This meeting of loveable geeks in home-made Dalek suits was arranged to set a world record for ‘the biggest number of people dressed up as daleks in one location’. Strange, I thought, that such a record didn’t already exist…

Anyway, there’s a Flickr photo set of the occasion and a YouTube video of this ‘proper Dalekfest’, as one commenter calls it. Check out the related videos if you’re after 25 minutes of non-stop Dalek footage.

Thanks to MoSI worker Unpopular Superhero and super-blog BoingBoing for the tips.

First the warehouse ‘CabaRave’ last week featured roller skating (and cabaret, unsurprisingly). Now, otherwise worthless nightclub Billie Rox (106-108 Portland Street) is getting in on the act:

Join us for Manchester’s ONLY Roller Disco, yes thats right “ROLLER DISCO”, a night where you put on a pair a roller skates and roll the night away, with over 300 pairs of skates to choose from, we can hire you a pair quad skates for just £3, or you can even hire a pair of roller blades for only £5.

It’s every Tuesday, from 8am til 2am, for over 18s. The dress code is leg warmer and sweat bands of course. Admission is £2 all night.

There’s a repeat every Thursday too, but the presence of DJ Phat Pat that night puts me off a bit.

[Hat-tip to YourFridgeDoor]

The attraction? Subtle retro style and some useful functionality at a decent price. I kept a few phone numbers in one’s databank in case I lost my phone, for example.

Strangely, ‘retro’ on this occasion meant the early 1980s. Could the decade of my birth really be deemed retro already?

Two or three years ago I also stopped collecting watches.

I didn’t become obsessive and break the bank (at £10 to £15 a go from ebay they were a snip). No, I just realised that three watches for one person was (probably) enough.

Little did I know that, like the 80s itself, these watches are as good as disposable. To replace the batteries that have since died will cost at least £15.

In motor insurance terms, that makes these Film Watches a write-off.

On the plus side, a very good salesman at The Watch Lab valued each watch at £125 and almost convinced me that £15 for a battery was excellent value. £59.95 brand new more like.

He actually pouted at me when I said I’d think about it.