Monday 12th April
JOHN D. BERRY: For the first time in British con history there was something planned for Monday morning: a boat-ride on the river, modelled after the ride at Heidelberg. I was amused to see that for some of its length the river was literally lined with wood, a wooden planking holding in the water on either bank. Such a ride strikes me as an excellent way to finish off a con. Fans have a tendency to stay indoors and never mingle with the rest of the world, but getting a whole convention - the most unreal manifestation of fandom -- out into a boat on a river with the sun shining and the wind blowing ties the microcosm back into the macrocosm.
PETER WESTON: Monday morning saw gorgeous weather and a riverboat trip that was over-subscribed. Seeing a poor little 150-seater boat, well down in the water, it looked as if fandom was about to get its own Marie-Celeste-style mystery! That is, if the boat had sailed out overloaded with British fandom and had never returned. With nearly 200 trying to get on board, it was necessary to make two separate river trips instead of one. It is reported that a jolly good time was nevertheless had by all.
GRAHAM POOLE: I did return on Monday morning for the boat trip, and met Roger Gilbert in the lounge. There were so many of us it had to be done in two trips. I went on the first, and after braving ten minutes out in the breeze on deck, I went below for a glass of cider, which lasted the whole trip (it was a big glass!) I asked Bob Shaw for an autograph, also a person whom I took to be James Blish, but he signed Eric Bentcliffe! After the trip was over, I asked David Gerrold for his autograph, which he duly gave and I staggered (it must have been a stagger because I came very close to ending up in the water! Surely one cider couldn’t have affected me like that - blame it on the motion of the boat.) to continue, I staggered over to Anne McCaffery to ask her for her autograph, whilst admitting I've never read any of her stories! I had to redeem myself somehow and fortunately I knew my father had read DRAGONRIDER and enjoyed it very much, and I told her so.
Back at the hotel I got into conversation with Todd McCaffrey and then I sat in the hall so I could see everyone who passed. John Stewart passed by and noticed that I had a Ken Bulmer book, with a picture of Ken taken about ten years ago; he looked completely different. He borrowed it for a short while and returned it after having asked Ken to autograph it for me. Next Roger Peyton asked me to look after his luggage while he and his wife got their car. I noticed, he had several copies of INCROYABLE CINEMA, I glanced through one of them. When Roger returned I asked him whether it was for sale, he told me to write to him to get a copy, which I shall do. I also chatted to George Hay about what was best for me, a newcomer to SF, to get acquainted more thoroughly with science fiction. We agreed that fanzines were one of the more important aspects to further SF, at least, some of the better ones. Then who should I spot, but John Brunner, I rushed over and asked him to sign my convention book. He looked tired and bored, as he said: "Page twelve." Poor fellow, I thought, he must be fed up meeting people like me. I looked up, mystified, as he repeated: "Page twelve." So I quickly found page twelve and he signed it. It wasn’t until later I discovered that he had a poem (pretty crappy too) on page twelve. I thought he just said the first number that had come into his head! Gee! What an experience to remember. I wonder whether I’ll ever ask for an autograph again, perhaps I should be more subtle and flatter them first? But with Mr Brunner it was hard, because I’d never read any of his books. I really must do something about this. I cannot go around asking for people’s autographs, when I haven’t even read any of their books, it doesn’t seem right. So, at last the whole thing was over and the fond memories of a lovely time and a great deal of experience were beginning.
VERNON BROWN: Looking back, it was probably one of the best cons of latter years, both, in organisation and supporting and attending members. However, with the increasing numbers each year there will have to be more organisation of committees as larger hotels which are relatively cheap become more difficult to find. I visualise that in about four or five years time there will have to be a sub-committee of the BSFA of qualified and knowledgeable people with organising experience and a professional knowledge of the conference field. This subcommittee will assist and direct a local committee with their convention and will provide continuity through the years. The money side of the problem will also have to be sorted out - for example a separate convention account could be opened, into which all profits will go and which would pay any losses. The whole scene is getting too big for - for want a better term - amateurs to handle. Perhaps this is inevitable as fandom grows but unless the numbers of convention goers is restricted, say by cons only being available to BSFA members, the whole thing must be made at least semi-professional. As numbers increase, more effort will have to be devoted to the social side of a con. Above a certain number, which I would say is about 140 persons, self-perpetuating cliques are formed and neofans, get no chance of a "look-in", get discouraged. This means that if new blood is to be retained fans must be introduced on an informal basis to each other. If conventional fandom is to survive and thrive we must look to the future before it happens and gain from our experiences. GRAY BOAK: It was a good con. An excellent con. A bloody *superb* con. The signs of a fannish revival were beginning to show throughout the past year, but things were still in the balance. A repeat of Scicon could have held the event back. We didn't have a repeat of Scicon. PeteCon was my sixth annual British con, and by Ghod it was the best. The fannish revival undoubtedly helped to make the con, but equally the revival has been helped enormously by the organisation of the con, and the enthusiasm of its organizers. Phil Rogers may have won Doc Weir, but regardless of who wins TAFF, Pete Weston must be Britain's Mr. Fandom 1971. As he would doubtless admit himself, he couldn't have done it alone. This isn't the place to name all the names, but the committee members who made the greatest impression on me were the incoherent Bob Rickard, Pauline Dungate (naturally, did I hear someone say?), and the unsmiling Vernon Brown.
I owe Pete and Vernon particular, personal thanks. Saturday night, when it seemed that a lot of people would have little or nothing to do, I went around trying to organize a room party. Pete and Vernon offered the supply of some of the Brummies' home brew. Such selfless devotion to a fannish cause reduces me to helpless praise. It was good stuff, too. As events turned out, the excellent St.Fantony party was completely open and so my own party had but a brief (though crowded) burst of splendour, then was swallowed by the greater attractions of St.F. My thanks also go to the Bridges for lending their room (mine proved unusable at the last moment due to an ill Christine Priest next door). November comes the Novacon. The third sf gathering organized from Birmingham this year (the second was the Speculation conference). Is there no holding them? The Novacon looks like being a rather sercon affair, but Peter and I shall be present and we are not exactly the most uptight intellectuals in the sf field. I don't mean to rundown the discussion of sf at conventions: on the contrary, I'm all in favour of it, but fandom is a social event, not a public relations organization for speculative fiction. As with all things, a due proportion of time must be put aside for relaxation. See you there ? Who knows? With less pressure on him than at Easter, Vernon may even unbend sufficiently to smile.
Spare copies of the programme book are available from the con committee....
- Peter Roberts, CHECKPOINT #1 (April 1971) - [see jigsaw ad here]
Below is a
listing of the original reports used in compiling this composite report:
My thanks for assistance to Dave Langford, Rob Jackson, Bill Burns, and Sandra Bond.
.....Rob Hansen
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