Now without further ado, the winners of The 10th Anniversary Dark Door Awards are;

Favourite Non-Player Character

  Justin Evans & Dave Garwood

- for Scum & Scragg, "The Haunting of Shining Cliff Part 2"  

These two somewhat dubious characters were introduced into the game as an after thought in response to a character submitted by a player (who had cast himself as an escapee from a lunatic asylum). They then quickly gained unexpected cult status and in two subsequent games they successfully made the crossover to Player Characters before meeting with their demise. Gone for good maybe, but clearly not forgotten.  

"What can I say? Like all the best ideas Scum and Scragg were a last minute creation but despite this seemed to quickly grab the limelight. Of course my thank you's are many, my parents obviously, all cast and crew of the Dark Door, Mike Young deserves a mention as Scum and Scragg grew from his player brief and most importantly Justin, without whom Scum and Scragg wouldn't have been possible. And although Scum and Scragg went on to become well loved player characters in their own right its always for Shining Cliff 2 that they will stand out in my memory. Thank you all."

                                                                                                                                                - Dave Garwood  

"On behalf o' our lad an me - ta - aye rightly."

                                                                                                                                                - Justin Evans

Favourite Player Character

  Mark Wynn

- for Detective Sergeant Spencer, "The Hindhead Covenant"/"The Legacy of Nannerth Ganol"/"The Faithful"/"Black Water"

 Already profiled in The Role of Honour the late Detective Sergeant Spencer makes a fitting winner for this category. Surely this well crafted character can hold his own against other classic fictional officers of the law such as Taggart, Ironside, Columbo and Mr Plod from Noddy.

"Thank you for demonstrating officially the adoration I knew you all feel for me.

My wife, my mistresses, my manager, my agent, my stylist, my costume advisor, my props team, my elocutionist, the boy who fetches and carries for me, KFC, Pepsi, my manicurist, my manicurist's therapist, my manicurist's therapist's tennis partner, all of my adoring fans and the man I met in the canteen the other day called Bernard."

                                                                                                                                                - Mark Wynn

Best Character Accent

 Mark Walker

-  for Horatio Dillane (Scottish), "The Haunting of Shining Cliff"

Many Dark Door veterans will know that to furnish your character with an authentic sounding accent is a very brave and difficult feat to pull off. Even if you can manage to sound convincing few have been able to maintain the charade for the whole duration of a game. Those who were at The Haunting of Shining Cliff will no doubt recall the broad Scottish dialect borne by Horatio Dillane, they will no doubt also recall their surprise when the game ended and it turned out that Mark Walker was in fact from Shrewsbury .  

"Mark is unavailable to accept his award, but if he had done we are sure he would have thanked all those who had voted for him, made special mention of  his parents, friends and those who have influenced and supported him over the years, and given his commiseration's to his fellow nominees"

                                                                                                                                - The Dark Door  

Best Stunt

  Tim Wreford-Bush

 - for somersaulting down a cliff, "The Haunting of Shining Cliff Part 2"

Well who else could it be other than The Dark Door's very own stunt man! In fact in nominating him we could have provided a whole list of examples. Tim is soon to return from his adventures in New Zealand and so we can look forward to more dare-devil antics to come.  

"Thank you all very much for the award, and to all those that voted for me. I have worked for this moment since I was 8 years old when I got my first concussion falling off the school fence while performing my first public stunt which went terrible wrong. I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people who made this possible; First of all to my manager The Fall Guy from the 80's TV show. Secondly my mum's egg and my dad's best swimmer. I would also like this opportunity to read you all a poem I have written. (please don't edit this out like they did to Kiwi star Russell Crowe). The sun was low, nearly dark, not quite light, twilight if you like, *******...........*******>>>....... I said not to edit it out I still have seven verses to go. Thank you all once again"

                                                                                                                                             - Tim Wreford-Bush

Favourite Player Death

  Andrew Ferguson, Andrew Stitt, Timothy Macquire and Mark Wynn

 - mass suicide, "The Haunting of Shining Cliff"

As the forces of evil gathered for their final attack and with each man down to his final bullet, the last of the investigators bid each other a warm farewell, shook hands and took the only course of action that remained if they wished to save their souls from eternal torment. A classic event from the annuls of Dark Door history and a worthy winner.  

"Since I'm not one for long speeches - thanks."

