The passion all began with a bootleg of Hysteria! It was the summer of 1987; I was twelve years old and spent my evenings with friends playing tennis and socializing on one of the driveways in my street. One evening we were listening to the radio on a portable radio and “A Kind of Magic" by Queen came on. Naturally, during Brian May’s guitar solo I proceeded to use my tennis racket as a guitar so I could rock out. My friend Rebecca stated that if I liked guitar, her sister had just bought a new album that I would love, and she would make me a bootleg copy. A few hours later, she handed me a tape cassette of a band named Def Leppard and the album was called Hysteria. When the sun went down it was time to go home. I duly inserted the tape into my cassette player, plugged in my Walkman headphones and lay on the floor to listen. I played the tape three times in succession that night. From hearing the opening guitar on “Women”, I was mesmerized. This was simply the greatest thing that I had ever heard in my young life! As Phil has mentioned in interviews before, it really was “Star Wars for the ears”!

The following Saturday I saw the original tape cassette of Hysteria in Woolworths. I persuaded my parents to buy it for me and I owed them two weeks of my paper round money for the privilege! Within a month I had saved enough money to also purchase it on vinyl and CD, although it was a further year before I actually owned a CD player. I can still remember smelling the vinyl for the first time, being transfixed by the album artwork, and poring over the liner notes. I duly joined the Rock Squad fan club and began to regularly buy every rock magazine available in the UK (Kerrang!, Raw and Metal Hammer) to read all about my favourite band. Much later, I became aware of the monthly magazine Record Collector. I would pore over the details of thousands of records for sale listings, circle what I wanted to purchase, telephone the seller to reserve the item, go to the post office for a postal cheque, send it off and patiently wait for my record to arrive. This was the start of my passion for collecting! Thirty-four years later, I now have over a thousand pieces in my collection.

Soon after discovering Def Leppard, I joined the official fan club. After what felt like an eternity to the eager twelve-year-old fan that I was, I received my Rock Squad member laminate (thanks to fellow Vault member Neil Poole for the photograph) with my passport picture on the reverse. I thought that this was the greatest thing ever and that I was in a very exclusive club!

My first 10 x 8 pictures of the band soon followed. These were immediately framed for my bedroom wall and took their rightful pride of place. I fervently waited throughout the year, receiving my individual band member photographs at various intervals. It was exciting to receive my Christmas card with the pre-printed band autographs inside. It was always a pleasure to receive the Frenzy magazine with all manner of Leppard news related items and interviews. I absolutely adored the releases of the LepLines newsletter (and I have the full collection), sending of a self-addressed envelope and fifty pence, eagerly awaiting news and updates on anything and everything Def Leppard related. The excitement of being amongst the first fans in the world to be “in the know” was exhilarating! How times have changed with social media.

I proudly wore my membership laminate to my first ever Def Leppard concert, aged sixteen (I was deemed too young by my parents to attend a UK Hysteria concert) to the last night of the UK Seven Day Weekend Tour at Birmingham, NEC Arena. Shortly after this show, I was asked by the Rock Squad to return my laminate with an updated photograph for my new membership laminate. That was the last I ever saw of it and a new laminate never arrived. If one day, the returned laminates ever resurfaced in a dusty drawer, I would desperately love to have mine returned to me, as this is the one missing item in my entire Def Leppard collection!

One obvious privilege of being a member of the Rock Squad was being able to purchase these strictly limited-edition collectibles. There were just 1,000 available worldwide. In 1994, I was a poor student at Aberystwyth University, Wales. I managed to borrow some money from my empathetic student overdraft account manager, although I told him that I needed more money to buy essential textbooks for my theological studies!

