I've only ever attended 2 premieres in my life and they were both for Batman films, so perhaps my perspective is very distorted and biased. Yes folks, The Dark Knight hit the UK nationwide this week and I, like a true noble fanboy went up to London to see what all the commotion was about. Even though the event was not scheduled to start until 6 o'clock, crowds had already started to congregate in force upon our arrival at 3PM and as the night played out, we soon saw why. I had done a lot of cosplay in the past and as such, I was appointed photographer to the costume group who seemed to be getting a fairly hefty tan in the limelight. While other fanboys and girls were pushed behind the barrier, we were appointed the free range livestock of the fanboy farm. Journalists and cameramen from all over the world came creeping over to ask us of our passion for the Guardian Of Gotham, what was it that had kept him going for almost 70 years? And our thoughts and feelings on the late, great Heath Ledger. As the limos started to pull up, we were ushered politely behind the barriers, lest there be a stalker confession of undying love to one of the cast or some other form of fan uproar. As,with most things in life, the best was saved till last, so that being the case, they cranked out the real garbage first. We had a few Hollyoaks stars (one of them being Sarah Jayne Dunn, who'd landed herself the role of Maroni's arm candy in the film), Gary Lineker, Alexa Chung,

Now when I say fireworks, what I really mean is fire....lots and lots of fire. The organisers had decided to use the “Welcome To A World Without Rules” poster as their reference point of design and as such, the whole of Leicester Square had been covered by flaming torches. With the help of some kerosene, the flames grew at controlled points, like some crazed, pyro-manic choreography. The licking flames seemed to cover the rumble of something much louder and much, much larger. Within the blink of an eye, the Tumbler roared out in front of us, sending a raging inferno out the back burner and with it a chill down our collective spines.

More silver cars pull up to the red carpet, a figure stepped out, turned and waved; and for a moment, we think we're standing at the Harvey Dent election campaign. It's Aaron Eckhart. The screams of the crowd grow faster than Dr Manhattan on Viagra and the poor man does not know which way to turn as the press join in with the choir. Pretty soon Maggie followed, then Michael, fiinally finishing off with the piesta resistance of Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan.

Our corner of the crowd, which fondly came to be known as the Busted corner started to think through strategies that would attract these icons in the making over to our patch. It was agreed that a chant would do just the trick. Aaron came over to sign, along with Chris Nolan and Colin McFarlane (Commissioner Loeb), who actually took a picture of one of the costume group, he was so impressed. All 3 signed items belonging to my colleagues, (I was too busy taking pictures) thanks to the touch of an angel, Nolan's wife Emma Thomas, who was so overwhelmed by a few of the costumes, she felt that these die hard fans deserved something in return (and fair play to her really).

In conclusion, as a obsessive Batman fanatic myself, I am glad I attended this event due to the fact, I will never get to experience something like this again (at least until Batman III). Looking back, there is this gratifying feeling of “I was there”. People remember where they were when JFK died, well I know where I was when Batman history changed....radically. And now that things are changed forever, in the words of the Clown Prince of Crime himself “There's no going back”.