S.D. & TRIODE TO COMBINE
THE RATHER SHATTERING NEWS that one of
Anglofandom’s most dependable fanzines is folding
was given me at the convention. Terry Jeeves’
recent engagement to Valerie Williams (who was
much admired during their brief visit to the
Kingsley) has meant that he’ll have to drop TRIODE
and co-editor Eric Bentcliffe is going into
partnership with Liverpool’s Norman Shorrock,
editor of SPACE DIVERSIONS. In effect, then, the
two titles are to combine. At the moment it looks
as though the combination (with Eric as Editor and
Norman as publisher) will wind. up their
respective magazines and begin their collaboration
with a new title, as yet undecided. The final
TRIODE is virtually on stencil and will appear
during May. The final SD is also due, containing
lengthy articles on the SolaCon by Terry Carr and
Bill Donaho. Subscriptions to both zines will be
honoured by the new team and where these overlap
will be extended. Quipped Eric, "This will be a
good excuse to go over to the Shorrocks’ even more
often.”
This is not all that springs from the Mersey area.
The Liverpool SF Society is renouncing its LaSFaS
title and. within the next two or three months
will be known simply as The Liverpool Group. Still
maintaining its basic interest in science fiction,
the Club will seek to recruit members who are
interested. in tape recording and cine
photography. And, it is hoped, parties in the
traditional manner
FANAC TOO! Following the recent hoax issues
of SKYRACK under the title of SKYHACK, it was
pleasing to note that the long established Hugo
winning newszine, FANAC, is not above being
parodied. There arrived here the other day a four
pager called PANAC which contains some nice humour
and some biting exaggerations of the West Coast
scene which is so fully covered by FANAC. It will
interesting to see how the Berkeley Publishing
Giants react to this one. Er....I take it that it
isn’t a double ploy, Ron and Terry?
FOR SOME ODD REASON, such as forgetfulness,
I didn't mention Doc Weir’s convention talk on
Karel Capek. Doc is recognised as an authority on
the Czech authors but seems to have had a rough
deal all round at the convention. His talk was
attended by only a handful (still, I suppose these
people were really interested) and his
sixty-question quiz for the TAFF candidates was
abandoned after the first set of questions had
been posed. In addition, Doc was outvoted for the
BSFA Chairmanship. A pity, for Doc is a thoroughly
nice and sincere person and one of the most
brilliant brains in fandom.
ALSO FORGOTTEN from the convention
reporting was the official attendance which ran
out at 87 + the two Guests of Honour.
IT WAS GREAT TO BE IN LONDON AGAIN. I went
down to the Great Metropolis on. the Tuesday
before the convention, placing Inchmery as my
first port of call. It was Vince Clarke’s birthday
and I bought him a lollipop. When Vince came in, I
hid in the back room and then sprang out on him as
he was talking to Joy, Sandy and his father, who
had dropped in. These ploy surprises don’t come
off with Vince, however, for he merely took the
lollipop and went on with his conversation. *** At
Ella Parker’s the same night, I sat up until 7.30
am, teaching Ella and fellow guest Brian Jordan
(until you’ve slept in a single bed with Brian you
haven’t lived - it’s not too bad until he takes
your head in both hands and beats it against the
wall). Needless to say, Miss Parker won the brag
session. *** Bobbie Gray, Brian Jordan and I took
Don Ford to the Tower of London where he swapped
quips with London post-card sellers and Cockney
urchins (”Steal an apple and I'll take your
picture.”) *** At the party Ella threw for Don,
surpise and welcome guests were Bill Temple and
nonexistent Alan Dodd *** Who says that in
London's crowds one never sees a known face? I sat
down on a tube train to find that I was sharing
the seat with Mal and Sheila Ashworth and later
the same afternoon when Alan Rispin, Sture Sedolin
and I were walking down Regent Street on our way
to view the latest Cinerama presentation (“South
Seas Adventure”) we ran across Leeds fan Ernest
Sterne. There is absolutely no truth in the tale
that I stop complete strangers on the street and
get them to sub to SKYRACK! *** Don Ford was in
Trafalgar Square shooting the sights, when a kind
doorman took him in to an upstair window. Don was
asked to sign a form relieving the company of all
responsibility in case he fell. Don said that it
wasn’t necessary as he had a good insurance
company. “We’re not worried about you, it’s the
people you may fall on,” he was told. *** Quite a
turn out at the Globe which has a new look these
days. Ech! and like that.
FEMIZINE Spring 1960 (Ethel Lindsay, 6
Langley Avenue, Surbiton, Surrey; 1/- per copy;
24pp). When so many fanzines are beating one
another over the eds trying to become the Focal
Point of fandom, it’s pleasing to receive a
fanzine which possesses such a marked degree of
informality. For some reason I’m wildly reminded
of Georgina Ellis’ Wendigo, and it’s about time we
had another fanzine like that. Ethel is backed up
by Bjo Wells (who introduces Elinor Busby, my
favourite Fan-I-said-hello-to-but-little-more-to)
and Ina Shorrock (who introduces husband Norman).