The lithograph arrived first with signed autographs in gold and silver, No. 0096/1000. These were the first autographs I have had from Def Leppard and remain a very special part of my entire collection. My box set arrived later and the quality is exceptional! It is a real work of art, with the mahogany, velvet inlay and laser-jet artwork on the front of the box. The metal plectrum was a fine addition. When you take out the Adrenalize CD booklet and interview booklet, the signed and numbered certificate of authenticity is revealed. This is also 0096/1000 and I still have the original cardboard box and packaging for the box set. In the last twenty-seven years, I have only ever seen one box set come up for auction and it was sold for an expensive figure indeed. If you are lucky to own one, hold onto it. If you are ever blessed enough to see one for sale and you are able to do so, go for it. It really will be a highlight of your collection, as it is in mine!

As a teenager growing up in South Wales, every Saturday my good friend Jonathan and I religiously headed to our capital city of Cardiff (fifteen miles away) for our weekly music and memorabilia treasure hunt. Whilst I was collecting all things Def Leppard, he was an avid Iron Maiden collector.

With our pocket money and newspaper round monies in hand, we would head to Spillers Records (the oldest established record shop in the world), Kelly’s Records at the indoor market, HMV Records, Virgin Records, Rebel Rebel rock shop in an arcade and Gamlins musical instrument shop, all finished off with a treat at Burger King! Whether we came back with an audio or visual release, a T-shirt, badge, patch, key ring, poster, wristband, belt buckle, guitar tablature sheet, book or any other item, every Saturday became “Def Leppard Day”, adding to my ever-expanding collection.

In all honesty, I cannot “sew for toffee” and still can’t, even though I was Green Leader as a Boy Scout. Thanks to many hours by my mother Margaret, my late grandmother Rose and my sister Elizabeth, my denim jacket was a work of art with twenty-five patches sewn into it and ironed on! It was then just left to me, to meticulously pin all my badges on in certain positions. As the jacket aged, I decided to remove the patches. In hindsight, I should have taken pictures of it. This has now got me thinking of purchasing a new jacket and recreating it - this time adding on all the Rock Brigade fan club metal pin badges and new purchases. I guess it is high time that I learn how to sew!

Over my thirty-four years of collecting, I have amassed three large A4 ring binders full of thousands of magazine and newspaper clippings/interviews with Def Leppard from 1983 – 2021. I also have one binder full of all my old magazine posters that adorned my childhood bedroom wall and my accommodation at University. Yes, the blue-tac smells terrible these days! My clippings have mainly come from UK rock magazines Kerrang!, Raw, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Guitarist. I have many clippings from imported magazines such as Hit Parader, Metal Edge and Riff Raff, to name just a few.

With the invention of the internet and so many interviews being made freely available, times have certainly changed. I have a bit more extra money in my pocket as a result! My ring binders are an absolute highlight of my collection. I regularly look through them, being reminded of so many magical memories, dates, times, places and events in the astonishing forty-four year career of our mighty Def Leppard! Fellow die-hard fan, Andrew Gibbons, is the only other fan that I know who has done likewise, amassing the same amount as myself. I am sure that there are many more fans out there who have done similar and would possibly put our collections “in the shade”. I would relish seeing pictures of these being posted on the Vault forum. Come on now people, don’t be shy!

Who doesn’t love a good book? Even better, who doesn’t love a good book about Def Leppard? With the purchase of my very first Def Leppard tape cassette in 1987 (Hysteria), came an insert to order the official Animal Instinct book by David Fricke. I duly ordered this and when it arrived, I pored over every line on every page, absorbing all that I could about my favourite band. It remains the definitive book on Def Leppard to this day. A monumental achievement by David and an incredible in-depth read for both the die-hard and the casual fan!

I have collected every book that I have come across over the years, whether it is an official release, unofficial release or Def Leppard-related in some way. Amongst my favourites are: The Definitive Def Leppard Visual History by Ross Halfin, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge – Volumes 1 & 2 by Ash Newell, Fabulist Icons by Mike Rogers (former guitar tech on the Pyromania Tour), and A Lucky Leppard Fan by David Allen. For me, Allen’s book has been a tremendously inspiring and uplifting read. Being introduced to each other through the Vault forum, David and I have recognized the kindred spirit in each other (as collectors and fans) and have become firm friends in the Def Leppard community.

