This is SKYRACK Number 5, dated 28th July 1959 and published by Ron Bennett 7 Southway, Arthurs Avenue, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.
NOTE ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY ADDRESS
“Inchmery" 236 Queen’s Road, New Cross, London S.E.14
6d per copy, six issues 2/6d 35 cents for 6 issues in USA, subscriptions to Bob Pavlat, 6001- 43rd Ave., Hyattville, Maryland. News of interest to SF fans gratefully accepted. Heading by Sandy Sanderson, cartoon by Joy Clarke.
HUGO BALLOTS
This issue of SKYRACK is being produced a week early in order to circulate the final ballot forms for the Hugo Awards which will be presented at the Detention. British readers will find a form enclosed. It is hoped that British fandom will voice its opinions in order to make the Awards as truly representative of fandom as a whole as is possible. Note that the forms should be returned to me by Wednesday, 5th August. 2d postage if mailed in an open envelope.
Note that membership in the Detention, the Detroit convention, can be obtained by sending me seven shillings. Why not join the Detention at the same time as sending in the ballot form? This is probably your last chance to support a worthwhile fannish cause. It is hoped that with the circulation of these forms with SKYRACK and through the BSFA that more fans will vote than the low number of seventeen who voiced opinions on the initial nomination ballots.
RAINER EISFELD, who will be remembered for his oustanding speech at the London World Convention two years ago, writes to give notice that the Science Fiction Club Europa will sponsor what is described as the “first European convention" at the Weisser Wind Hotel, Zurich on August 22/23. Notwithstanding the fact that the 1952 London Convention at the Royal was also similarly labelled - I remember that PLANEET editor Nic Oosterbaan attended - this SFCE project sounds worthwhile of support and it is hoped that any British fans who might be holidaying on the Continent will attend the convention. Whilst the main language spoken at formal sessions will be German, it will be a three language convention. A French delegation, beaded by Pierre Versin has already agreed to attend.
ALAN RISPIN sends a circular “postcard for non-squares” to report that the Newcastle S.F.Club has recently been formed by Don Allen, Jim Cawthorne, Tom Porter and Mary Munro. Following the Stourbridge and District Circle this is the second new Club to be formed since the Birmingham Convention.
TWO RUMOURS have reached Harrogate and are noted here as being newsworthy items if there’s any truth in them; This is how to run a newszine? WALT WILLIS, I hear, is now back at 170 Upper Newtownards and it is also reported that whilst travelling to the Westercon Bjo Wells and Djinn Fame suffered injuries. Evidently their car ran off the road. Djinn I understand sustained a twisted back while Bjo suffered a broken jaw
Following the congratulation-worthy news that Larry Shaw and. Noreen Falasca were married in New York on JuIy 17th, Bobbie Wild, OMPA-Editor and BSFA Committeewoman, announces her engagement to Bill Gray of the Cheltenham Circle. Mazeltov. NORMAN SHORROCK, INA SHORROCK, JANET SHORROCK, ROY SHORROCK and LINDA SHORROCK were the hosts July 11/12 when Harrogate fandom travelled over to Liverpool and the Wirral to look up old familiar places and faces. Smoking Havana cigars and Ideales cigarettes the audience watched the premier showing of the colour films taken during the LaSFaS holiday in Ibiza last month. Eddie Jones and John Roles showed up on the Sunday in time to play brag. 2 Arnot Way has been having its share of fannish visitors lately. Other recent visitors have been Eric and Margaret Jones and Eric Bentcliffe.
ANNE LUBELL, previously reported as a November visitor to these shores showed how wrong one can be by landing at Southampton July 12th. Following a few days’ stay in. London and a speedy jaunt through Wales, Anne dropped in at 7 Southway en route to Edinburgh, a nice gesture on her part which was greatly appreciated. A great pity the visit was such a short one.
PHOTOGRAPHS taken at the Birmingham convention at Easter are now being circulated throughout British fandom in round robin fashion. If you haven’t yet received the proofs, a large selection to be sold at 8d each, you might write Les Childs, 10 Lygon Walk, Arle, Cheltenham, Gloc.