Janey Johnston writes on cats, Juanita Coulson
writes on Charles Eric Maine and Margaret Picken
and Sheila Ashworth report on the Liverpool party
over New Year. Joy Clarke reviews fanzines in
microelite. A short letter column makes up an
enjoyable issue.
QUANTUM 6 (John Martin Baxter, 29 Gordon
Rd., Bowral, NSW, Australia. 22pp) is notable for
not being notable, a fact the editor promises to
belie in the next issue. There’s a piece of
fiction by Margaret Duce and an exhaustive
listing of Ace sf and fantasy titles by Don Tuck.
Fanzine reviews and letters make up the issue
which suffers from lack of artwork, poor layout
and poor duplicating. John, however, has
enthusiasm and the zine should improve.
BRENNSCHLUSS 4 (Ken & Irene Potter, 1
Dunsmure Rd., Stamford Hill, London N.16; 35pp;
Spring 1960) also suffers from poor duplicating,
but this fault can be easily overlooked. Damnit,
this is Brennschluss, and who amongst us can
remember when the previous issue appeared? Printed
on rainbow coloured paper, this humourzine makes a
welcome re-entry to the Zinescene with material by
Mal Ashworth, Dave Wood, George Locke, Ken Potter,
Don Geldart (a terrific piece on Japanese life)
and Irene Potter. A magazine to be read during an
off hour - like, for cheering you up.
THE 1960 CLUB COMBOZINE OF THE SCIENCE FICTION
CLUB OF LONDON was produced by this newly
formed group for the con and is the best
shilling’s worth to come out of British fandom for
a long, long time, The duplicating and layout is
little short of perfect, and copies may be
obtained by contacting Ella Parker, 151 Canterbury
Road, West Kilburn, London NW 6. The material is
entirely by members, and what a list of
contributors make up its 52 pages -- Ella Parker,
Paul Enever, Ethel Lindsay, George Locke, Ken and
Irene Potter, Don Geldart, Arthur Thomson, Joy and
Vince Clarke, Jim Groves, Sandy Sanderson and
Honorary Member Sid Birchby. Vince writing on
fandom and Sandy writing on fanzines are two items
which are especially notable. Recommended
enthusiastically.
THE PROGRAMME BOOKLET OF THE 1960
CONVENTION, produced by G.W. Mosdell, 106 St
Johns Hill, London SW 11, is hardly a fanzine in
the true sense of the word, but completists might
like to have a copy in their files. This 18 page
booklet suffers from poor layout and underinking
(the adverts could have been reproduced by
Gesterprint) but it has some artwork by Jim
Cawthorn which is up to his usual high standard,
and it is worth reading for the articles on the
convention’s two Guests of Honour, Ted Carnell (by
Ken Bulmer) and Don Ford (by Ted Carnell}.
JHIM LINWOOD writes: “On 3rd April
Alan Rispin, Brian Jordan and myself met at Alan’s
to discuss the forming of a Young Fan Apa, a
unanimous decision being reached that no plans
were to be made without other opinions, and
further discussion was postponed until the con.
((And then? RB)) We went on to discuss things more
fannish like sex, Ella Parker’s age and to play
brag.” *** Jim also reports that the BBC TV Philip
Marlowe film of 4th April, entitled “The Hunger”
about a psychological killer, was by Playboy SF
author Chuck Beaumont.
KEITH FREEMAN notes that both the April and
March issues of the BRE Astounding are numbered
Vol l6 No 2. *** Ethel Lindsay asks me to point
out that the Eric mentioned in the Mal Ashworth
letter of the latest FEZ is not Eric Bentcliffe,
but another Eric who has now left fandom. This
needed pointing out? *** A London taxi driver was
quite amazed to have his cab booked at the con –
for filming. Surprise attendee took cine shots in
the traditional Keystone manner. ***
Congratulations to George Locke who will find his
name in a prominent position in the next Ape.***
Terry Jeeves and Valerie Williams will probably
wed at the end of July. Latest is that the
honeymoon will probably not be on sunny Ibiza
after all. *** The Bulmers will holiday for a
month in Belfast this summer. *** Ella Parker is
wondering who left her two boxes of chocolates at
the con hotel desk. *** Rumour has it that the US
edition of NEW WORLDS has folded, but at the con
Ted Carnell was surprised to learn this. *** BSFA
Committee and other interested fans are meeting at
Kettering over Whitsun. ***Mike Moorcock and
Sandra Hall are engaged. Congratulations you two.
*** 20 fans went along to the Nuclear Disarmament
Rally in Trafalgar Square on Easter Monday.
Another 30,000 non-fans were also present.*** The
This is Your Fan Life soundtrack, a 5” reel of
Mastertape, has been mislaid by Eric Bentcliffe.
Anyone recall seeing it lying around in the con
hall? *** Lynn Hickman - I’m still taking 3/6d
subs to the JD 10th Annish - has moved again. From
1st May address will be 224 S. Dement Ave., Dixon,
Illinois. |