For thirty-three of my thirty-four years collecting everything Def Leppard, there was one item missing from my full UK collection of every format of all singles and albums released by the band. What was this, you ask? The legendary original red label EP, of course (with just one thousand copies in the world, and a hundred and fifty of these with the fabled hand-made lyric booklet). Subsequently, the much easier to find yellow, silver and white labels were released, the latter through the fan club in 1989.

When I met Joe on the X Tour in Cardiff in 2003, he told me that he had seen one for sale in Japan for $4,000, so I always knew that it was going to be tough to secure. Joe was so engrossed in our EP conversation that he signed the cover of my yellow EP twice!

The closest I came to purchasing it was from a person who worked in the same factory as Joe in 1979 and had the lyric booklet and all the provenance a collector could wish for. I bid a handsome figure and was up against an unnamed record store as the last two bidders. The record store quickly went above my absolute maximum and bid a four-figure sum. I was so frustrated, I resigned myself to the fact that I may never be fortunate enough to own the original red label EP. Then one magical Sunday evening, a seller in the UK had advertised the EP (without the lyric booklet) at a fantastic low price. After a frantic scramble to get the credit card details uploaded as fast as humanly possible, I secured the dream deal. I was very emotional when the EP arrived, and I finally completed my full UK collection (after thirty-three years of searching for it). At last, I had found my treasured 7” vinyl!

Our fellow Vault forum user and fellow proud Welshman, John Lewis, has been incredibly gracious in sending me a copy of the original lyric booklet and a hand-written letter from Joe in May 1979. These have become the “cherry on top” of my entire collection. A huge thanks, friend!

After my first Def Leppard concert at the NEC Arena, Birmingham in 1992 (aged sixteen), I spent many hours poring over the Seven Day Weekend Tour programme. The photographs, the liner notes, the smell and feel of it all began my love affair with collecting tour programmes! I now have over thirty in my collection with just a few more gems left to find.

The Pyromania 1983 UK programme (signed by Steve and Phil), High ‘N’ Dry 1981 UK programme, and AC/DC 1979 UK programme (with Def Leppard supporting) were by far the hardest to find. Both the Pyromania and High ‘N’ Dry programmes arrived with the original ticket stubs from a show on the respective tours, so that was a great bonus for me and my collection! My favourite tour programme has to be the Pyromania 1984 Japan edition. It is full of incredible photographs and great adverts. I also particularly love the Pyromania 1983 US fold-out/poster-bag programme.

In the very early days of my internet search and shop, I stumbled across a very fine seller and great guy called Rolph (based in Sheffield) who amazingly had tour itineraries by Def Leppard for sale. A tour itinerary book includes a multitude of information on venues, band/crew hotels, travel arrangements, maps, currency exchange rates and extensive contacts/phone numbers amongst other things of interest to a die-hard fan. Most notably, I am privileged to have in my collection the Hysteria UK Tour 1987, formerly owned by Derek Simpson (Drum Technician) and The Seven Day Weekend UK/Australia Summer Tour 1992, formerly owned by Jonathan Smeeton (Lighting Designer).

The first Def Leppard laminate I ever owned was my Rock Squad fan club membership laminate. I have forty-four in my collection (forty pictured here). The four not pictured are the London to Vegas laminates available with the super-deluxe box set and two Meet N’ Greet passes from the 2018 Hysteria & More UK/Eire Tour (these are in different displays in my memorabilia collection frames). The vast majority of these are official genuine passes and there are seven replicas. I wonder if your eagle eye can spot these replicas?

Nine of these passes/laminates arrived in my Mystery Box (limited to 250) that was available at the launch of the Vault store in January 2020. I love the sheer variety across the different tours that were covered for this unique project. It has certainly enhanced my collection for sure!

