its side. A bolt of energy streaked out. One by one Ben zapped the birds with the energy beam reducing them to molten metal. The birds attack ed the window and Ben took them all out.

“Job done” Ben remarked smiling. Jess cuddled up to him and stroked his luscious blonde hair.
“We are grateful to you earth man” Akthos replied.
Ben and Jess stayed for a magnificent banquet with the Zenan before being returned home.

I'm sure glad he had it turned the right way 'round.


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HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all on Outpost Wrinkly

Happy New Year Spara

Happy New Year Spara -- hope you have a good one!

sparacus wrote:HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all on Outpost Wrinkly

Same to you spara.