KEN SLATER, man of many ideas, has written me to point out that as the London convention next year will be held at Whitsun, it might be possible to hold an additional convention in the north at Easter. Talking this point over with Norman Shorrock, Norman and I agreed that ideally there should be one convention at Easter. The choice of Whitsun for the London convention is no doubt an enterprising attempt at pleasing the fans who have been unable to attend gatherings at Easter, and after all, Easter has had priority since 1955 when the first of four Kettering conventions was held. Easter does add a day to a convention for most fans, however as Good Friday is a holiday, and as Ken Slater points out it might be difficult for fans in the north to travel down to a Whitsun convention in London, especially in view of the shorter weekend. Hence his idea for the additional convention in the north at Easter. Ken has suggested Harrogate as a possible site and I have already been in touch with the Manager of a central hotel here. We are now awaiting a decision from the BSFA which we hope will sponsor the conventior. More news, favourable we hope, as it comes through. And what do you say to all this, James Caughran, esquire?
It hasn’t been a fruitful month for British fanzines. The heralded APORRHETA 12 which contains material by such names as Leman, Warner, Bloch, and Grennell hasn’t yet appeared but should, by all accounts, be at your breakfast table almost as soon as this issue of SKYRACK. The one fanzine on hand is SMOKE (1/- or 15 cents; George Locke, 85 Chelsea Gardens, Chelsea Bridge Road London S.W.l.; 35 pages). This is the first issue of what started out as being the official organ of the London Circle. Editorial energy has been diverted somewhere along the way and this is now a general subzine, described as being “Guaranteed completely and absolutely unofficial.’ George has a nice but somewhat subdued sense of humour and. his ”editorial personality” is not overdeveloped, a fact which should please Bob Coulson. John Berry contributes Honey Sore Key Mally Pence and. suggests fannish coats of arms, Ken Bulmer writes on the recent London Circle visit to Cheltenham and Bob Richardson contributes the Cheltenham viewpoint of the same event. Penelope Fandergaste reviews recent non-sf books by science fiction writers, Vince Clarke branches out with. a sister(?) column to his Grunch series in HYPHEN, entitled Eggplant and Ivor Mayne reviews recent fanzines. Altogether a bright new star on the British zinescene.
THE LONDON CIRCLE’S CONVERSAZIONE announced in the previous issue has now been renamed SYMPOSIUM. Ella Parker writes to say that this intriguing sounding get together will be held on Saturday October 3rd. The price of admission, covering all food and drink will be twenty-one shillings. There will be no extra charges. A programme of interest to all is being arranged. Activities will continue well into the night. The Symposium is scheduled to begin at 4pm Saturday and will finish when the last fan leaves on the Sunday morning. Bookings, which should enclose cash, should be made through Sandra Hall, 41 Northend House, FitzJames Avenue, London W.14. Come prepared to stay all night.
LARRY SHAW and GEORGE METZGER deserve thanks for sending me, respectively, two Emsh illustrations from INFINITY and a fine pen and ink illustration measuring 20” x 17”. But why?
Ella Parker reports that the London Circle now has the YOUNGEST paid up member of any science fiction club. Nicola Belle Clarke was formally admitted to membership at the White Horse on Friday 17th July. Unfortunately, says Ella, she is too young to vote.
LONDON CIRCLE’S next meetings will be 6th August at the Globe and 21st August at the White Horse. I have hopes of attending both. About the time that British fans will be reading this I shall be making my way south to take up residence with Inchmery fandom for a period of about five weeks Mail can reach me there direct, or if sent to 7 Southway, will be forwarded. Inchmery fandom will be moving north for a fortnight, residing at the Sanderson country villa at 90 Beresford Road, Longsight, Manchester 13 from August 8th-23rd inclusive. Food and drink in abundance is promised to any fans who attend the party to be held at Beresford Road August 8/9th.
THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FAN FUND is still moving along smoothly, but in order to ensure that a North American delegate will attend the convention next year, more cash is needed. Both contributions and the votes themselves (nominated are Terry Carr, Don Ford and Bjo Wells) will be gratefully accepted by either myself or Bob Madle, 3608 Caroline, Indianapolis 18, Indiana, USA. British and European fans who have already voted are: Norman Ashfield, Karl Dollner, James Groves, Terry Jeeves, Keith Freeman, Michael Rosenblum, Ella Parker, Ken Slater, D.L Fawcett, Eric Bentcliffe, Barry Hall, Dave Cohen, Eddie Jones, Frank Simpson, Phil Rogers, Phil Sless, Norman Weedall, Bob Richardson, Archie Mercer, Ted Carnell, Jim Linwood, Doc Weir, Jean and Annie Linard, George Locke, Ethel Lindsay, Ken McIntyre, Pierre and Martine Versins, and John Roles.