My rarest laminate is undoubtedly the Access All Areas laminate from 1980. I have only ever seen this for sale once in my thirty-four years of collecting. It has “MCP Promotions” (Midlands, UK) on the reverse and is covered in oil/grease stains. Thank goodness it was laminated and not a cloth pass.

My favourite passes are the X UK Tour Access All Areas and VIP laminates from 2003. They are ultra-reflective in the light and look stunning!

Aged seventeen, on a school trip to Paris, I walked into a record store and purchased the French CD single for “Let’s Get Rocked.” What was so awesome was that it came with a Def Leppard plectrum (black with white logo – Bottom Left Box, Row 2), my first of many. Over my eighteen UK Shows (1992-2018) I have been very fortunate to have amassed a nice little collection!

Upper Left Box, Row 1 & 2 – My six X UK Tour plectrums.

Upper Left Box, Row 3 & 4 - Six plectrums all given to me personally by band members and Ted Bible on the Hysteria & More UK/Eire Tour 2018. Being a proud Welshman, I especially love Sav’s Wales plectrum!

Lower Left Box, Row 1 & 2 – My six plectrums that were part of the Mystery Box (Limited to 250) for purchase at the Vault store during the launch in January 2020.Bottom Right Box– A huge thank you to fellow Vault member David Allen for a set of these scarce promotional plectrums supporting his brilliant debut book A Lucky Leppard Fan.

Upper Box to the Right – This was my favourite picture that I took of Joe and Phil at the Newport Centre, Wales on the X Tour in 2003. Joe kindly autographed the back of it for me.

What else makes for a great addition to any fans' Def Leppard collection? A setlist from a concert of course! In 2003 on the 2nd leg of the UK X Tour, I attended a show at the Colston Hall, Bristol. It always makes sense to have a friendly chat with your nearest security guard as at the end of the show, my request was granted, and the security guard peeled away the masking tape to hand me Phil’s setlist from the floor by his microphone. This was my first set-list and is a very special piece in my entire collection. I just need Phil to sign it now!

At the Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena concert on the 2015 UK Def Leppard Tour, venue staff were handing out copies of the setlist. My good friend Darren managed to get his hands on one and teased me as to how much I would be willing to pay him for it. We agreed that I should own it for free, as otherwise he wouldn’t be getting a lift home that night for the fifteen-mile journey!

On the 2018 Hysteria & More UK/Eire tour, I was blessed to get setlists of all the three shows that I attended: Cardiff, Nottingham and Liverpool. These take a pride of place in my framed memorabilia collection on my wall.

With the purchase of the London To Vegas super-deluxe box set, I framed the copies of Joe’s handwritten setlists for the O2 and Vegas shows along with their respective laminates and plectrums. These look stunning framed if I say so myself.

In 1996, there was an exclusive competition, sponsored by Coca-Cola for UK Universities to win a Def Leppard show. The Info- Active Fan Club (formerly the Rock Squad) were giving away tickets to the show on a first come, first served basis. I was very blessed to secure my tickets and travelled from Wales for six hours to the show with my friend Royston.

We were first in through the door and went straight to the front where Phil would play. The stage was so small that you could lean on it. There were only around seven hundred of us in this hot and sweaty venue. What an incredible exclusive show to be a part of and a brilliant way for the band to finish the UK leg of the Slang Tour before heading out to play the stadiums in South Africa.

After the show, we hung around by the tour buses. My childhood dreams were about to come true, as I met my heroes for the first time in my life! Viv came out first and I had a very lengthy conversation with him. I recall asking him how the Belfast concert had gone, and he mentioned that his guest list was huge and that he had cousins and family that he never knew show up! We had a good laugh about that. Next out was Phil, a gentleman as always, who gives you the feeling that he is as thrilled to meet you as you are to meet him. I thanked him for playing the “Women” intro at my request and we had a good chat about the album and tour. Sav then came out and it is fair to say he was mobbed by some over-zealous ladies! It was just a quick hello, handshake, and photo of sorts in the mad scramble around him. Then the moment came that I couldn't believe was about to happen.

