Very, Very Old President Says Hi!

**Pam Stockbarger** · 10th March 2005, 11:07 PM

Hello! I just wanted to say it's great to see the website flourishing. Ah, in the days of the papyrus, I ran Christopher's club (1977-1981), so I am terribly jealous of this newfangled technology, but I love lookin' at it. I wrote a few articles that the webmaster has graciously restored to this site, so you can find out a bit about the Christopher I knew back in the Dark Ages, BC (Before Computers). :D

Christopher Lee is a very wonderful man, who gave me many hours of pleasure in his company. You honor by your membership here one who deserves so much for not only being a great actor, but a great teacher, great humourist, and just well, is one handsome fellow. All hail the Master!

Pam (Stockbarger, ne Knox) :)

Milkbone · 11th March 2005, 12:27 AM

Hey Pam!!!! What's up??? I was a "very brief" member of the CLIC,still have my 3 journals and my autographed picture of Christopher(have to find a frame for it). Your articles are "fantastic" to read-----it DEFINATELY shows Christopher's "playful side"! By the way-----the membership card that I got when I joined the CLIC was in my wallet,when it "got stolen"and I never saw it again. Oh well. Hope you and your family are well. :) :) :)

**Renate Knobloch** · 11th March 2005, 07:29 PM

Dear Pam,

it's up to me to be a little jealous because you got to be president of the CLIC while I didn't even get to be a member :( ... well, I was born in 1976, so that's the reason why.

So, especially for people like me, who have to make up for a late start, your articles are wonderful to read, and I'm very happy that they are back (I confess, I had printed them out before they suddenly vanished - and I was glad that I had at least a hard copy in case they'd never come back). I love your writing style, and several times I had to keep hard from laughing aloud when I read an article on my office PC. I read most of them to my parents, who are also owned by a cat, and they loved them too (although I had to do a bit of translating for them).

Thank you very, very much for sharing those memories with us!

Tau

**Pam Stockbarger** · 11th March 2005, 07:37 PM

Milkbone (I remember when we used our real names in the papyrus days...I think my nickname would be "Bad Attitude" if I used a moniker now, ha!),

Whatttsup?! I'm still alive, ha! "Bring out your dead"..."I'm not dead yet!" :D

Hey, very nice to hear from a member of the past. You lost your card! Oh, darn, I wish I had more of them..at least you still have the autographed photo. I still have my card in my wallet that Christopher signed for me. I tried to use it for identification once, and got a funny look from the shopkeeper. Can't imagine why; if Christopher validates someone, that's better than the DMV!

Take care!

Pam

Milkbone · 12th March 2005, 01:16 AM

Hey Pam,Do you still have the cat that served as the "furry paperweight for Christopher's fanmail"? I like that "Bad Attitude" moniker!!! I've got 3 dogs,hence the name"milkbone"(Between 2 of them,I go through a box almost every week) Do you keep in touch with a lot of the old CLIC "people"? I'll bet it was tough for both you and Christopher to say "goodbye"---I know,I would have been "bawling like a baby". But then,I'm sure you still keep in touch. Take it easy!!!! Talk at you later,Milkbone PS. Write some more articles,they are AWESOME READING!

littleb · 12th March 2005, 03:35 AM

I think one of the saddest days of my fandom was when I sent away to join the CLIC, and got a lovely letter back from Pam saying "the club is going to close...." alas!
Just wanted to add my name to those who have posted to say thanks for those great articles. Your memories are priceless, and it was very nice of you to share them with us. I cried laughing at the cat story! :D

**Renate Knobloch** · 14th March 2005, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pam

Milkbone (I remember when we used our real names in the papyrus days...I think my nickname would be "Bad Attitude" if I used a moniker now, ha!),

My real name usually is a pronunciation stumbling block for English speakers, it's 'Renate'. From the Italian (ultimately Latin) 'Renata', which some people seem to know, but the German spelling with an e at the end confuses nearly everyone. I even got "Renata" on some of my American school papers. My middle name is Elke, a northern German name - same problem there, nobody would recognize it as a girl's name.

So when it came to choose a name for this board, I wanted something that would be more easily recognizable as a girl's name and has a nice and easy short form. Like Milkbone (thanks for the explanation - I had wondered! :D), I wanted the name to have some connection to my 'real' self, and I'm one of those people who not only have the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, but the entire 12-volume "History of Middle-Earth" on their bookshelf. (Well, I can't keep pets, so I need another hobby ;).) Tauremorna is a Tolkienian name for the forest of Fangorn, actually, but it does look feminine and can be abbreviated with the name of a greek letter, Tau.

