KUJAWAS FOR BBC TV
COLIN FREEMAN INTERVIEW TO BE SCREENED NATIONALLY
At the beginning of May representatives of BBC TV visited Knaresborough,
Yorkshire to scout out the possibility of a programme on Scotton
Banks Hospital where patients were asked if there was anybody or
anything they would particularly like to see. Eventually five subjects
were chosen, amongst them Colin Freeman who requested a film show
of American fan Betty Kujawa and her husband Gene. In particular
he asked for some shots of Betty and Gene crash-landing their Piper
Apache plane. The BBC wrote to Betty in order to verify facts and
to obtain her permission for a film to be made. Betty immediately
suspected a fan hoax and contacted Manchester fan and pressman Tony
Glynn with instructions to check up on the set-up. Tony phoned the
TV studios and duly reported back to Betty as to the authenticity
of the deal,
Since then Betty has had satisfied a long standing wish to receive
a Trans-Atlantic phone call, this from the BBC and she and Gene
have been filmed at the Louisville Gun Club in Kentucky where Gene
was taking part in a Skeet Shoot. The British end of the filmed
contact was shot at Scotton Banks on 6th June. Colin says that he
managed a vague mention about fandom to interviewer Keith.Macklin
and that Betty was on her best behaviour during her talk and that
she even gave the impression of being a nice person.
The programme is the first to be filmed in what is hoped will
be a series of six which will be screened nationally later this
summer.
HUGO AWARDS FINAL NOMINATIONS
The following items have been nominated for Hugo Awards, these
to be presented at the TriCon, the Cleveland World Science Fiction
Convention which will be held in September. Only members of the
TriCon are eligible to vote on this final ballot:
Best Novel: And Call me Conrad by Roger Zelazny, Dune by Frank
Herbert, Skylark Duquesne by E.E. Smith and The Moon is a Harsh
Mistress by Robert Heinlein.
Best Short Fiction: Repent Harlequin, Said the Ticktockman by
Harlan Ellison, Doors of His Face, Lamps of His Mouth by Roger Zelazny,
Star Dock by Fritz Leiber, Marque & Reprisal by Paul Anderson
and Day of the Great Shout by Philip Jose Farmer.
Best Professional Magazine: If, Analog, Galaxy, F&SF and
Amazing.
Best Professional Artist: Frank Kelly Freas, Gray Morrow, Frank
Frazetta, John Schoenherr and Jack Gaughan.
Best Dramatic Presentation: No Award.
Best Amateur Magazine: Erb-Dom, Double Bill, Niekas, Yandro,
Trumpet,
Best All-Time Series: Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Burroughs’
Barsoom Series, Asimov's Foundation series, Smith's Lensmen Series
and the Future History Series of Robert Heinlein.
Note that in all these categories except the Drama Award (here
the "No Award" decision was overwhelming) and the Best
Novel, there are five nominees. There appears here to be a little
confusion. My own press release from the TriCon Committee lists
only the four titles given here, whilst Bruce Pelz's Ratatosk for
22nd May lists five titles, John Brunner's The Squares of the City
being included in addition to the four listed here.
THE TRICON SAYS THANK YOU. The following letter has been
received from the Committee of the 24th World SF Convention, PO
Box 1372, Cleveland, Ohio-44103: Dear Ron: Just as it takes
a lot of dedicated people to put on a successful con, so too does
it take a number of zealots to promote a con bid. We'd like to take
this moment to thank officially everyone who helped us in landing
the '66 Worldcon. Without the cooperation and assistance of these
many friends, we certainly would have failed. Of the many U.K. fans
who helped, the names of several come immediately to mind: Ella
Parker and Ethel Lindsay (in totally unofficial capacities of course),
Ken Cheslin (who was always in the right place at the right time),Tony
Walsh (who kept our party going a little longer with his "cider"),
Archie Mercer, and also Sandra Beckett-Tagg (who actually didn't
do a damned thing - she may even have been for Syracuse - but she
was quite nice to look at, and was, therefore, a terrific morale
booster in our camp). Also, special thanks to yourself and Pete
Weston. We feel that we owe quite a lot to both of you. To all of
these fine people, and to all of the others who shared in our battle,
TriCon says "Thank You."