Joe walked out and he approached my friend and I directly. I showed him my Def Leppard tattoo. His head went back like an intrigued doctor, he held my arm up and ran his finger across the inking and he exclaimed "Wow! That's real! That's brilliant, good man!" Maybe in the dark he thought it was a transfer sticker. Maybe in 1996 he hadn't met that many fans with Def Leppard tattoos. Whatever it was, it was surreal. After a lovely chat, I had my photograph taken with him. That night I “lived the dream”. Cue tears of joy and the biggest grin on my face that I had ever had!

This was simply the greatest night of my life and the best Def Leppard concert experience ever. I had a Meet N’ Greet with the band and I was incredibly blessed to also win the “Backstage Tour and Side-Stage Experience”.

The night before, I was up until 2 a.m. making my gift for each band member and one for the tour documentary film crew. I had brought the band (a) a copy of my friends’ band’s CD (b) a bracelet with attached cross, being the religious man that I am and (c) an A4, four-page card (showing pictures of me meeting them many times going back to 1996, a letter from myself, some pictures of my collection and a photo of some of my school pupils rocking out underneath a Rick Allen display that I have in my classroom). Joe had asked me at the Nottingham show to bring photos of all the ten times I had met the band to that point (’96 –’18).

At the Meet N’ Greet, Sav was up first. After I shook his hand and said hello, he said, “the Welsh boyo is back!” He loved the CD and asked many questions about it. Viv and I discussed his funky trousers. Joe was pleasantly surprised to learn that my friends’ band had supported the Quireboys on a UK Tour (As you may well know, they play with Joe in Down ‘n' Outz). Phil promised me a metal plectrum later and Rick said the photo of my pupils was “very cool” and “great to see”.

We then met the wonderful Valerie Adamson (VIP Coordinator) to take us on our backstage tour. What a dream come true! The tears were welling up! We had great fun posing for our pictures, chatting to the road crew, especially Stuart (photobombing us with Valerie) and Ted Bible, learning all manner of backstage gear/set up. Just after I asked Ted to take the photo of us with Valerie, Sav runs towards us. We have a “yeah” and a big high five. Then Phil comes towards us all smiling and oiled up. Another big high five between us all. Joe bounces out of the dressing room and is doing his vocal warm-ups. My friend and I cheer, he comes towards us, and we have high fives and low fives. He even comes back to give us more. This was so special, I can't tell you! As I'm standing in a daze, I hear “Come on then Dave, let's have another photo”. It's only Viv calling my name, cue my mind blown! He puts his arm around me and in a blink of an eye, Rick appears on my other side, and I pull my friend Darren in close for good measure! Minds blown again! We watch Joe and Phil warm up/get ready in the tiny cubicle/tent at the top of the stairs and then Valerie takes us to our side-stage position, near Phil's spot. Cue many more happy tears!

We watched “Women”, “Rocket”, and “Animal” from side-stage, rocking out, living the dream, feeling a member of the “inner-circle” of the band. A huge special thank you to Valerie for capturing these very special magical memories!

As a teenager, collecting all the UK rock magazines and newspapers I could lay my hands on, I came across an American imported magazine in Hit Parader. One issue had an “At Home with Phil and Rick” feature. I was mesmerized by the platinum discs on Rick’s wall and began the dream of one day owning one for my own future home.

