The Avengers Forever: Fan Tales

	Fan Tales Page 3 of 9

John Shostrom and the Art of Self Defense

Recently, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Honor Blackman, as I am on the board of the Argonaut Foundation, and after thirty years I finally had the opportunity of telling Miss Blackman my story:

When I was fifteen, terribly asthmatic, and living in Hong Kong, I was given a copy of Honor Blackman's Book of Self Defense. Soon after, I wrote Miss Blackman a letter, as she was appearing in a play on the West End called Who Killed Santa Claus. In my letter, I mentioned how much I had enjoyed her on The Avengers, as well as numerous films, and how I was becoming inspired by her book.

In response, Miss Blackman sent me a truly kind and lovely 3-page handwritten letter, along with a signed photograph. She sent it to Hong Kong via airmail, but it wasn't delivered for over seven months, as it ended up on a PanAm plane that crashed off Pago Pago, killing all aboard. Evidently, some mail was floating on the ocean surface and was retrieved.

All these years, I have kept that letter, still in the stained envelope, and last week I told her about it. I also told her that she inspired me to study judo, which, for an asthamatic 15-year-old, did much to boost confidence and self-esteem. I studied judo until I was 30, and today I believe that Honor Blackman was, albeit indirectly, a positive influence on my life, and it felt good to finally have the opportunity of thanking her in person.

To close the story, Miss Blackman said she was "very touched" and when the BBC took a snapshot of us, she put her arm round me and said "this man and I go back a long way!" It also has turned out that we know several of the same people. Since then, I have been asked to join her for a day at the Getty Museum, and I am looking forward to a marvellous time with a wonderful new friend!