As for names - I absolutely love the name that your niece gave to Scaramanga (scary mango)! The only drawback is that sometimes I have to get that image of frightening fruit out of my mind when the subject of Scaramanga comes up. :o

Are you planning to write more articles? I'm sure you are busy, but if you could spare the time, we'd love to read more of them. *keeps fingers crossed*. Again, thank you for sharing your memories with those who were too young to join the CLIC at the time.

Take care!
Tau (Renate)

**Pam Stockbarger** · 14th March 2005, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milkbone

Hey Pam,Do you still have the cat that served as the "furry paperweight for Christopher's fanmail"? I like that "Bad Attitude" moniker!!! I've got 3 dogs,hence the name"milkbone"(Between 2 of them,I go through a box almost every week) Do you keep in touch with a lot of the old CLIC "people"? I'll bet it was tough for both you and Christopher to say "goodbye"---I know,I would have been "bawling like a baby". But then,I'm sure you still keep in touch. Take it easy!!!! Talk at you later,Milkbone PS. Write some more articles,they are AWESOME READING!

Poor old Arnie is gone, alas. That cat was about 15 when he died, and my father was so distraught he picked up the small house he'd built for Arnie, and threw it against a tree in our backyard, turning it into a million splinters. But now I have happy thoughts of both my old cat and my father somewhere in the Summerland having a good ol' chat (don't cats talk in Heaven?), and looking down on me...and laughing. :p

I do talk still to a few of the fans from the past, and meet them at conventions occasionally. Leaving Christopher: ok, he took it very well; I bawled like a baby after I got out of his presence that last day. (I kept up the pretense of being quite in control while I was in the room with him, proud of myself for not coming unglued at that moment and embarrassing him, yes...he'd been a great influence in my life, and I had to go and get married...dumb me, ha!). We've kept in touch over the years, in different ways, and of course through this website; when I wrote the articles, Juan sent me a nice video of Christopher telling me I was "letting the family secrets out" in my writings. :D I cherish that video since it was directly to me, and he thanked me for my letters, which meant a great deal for me to hear. :o

I'll have to go through my diary again and try to find some more skeletons in the closet...uh, ahem....family secrets? I may have a story or two more to tell. In the meantime, I am mesmerized by the musical output of the Master lately; lovely, lovely, lovely singing voice. The talent of this man has no end, and it doesn't falter as the years go by; he constantly amazes me.

I must go back to work...take care!

Pam

Milkbone · 15th March 2005, 11:12 PM

Pam,first of all---I DEFINATELY BELIEVE that animals talk in Heaven. I have two that have crossed"The Rainbow Bridge" before me(both dogs,a cocker spaniel named "Knight Rider(AKA Kitt)" and a dachshund named "Dawson")and they're probably having a"great time" right now.And I firmly believe that "Arnie" and your Dad(you have my sympathy on the loss of your Dad & Arnie) are together and are having a "grand time". As for you "giving away" the "family secrets"------NAH! I don't think so,but then as you pointed out,unlike a lot of fans-----at Least Christopher's "fans" realize that he's "got a life away from the movie screen" ie: needs his family time. Don't blame him either. Reminds me of the country "supergroup" ALABAMA. Like Christopher,they realize that they are where they are (ie:famousstars)BECAUSE OF THE FANS----at the same time,ALABAMA fans(and yes, I'm one of them)realize that the guys who make up ALABAMA have families and kids and they want to spend as much time as they can with their loved ones,as Christopher does. As for being married,well what can I say,I'm single and proud of it.:D :D Check your writings for more stories---you know that you have "a captive audience!"

**Renate Knobloch** · 29th March 2005, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milkbone

Don't blame him either. Reminds me of the country "supergroup" ALABAMA. Like Christopher,they realize that they are where they are (ie:famousstars)BECAUSE OF THE FANS

Well, I've never heard of ALABAMA, I hope you can forgive me. :o
As for Christopher Lee - I'm sure he'd be a famous star even if he didn't have any fans at all.
But then, how likely is that? If you look at all the work he has done and is still doing, it's hard not to admire that work and the man behind it.

New articles from Pam? That'd be great!
*pricks up ears and settles into "captive audience is listening" mode* :)

Milkbone · 31st March 2005, 07:21 PM

Tau! You have NEVER HEARD of ALABAMA?! Don't worry!!!!!!! You WILL BE learning all about them. Anyway,no matter what Christopher Lee does---his fans will be there to approve and applaud.Personally,with all of the "so-called stars" today,it's refreshing to know that Christopher Lee just doesn't "do any old thing"----he does things that constantly expand his range of talents-------writing books,recording CDs,etc. So,he's "not stuck" doing the "same old thing" over and over. Not only that,HE KNOWS,unlike all these others----that WITHOUT US------His "career would not be anywhere". These "others" don't want to give fans "the time of day,much less an autograph or picture opportunity". These "others"would do well to watch Christopher in the presence of fans and "LEARN SOMETHING-----above all else,MANNERS."