In my mid-twenties I purchased a replica Hysteria platinum disc that took pride of place above my fireplace. That was the closest I ever thought that I would come to owning an official platinum or gold Def Leppard disc. Then to my sheer delight, the Vault section of the official Def Leppard website and the Vault store were born! I could not believe my eyes when I saw the Hysteria and Vault platinum discs for sale. Even better, they could be personalized to you! Being in my mid-forties and not relying on pocket money/newspaper money anymore, the Pyromania platinum disc and Slang gold disc were subsequently added to my collection. These have certainly created much excitement and discussion amongst fans globally on all the Def Leppard social media fan groups that I am a member of. An absolutely brilliant idea by all the team at the Vault!

As I have purchased four of the five discs available, fellow friends and die-hard fans (who are torn on which one to order) have asked my opinion as to which looks best on the wall. I have my own opinion as to which one just slightly edges it for me - the clue being “red”! I am now hoping and wishing for an Adrenalize thirty-years anniversary platinum disc, coming our way next!

For many years, I have dreamed of having my photograph appear in an official Def Leppard crowd shot. And what if one day, I could even appear in a tour programme? Now that would be amazing!

On March 4th, 2021, I couldn’t believe my luck when on Def Leppard social media channels, a picture was posted for #ThrowbackThursday. I quickly recognized the wall on the right as being the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena. Then my heart skipped a beat as I looked to the left of Phil’s left leg and saw me rocking out, pointing to Sav and he back to me. I was over the moon!

Watching the Hysteria & More UK/Eire Tour was a phenomenal experience, and my favourite Def Leppard gig of my 18 UK shows (1992 – 2018). I recorded my favourite phone footage ever at this concert. Phil’s “Armageddon It” outro gives me goosebumps every single time I watch it live! Many magical memories indeed!

What can you say about these Japanese 7” vinyl covers, other than they are stunning! Amongst the collection, with the actual numbers pressed rumoured to be very low, there are four singles that are particularly sought after by collectors worldwide. These include “Hello America” (with Joe’s name misspelt with only one ‘t’), “Rock Brigade”, “Armageddon It” (with the misspelling of “Atomic”), and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. “Love Bites” is also a prized addition to any collection, as it was the last commercial Def Leppard 7” vinyl produced in Japan.

I love the thrill and adrenaline rush of the treasure-hunt. You never know where you will find something that will astound you, especially if it is a scarce promotional item.

Many years ago, at a UK record fair I came across a stall where the dealer had a whole array of extremely rare and highly collectible “white label” test pressings for sale. I wondered if there could be any possibility, that there might just be a Def Leppard jewel hidden away in the multitude of boxes. As the saying goes, patience is indeed a virtue. After a long time searching, my heart skipped a beat as I pulled out the white label of the #1 USA single “Love Bites.” I took a deep breath and asked the dealer how much he wanted for it. My eyes began to water at his asking price as it was more than I had in my wallet or could possibly afford to pay. Determined to have it, I proceeded to share my extensive knowledge of Def Leppard collecting with the said dealer. Upon showing him my Def Leppard tattoo, he came to realize that if he struck a deal with me, the single would be cherished in a new home. So, with an agreement between gentlemen and a firm handshake, I became the proud owner of this extremely rare gem!

Amongst my other most favourite promotional finds, I have discovered tape cassettes for the Hysteria album and “Armageddon It” single, the Hysteria press release booklet, the “Rock of Ages” 1989 CD sampler, the 1992 CD sampler and CD interview discs for the “Retro-Active”, “Vault” and “X” albums. I found the Spanish promotional 7” vinyl for “Two Steps Behind” from the movie “Last Action Hero” at a car boot sale for a very reasonable price and was an incredibly happy young man.

The latest addition to my collection is very recent and is certainly a “gallery piece” in its own right. It has proved to be a real conversation starter and has generated a lot of excitement amongst Rick Savage devotees on social media channels for sure! I am absolutely thrilled to be the owner of the Project Presents, pink Leppard Lyrics A2 poster signed by Sav. I have been given #05/25 worldwide and I am now part of an exclusive owners club of this beauty!

