FROM THE SFX OFFICE

The morning after the night before in SFX towers…

FROM THE OFFICE is brought to you this week through a boozy haze, as last night team SFX hopped on a bus down to the Big Smoke to celebrate the release of issue 200 with a birthday bash for as many friends-of-the-mag as we could fit in a cosy central London venue. If we told you the beer and wine were free and plentiful you might understand what kind of state the team are in today.

You can read all about the party over here and check out plenty of pictures from the event, but the fun started long before the amber nectar started flowing as the SFX fun bus stormed down the M4. The rain may have been pouring outside but inside production editor Russell took on the role of tour guide pointing out where he bumped into David Tennant on Piccadilly, the TARDIS outside Earl’s Court Tube Station and the theatre where Harry Potter got his todger out on Shaftesbury Avenue. 'Twas a riot, we can tell you.

We all made it back in one piece (just), except Dave B who stopped over in London for a day of important meetings. That or he’s passed out on a bed somewhere, but who could blame him because this Wednesday our mammoth 200th anniversary issue of SFX hit shelves across the land. We’ve been inundated with response by email and on the forum, with plenty of praise for our packed 200 secrets feature and our exclusive investigation into what to expect from Star Trek 2 . Buy one now and save yourself a fortune when people are selling them for silly money on eBay in a month’s time!

In other news Nick headed to London last Friday to interview Matt Smith for an upcoming Heroes & Inspirations feature (lots of interesting choices, from Christopher Walken to Arcade Fire - watch out for it in a few issues' time). He was greeted by the sight of Matt triumphantly waving Neil Gaiman's freshly delivered script for season six. "I'll give you two words," teased Mr Smith. "Oh, lord!" So there you go - you read it here first, people. Nick then went to Leicester Square to catch Piranha 3D . But he's since applied some antibiotics and it's cleared up a treat.

Ian’s been fighting his perpetual battle with PRs this week in an effort to procure reviews discs in time to give the reviews section at least some semblance of being up to date, but today he’s taking the day off to transcribe Russell T Davies talking about The Sarah Jane Adventures . He gets all the fun jobs. Rich meanwhile is still wishing he was in Edinburgh after spending the first half of this week north of the border seeing some of the finest comedians the world has to offer as part of the Fringe Festival. Being knees deep in Joss Whedon isn’t a bad alternative though.

Dave G has had many a sleepless night this week putting together the gargantuan features for issue 200’s launch on SFX.co.uk , including one man’s insane quest to upload the top 200 stories from 200 issues of SFX . Sounded like a great idea at the time we bet… Elsewhere with Battlestar Galactica now no longer a regular fixture in his life, Jordan has decided to catch up on some of the DVDs that have been sat on his shelf gathering dust for the past few months/years. First up French horror Martyrs, which may have scarred the innocent young thing for life – he’s since to pluck up the courage to watch another horror film fearing it may break him and has instead retreated into the comfortable, squishy world of Little Big Planet on PS3.

Finally in late breaking news Comic Heroes editor Jes Bickham tells us issue three has now gone to press and is whizzing down the pipes to the printers as we speak. Congrats!

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Highlights from the 200th birthday bash:

David Langford being much larger in person that on the page.

Robert Rankin doing a mightily impressive whistle.

A PR girl who could balance a beer bottle between her breasticles.

Not going to Reading Services.

Stuart getting a round. Dave B getting an even bigger round.

Random quote of the week: “It’s the action of a potential psychopath.”

Whose shoes - with actual shoes! (last week’s answer: it was Rich’s t-shirt, so who fell for our double bluff?)