WEST COAST NEWS. The Liverpool Group celebrated its 1956
Whitsun weekend party's tenth anniversary (at the 1956 get together
Eric Bentcliffe and Eric Jones were made Honorary Ex-Chairmen of
the Liverpool Science Fiction Society and attendees visited the
Louis Armstrong concert at the Liverpool Stadium) by a brag and
barbecue party which took place in two parts, in Bebington and at
Freshfield beach respectively. Three kitty brag is in fashion, Ron
Ellik. Steak was cooked, chicken was eaten, Ina Shorrock and Marie
Nadler braved the sea, Babe Partington showed us how to play
Salford-style rounders and a darn good time was had by all. Attendees
were Stan and Marjorie Nuttall, Les Johnson, Johns Campbell, Roles
and Owen, Eddie, Eric and Margaret Jones, Normans Shorrock and Weedall,
Harry and Marie Nadler, Chuck Partington, Tony Edwards, Ron, Liz
and Andrew Bennett and Ina, Janet, Roy, Linda, Alan and Gavin Shorrock.
The Amateur Wine Makers' National Show was held in Harrogate
during April. Pre-first fandom fan Sid Birchby attended to report
that Norman Shorrock took two prizes, a very high commendation for
Sweet Mead (as served in rooms 104, 120; 204 and 320 at Yarmouth)
and the First Prize for Dry Mead.
The Liverpool Group recently lost its long-term battle to continue
to meet in its well decorated club rooms at 69d Bold Street and
now meet every Monday evening at the. Marlborough Hotel nearby.'
PETER GEORGE, creator of Doctor Strangelove, who was awarded
a Hugo at the 1965 London World SF Convention for his novel Red
Alert, was found dead with head injuries at his home on 26th May.
A shotgun lay between his knees.
FANZINES
PHILE l (Graham Charnock, 1 Eden Close, Alperton, Wembley,
Middlesex; May 66). A story, an article, news and reviews all virtually
single handed by the editor make this a competent first issue
XERON 3 (May 66; John Quattromini and Mike Ashley, 8/9
Shurland Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent; 1/6) Forty-six neat pages.
A good letter section. An excellent checklist of recent sf. A rather
confused convention report. A fair-enough and improved issue but
the editors still have a long way to go.
HAVERINGS 22 (May 66; Ethel Lindsay, Courage House, 6
Langley Ave, Surbiton, Surrey; 6 for 2/6d) Comprehensive coverage
of the zinescene. Once again this is definitely recommended to anyone
who is contemplating subscribing to the many fanzines in the field
- if they can put up with Ethel's spelling.
VECTOR 39 (April 66; Official Organ of the BSFA) Somewhat
late, but worth the wait. Bob Parkinson on Bradbury, Moorcock on
Philip Dick (excellent material), news and reviews. Worth the BSFA
subscription on its own.
FUSION 4 (Feb. 66; Jim Grant, 7 Sydney Rd., Fairmile,
Christchurch, Hants; 1/-). A little weighted with fiction but worthwhile
for the Wellman checklist and Mike Ashley's survey of Time Travel
in SF.
SCOTTISHE 40 (April 66; Ethel Lindsay, address above;
4 for 7/6d or $1)A wonderfully complete article on house names by
Brian Varley, a model to most would-be-neo-humorists. Letters, Ethel
and the all too rarely seen Irene Potter.
A SPANIARD IN THE WORKS 1 (April 66; Luis Vigil Garcia,
Jose Anselmo Clave 4, 202a Barcelona 2, Spain) A wonderful title
from a brand new branch of fanzine fandom. Mainly fanzine reviews
this time.
NEWSZINES: For some unknown reason - not forgetfulness,
nor jealousy (though I have every reason to be jealous) - but possibly
because I take it for granted that every fan knows of the existence
of the field's newszines, I have never yet reviewed any of Skyrack's
contemporary rivals. Newszines which have arrived since April are:
RATATOSK from Bruce Pelz, Box 100, 308 Westwood Plaza,
Los Angeles, California 90024 @ 3 for 25¢. Always on time always
completely and calmly dependable and a credit to its publisher.
UK agent is Archie Mercer, 1st Floor Flat, Rosehill, 2 Cotham Park
South, Bristol 6.