I naturally mounted and framed it the same day to display it in all its glory. Now where can I hang it on the wall, I wonder…

We all know that the band has experienced real triumphs and tragedies during their forty-four-year career. I believe that Def Leppard shows us, the fans, humanity, resilience, compassion, bravery, determination and passion like no other band.

As a school teacher, I have used Rick’s incredible story as a motivational tool with my pupils. In 2003, I created a display poster regarding Rick. When children are faced with challenges, we often hear them say, “I can’t do it.” I encourage my pupils to read the display and then ask them for their new thoughts. It is fair to say that my pupils are completely mesmerized by what Rick has done, and his story has a very positive effect on them. Rick enabled me to share his story with thousands of children over my twenty-four-year teaching career and it inspires me daily!

It was an honour to finally show Rick and the rest of the band my classroom display photograph and briefly tell them the story that you see here, at the Liverpool Meet N’ Greet in 2018. All of which brings me near to the present day in my life journey with Def Leppard.

In 2020, I was humbled, honoured and blessed to win the Pupil’s Award for Best Teacher at the Professional Teaching Awards, Cymru (Wales). This has been an immense personal accolade for me, as you can imagine, being extra special as the award came from the children. Due to Covid restrictions, the awards ceremony was cancelled, and a virtual ceremony was held instead. Knowing that I had been shortlisted for the award, I prepared a speech in case I was fortunate enough to win. My final "thank you" on the evening was going to be: “Last but certainly not least, for being with me every step of the way - through thousands of hours of lesson preparation, lesson planning, the marking and assessing of thousands of pupils books, essays, examinations and report card writing - I have to say a huge very special thank you to the great love of my life… Def Leppard!”

In 1987, aged twelve, I chose my band. In 2021, thirty-four years later, the boys are still here, going from strength to strength and gaining unprecedented success. The Vault has been an incredible opportunity, opening a whole new world of fandom and connections for me and fellow fans alike. New life-long friendships have been formed and visits/trips arranged, all based around our mutual passion for Def Leppard. It has been wonderful to meet so many kindred spirits here.

Thank you so much to Joe, Sav, Rick, Phil and Vivian for creating masterpieces of music and for being so approachable and true gentleman over the years, on all twelve occasions that I have been blessed to meet you. You have enabled my dreams to come true and you have given me so many magical memories. I simply cannot ever thank you enough! Def Leppard has changed my life and rocked my world. With tremendous gratitude for reaching out to me and for your kindness, a huge thank you from me to you: Bryce and Heather Morris, John Lewis, Neil Poole, David Allen, Debbie Holman, Daniel Horner, Andrew Gibbons, Shawn, Cindy Johnston, Marty D, Ian, Karen Fairchild-Meyer, Shelly Carr Judy Nunez, Dave Mcgrory, Donna Vee, Patty Anderson-Williams, Jenny Essen, Sakis Nikas, Robbie Ellis, Jayney Walker, Janet Polkinghorne, Fraser Rowlin, Darren Roach, Erin Byrne, Chris Preston, Helen Thomas, Jean-Christophe Lasserre, Brendan Woolley, Richard Pullin, Phil Porter, Gavin Davies, Mark Rumble and Mark Cookson. My fellow die-hard community family members, it has been a real pleasure connecting with you all.

Lastly, thank you to you the reader, for bearing with me and plodding through my “Show Us Yours” collection. Whether you have ten pieces in your Def Leppard collection or ten thousand, every fan’s collection is priceless and unique, as it entails so many memories, emotions and experiences. I have certainly been blessed to have these unique opportunities in my life-journey with Def Leppard. I hope that I have been able to share a sense of my passionate fandom with you and why the band means so much to me. After all, you wouldn’t be reading this right now if you weren’t emotionally invested in Def Leppard also!

As a teacher, I always insist that my senior students conclude their essays with a poignant quotation. Therefore, I shall end the finale with the legendary quotation from our very own Mr. Joseph Thomas Elliott: “Until next time, and there will be a next time!”