                                                                                                                               - Mark Wynn

Most Cowardly Act

  Dave Garwood

- for using Josephine Farrau as a human shield, "The Legacy of Nannerth Ganol"

We all have times in Dark Door games when our bravery is tested. It is not easy standing your ground in the face of such all prevailing horror. A few will show great courage, and in the presence of such as those we all feel humbled, but most will show weakness and run and hide, and of course others will simply push the nearest defenceless woman into the path of a rampaging demon in order to save there own worthless skin.  

"Hmmm, a dubious honour one might initially think. However I'd like to point out, that all of us have run for our lives like a big bunch of girls at every Dark Door Game, and in respect of this I like to think that cowardly acts are an important part of every game and indeed essential to survival. In this vein, I'd like to accept this award with honour and state proudly that 'Yes, I pushed a crippled woman to her death'. I would like to thank Lorna for being that woman, Richard for ripping her to pieces for me, and of course Mark Wynn because without that very cowardly act Spencer and Rutherstone would never have lived through to complete the best game we've ever played. I thank you"

                                                                                                                                                - Dave Garwood  

Favourite Monster Design

  Karen Wynn & Sam Martin

- for Deep Ones, "Blood Ties"

We at The Dark Door have come a long way from the days when a monster was someone stumbling about with a bit of green face paint on or perhaps a cheap Halloween mask. Now the stakes have been truly raised. Those who were at Blood Ties will no doubt remember their fear tinged astonishment when these huge hulking fish faced creatures first came lumbering out of the darkness. A great effort and another deserving winner.  

"Members of the Awards Committee, my lords, ladies and gentlemen (sniff). I (sniff, sniff, wipe silent tear), I really don't know what to say, this is such a surprise, (pause for small sob). I hadn't prepared a speech (larger sob, wipe nose with back of hand) um, I'd like to thank my mum, for teaching me how to sew, (sob, sob, make-up running) my friends and family for all their love (wail) and support, (howl, howl, lots of nose wiping) but most of all my husband, I love you, I love you Mark! (Inconsolable sobs, can't hold award as too covered in tears and snot. Get dragged off.) Thank you, thank you all!

                                                                                                                                                - Karen Wynn

Favourite Prop

  Paul Charles

- for Phonogram, "Blood Ties"  

As with monster designs props have also come a long way since the early days of The Dark Door when a trinket picked up at a car boot sale or found lying around in the loft would do. A well crafted prop, the Phonagram not only looked the part it worked too (thanks to its contemporary equivalent, a mini disc player) and introduced a very original clue device for the players. Yet another fine effort.  

"My.......What a great surprise this is. To be receiving this award is such an.......... Honour? Yes, I think that's the right word. I must admit, when I first made the Phonogram thingie, I never expected to be nominated for this award, let alone to win above all the other outstanding competition. I would like to thank my mum for no particular reason except that everybody seems to thank their mum on occasions like this. I would like to pay homage to the great Cthulhu, who's guidance I couldn't have done without. I would like to thank my beautiful wife, Sam who's tolerance of me messing up the kitchen was unquestioned, but seeing as I don't have a beautiful wife called Sam, and seeing as the wife I did have did nothing but bloody moan about the kitchen and the noxious fibre glass resin fumes gassing the cats, I won't! Thank you all for your support and for nominating me for this.........award."

                                                                                                                                - Paul Charles

Favourite Game

  The Legacy of Nannerth Ganol

- December 2000  

This game, set in an isolated Welsh valley, centred around investigations into mysterious events said to be caused by an ancient family curse. The investigations over that weekend were to uncover a horrifying mix of murder, black mail, betrayal and demons, which culminated in a desperate and exciting chase across farmland, the players pursued and ambushed by the undead along the way.  

"Thanks for this, as it makes all the long hours and hard work put into that game worth it. No, hang on, it doesn't. In fact, I feel cheated. I mean, come on, I was expecting to be given this award by somebody of note or at least some top-heavy lovely who's only reason to be at this award ceremony is to make men wish they had bigger hands. Instead I get Peter handing me the award, then I've got give it back, sorry, 'award' it back to him because he joint won it! Jesus, why on earth do I bother....mutter...mutter...mutter... Think I'll go and kick a clown.... But hey, thanks anyway!"

                                                                                                                                                - Richard Bird  

 "Well I must begin by saying that I certainly enjoyed running this game and I'm glad you enjoyed playing it. I'm truly touched. I would also like to take this opportunity to gloat and say to all those who didn't win; in your face losers!"

                                                                                                                                                - Peter Hardy