Gifts to and from Fans

ED BISHOP called me on my birthday!!!

The conversation went something like this:

ED: "Hello, is this Diane Annunziata?"

ME: "Squeek"

ED: "Hello? Can I speak to Diane?"

ME: "This is Diane."

ED: "This is Ed Bishop calling from England (as if I couldn't recognize THE voice!) - Happy Birthday."

ME: "Thank you"

ED: "It's a fine summer evening here, I'm sitting outside by the River Thames."

ME: "It's hot here."

ED: "Is it part of the heat wave you've been having there or is it usually hot there in Arkansas?"

ME: "Oh, it's always hot here."

ED: "Is David with you?"

ME: "No, he's at work. How have you been?"

ED: "I just got back from Glasgow, Scotland where I attended a small con. The other guest was from one of the Star Trek films (a name I didn't recognize) - a tall fellow, like six foot five, and there were just as many people there to see me from UFO as were there to see him from Star Trek."

ME: "Well sure!" (and something inane I can't recall)

ED: "Is UFO showing there in syndication?"

ME: "No, not right now."

ED: "They're showing it again here and I've been watching a few episodes. It's so strange to see all these guys who now have toupees and glasses and everything. But some of those episodes were really quite well done, they're still good, even today."

ME: "Oh yeah, the show has held up great over the years!"

ED: "Yes, it has held up well. The fan base is still large, well I understand the Internet has something to do with that. I have three daughters and they're always telling me, "Dad, we gotta get you on-line." Are you online?"

ME: (giggle)

-- (Some stuff about David and General Chennault - he agreed to phone me on my birthday out of respect for my boyfriend who is related to General Chennault, who created the Flying Tigers in WWII - He was quite impressed that David and I met on-line because of UFO) --

ED: "Well, I won't keep you any longer (as if he was BOTHERING me!), you have a happy birthday."

ME: "Thanks!"

ED: "G'Bye."

ME: "Bye"

And then, of course I KERPLOPPED!

-- Diane "Nunzie"

The autographed photo and note above dates from 1997. Photo courtesy Amelia and Ed Rodgers.

Dave Walsh (not Diane's Dave) created custom painted miniatures and gifted them to a few fans as well as Mr. Bishop.

Each miniature was about one inch tall. This is a photo of the one Dave Walsh gave the SHADO Librarian