Edited on 30th November to add:
Many Happy Returns is out now: http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/many-happy-returns-out-now
Invest in ME have been busy creating hope, and now Big Finish have gift-wrapped little bits and put them in our Christmas stockings. Thank you so much to everyone who has worked on, bought, or otherwise supported this project. You’re great.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS competition! Win Doctor Who and Merlin goodies! Woooooooo!
With the release of Many Happy Returns by Big Finish Productions to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Bernice Summerfield’s first appearance in Doctor Who, I’m hoping that people will want to learn more about Invest in ME, the charity for which it’s raising much-needed funds. Please take a look at the charity’s website here: http://investinme.org/
In fact, I’m so keen for you to look at the website that if you can prove you’ve had a look there might be something in it for you – on top of the satisfaction of knowing you have the inside scoop on possibly the most misunderstood disease of our era, of course.
Have a readthrough and see if you can find answers to the questions at the end of this blog. Then email your answers to mhrcomp@gmail.com and I’ll choose a winner – completely at random from all correct entries received – on 5th December, which happens to be my own 19th anniversary of becoming ill. See below for what you could win.
From Doctor Who Magazine #453
If you haven’t pre-purchased/downloaded (depending on when you’re reading this) Many Happy Returns, you can do so here: http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/many-happy-returns-775. The utterly wonderful Scott Handcock and Gary Russell were in charge, and it features performances from Big Finish favourites Lisa Bowerman, Stephen Fewell, Sophie Aldred, Sylvester McCoy and Nick Briggs alongside many others, and written contributions from top writers including Paul Cornell (Doctor Who and so much more – http://www.paulcornell.com/), Steve Cole (Astrosaurs, Cows in Action etc. – http://www.stevecolebooks.co.uk/) and Justin Richards (Invisible Detective, Time Runners etc. – http://www.justinrichardswriter.com/). Everyone – actors, writers, director, studio, artists, production – gave their time, energy and creativity completely free of charge, and as this is a download (no CD mastering fees etc.) every single penny of the £10 purchase price goes to Invest in ME. At the time of writing, the Let’s Do it for ME! initiative has raised £67K of the £100K needed for the first research project. Every purchase, therefore, really does make a significant difference – your £10 could be the one that gets us to our goal; it could be the one that changes my life, and the lives of so many thousands more who are suffering with this horrendous condition.
Buying Many Happy Returns or just becoming ME aware is brilliant, but if you would like to contribute further please visit www.ldifme.org where you can find out about calendars, Christmas cards, an audio play (http://www.barnabyeatonjones.com/apps/webstore/) and many more things sold in aid of the charity, or donate at http://www.justgiving.com/teams/ldifme.
Here’s the competition-y bit:
- What does the abbreviation ME stand for?
a) Missing Energy
b) Multiple Elephants
c) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
2. It’s suspected that which famous figure from history suffered from ME?
a) Florence Nightingale
b) Emperor Claudius
c) Napoleon
3. The World Health Organisation classifies ME as:
a) A neurological disease
b) An imaginary illness
c) Just feeling a bit tired
4. It is estimated that what percentage of the 250,000 ME sufferers in the UK are severely affected? (House- or bed-bound)?
a) 5%
b) 25%
c) 12%
Hint: http://investinme.org/InfoCentre%20background.htm might be helpful.
Prizes of stuff by me (yes, it seems rather egotistical but they’re things I handily have copies of right here in the very room where I’m writing this and here’s a picture to prove it): Doctor Who: Magic of the Angels (a 2012 Quick Read) and Merlin: the Complete Guide (no longer exactly ‘complete’ as it’s mainly related to Season One, but it does have some nice stuff about spells in it). Oh, and I’ll add in Doctor Who: Love and War (audio adaptation of Virgin New Adventure; not pictured cos I haven’t actually got a copy yet).
(I’m happy to sign any of these if requested, as long as you realise that if you then throw any of them away I will be able to track you down and look hurt at you.)
(I use brackets too much. Sorry, I just really like brackets.)
Email your answers to mhrcomp@gmail.com by 5th December 2012. I’m sorry that for reasons of postage costs I can only post to a UK address. Please note that this email address is for competition entries only. Any queries, get in touch with me via Twitter @GirlFromBlupo, although please be aware that as my health fluctuates I may not be able to answer immediately. If you want to know more about ME, Invest in ME or the Let’s Do It for ME! initiative, please visit the websites listed above.
I have birthday money to spend – Many Happy Returns is about to get purchased! *hugs* (Public_Pers on Twitter)
Well done
)
As someone with ME, can I just say it’s great to see someone raising awareness. Things are better than they were when I was diagnosed 20 years ago, but there’s still a long way to go.