FOCAL POINT, Mike McInerney & Rich Brown, 250-W 16th
St., New York @ 3 for 25c, with UK agent Peter Singleton, Ward 2,
Whittingham Hospital, Preston, Lancs. Also dependable, but sometimes
just a little hysterical in its presentation of news. Certainly
worth the getting, however, especially for its east coast pro-news.
SPECULATIVE BULLETIN, John Boston, 816 South First St.,
Mayfield, Kentucky 42066. 25c or 2/- for 4 issues. UK agent is Peter
Weston, 9 Porlock Crescent, Northfield, Birmingham 31. Full of pronews
and reviews, a worthy successor to SF Review. Pete Weston, incidentally,
is currently producing a newszine of midland happenings with his
BSFG Newsletter.
EARLY BIRD, Michel Feron, 7 Grand-Place, Hannut, Belgium
12 for $1(airmail $1.60). In English. Two pages of French and other
Continental pronews.
NIEKAS 15 (Felice Rolfe, 1360 Emerson, Palo Alto, Calif
94301 College, and Ed Meskys, Belknap College, Centre Harbor, NH
03226. 35c or 3 for $1. 2/6d from Gray Hall, 57 Church St., Tewkesbury,
Glos) Over sixty pages worth of a Hugo contender which is widely
tipped to carry the award. Highly recommended.
STOP PRESS: New address for Ed Meskys, 723A-45th St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11220.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Richard H. Eney, USAID, AD/PO Vietnam,
c/o American Embassy, Saigon; APO, San Francisco, Calif 96243,
USA.
SNIPPETS SECTION: Aub Marks, member of the Delta Group
in Salford, is in a Manchester hospital following a shooting incident
at his home ::: The Delta Group's fanzine, Alien Worlds, is shortly
going professional, Harry Nadler and Charles Partington planning
to produce a new prozine for which they have already contracted
with a distributor ::: TAFF - the provisional figures published
in Skyrack in April were indeed the final figures. Further TAFF
donations have been received from: Ian McAulay (£3.5s), DM4
from Dieter Braeg and 5/- each from Karin Hende, Lars Olov Strandberg
and Joe Patrizio ::: 1966 FAN DIRECTORY - There are exactly five
copies left to Sell-Out. 3/6d or 50c to you fans out there ::: Mike
Ashley reports that, following the Golden Apples of the Sun pop
group there is now a group called The Clockwork Oranges ::: Mike
Sharp, 10 Meggit Rd., Barry, Glamorgan is looking for a copy of
the Alien group yearbook ::: N3F is running its annual story contest,
with prizes of $10, $6 and $4 and with the Judge being Frederik
Pohl there is also the chance that winning stories may be bought
- it's happened before. Details from, Alma Hill, 463 Park Drive,
Boston 15, Mass., USA.
THE 1967 BRITISH NATIONAL CONVENTION has found a. home.
Contrary to rumours circulated recently to the effect that the Con
next year would be held at the Unicorn in Bristol, news has now
been circulated as follows: The 1967 Eastercon will be held at The
Hawthorns Hotel, Woodlands Road, Bristol 8. 39/6d per person per
night. Private shower 5/- extra per night. Private bath 7/6d extra
ditto. Details, memberships, booking forms etc etc from the answer
to the Seamen's Strike, Tony Walsh, Kt.St.F., 61 Halsbury Rd., Redland,
Bristol 6.
THE SEVENTH AUSTRALIAN CONVENTION took place over the
Easter weekend, opening at 2pm Good Friday with a short introduction
session and a long auction at which $A2.50 was paid for a first
issue of F&SF. Saturday saw a discussion end with the siting
of the '67 con for Sydney. Tapes from Brian Aldiss and Ted Cornell
were played. They spoke on current trends in SF. An author panel
of John Baxter, Stephen Cook, Lee Harding and Wynne Whiteford became
rather heated at times and ran for an hour and a half. The Seven
Faces of Dr Lao and some short films were shown. Sunday's programme
ran to another auction, a tape compiled by Charles Platt (and including
Mike Moorcock and Lang Jones) was played John Baxter gave an illustrated
lecture on The Horror Film and Forbidden Planet was shown. Average
attendance ran to 45. And a month later, on 11th May, Committee
man John Foyster's house was completely burned down, resulting in
the loss of records, magazines and addresses.
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