This is SKYRACK number 50, edited and published by Ron Bennett, 13 West Cliffe Grove, Harrogate, Yorkshire, england. 6d per copy. Six issues 2/6d. 6 issues for 35 cents in USA (airmailed for 65cents) where subscriptions may be sent to Bob Pavlat, a sadly neglected Good Man who resides at 6001-43rd. Avenue, Hyattsville, Md. News of interest to sf fandom always welcome. Cartoon by Arthur Thomson’s Same Day All Round Service. Caption by George Locke. Contributions by Arthur Thomson, Ethel Linday, Archie Mercer, FANAC, Ken Slater and Colin Freeman.
- 4th March 1963

LATEST NEWS ON THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FAN FUND is that the nomination deadline for the 1964 USA-Great Britain trip has been extended in order to give one or two people time to wind up personal nominating campaigns. Things are happening practically daily, as two letters in two days from Ron Ellik testify, but the latest known is that it seems highly likely that Seattle’s Wally Weber will be running in the contest and that he may be rivalled by OMPA President Bob Lichtman and FAPA’s ex-Official Editor Marion Zimmer Bradley. It finally looks as though neither of the first approached fans, Bill Donaho or Rick Sneary will be running.

SID BOUNDS AND TED TUBB attended SFCoL meeting at Courage House on 24th Feb. Tubb gave a greatly appreciated formal talk on the state of sf today, saying that the genre does not pay enough attention to new would-be readers containing as it does so many esoteric references. There should, he argued, be more factual explanation in stories. Other SFCoL news as that TAFF Administrator Ethel Lindsay’s 1962 Trip Report is now complete and is on stencil awaiting illustration by Atom.

FIRST “HYPHEN” FOR A YEAR is due out this month. Features Harrogate Conrep by James White.:::: Tony Walsh married Simone Horley 9th Feb. :::: Rumour has it, Keith Freeman, that SFA is folding :::: Actifan of 2-3 years ago, Lynn Hickman of Illinois, is resuming publication of JD-A with a switch of title to The Pulp Era. The five fans who bought subs at the LXIcon (Shorrock, Mabey, Rogers, Forsyth & Miller) will get their due even if it takes 4 or 5 years, says Lynn. ::: It Happened Here, British film about Britain under Nazi occupation 1941-45 is being made in London with the help of extras Jhim Linwood, Bruce Burn and Pat Kearney. ::: Oh, another CoA Sgt Keith Freeman, Sgts Mess, RAF Leconfield, Nr Beverley, Yorkshire. ::: Skyrack poll! VOTE!!!

AUCTION!! AUCTION!! AUCTION!! This has absolutely  nothing to do with the new Lana Turner - Dean Martin film called Who’s Got The......., but recently that Good Man and Guardian Angel of the Strategic Air Command, Sergeant Ellis T. Mills sent over a dozen very worthwhile and highly readable U.S. prozines, which are being auctioned off, 5 all profits (that’s proceeds less postage) to TAFF. Highest bid up to and including the Peterborough Convention takes, unless there is a deal of squabbling still going on by then. Let’s start off with a reserve of 7/- or $3., hmm? The twelve prozines are: AMAZING Nov 58, April 60, May 60; ASF Mar 58, April 58, May 58, Jan 59, Apr , July 60; FANTASTIC Jan 59; Jan 61, and SATELLITE Feb 58. Just about as good a collection of varied stories as one could wish for, with authors including McIntosh, Silverberg, Anderson, Bloch, Starkey, Dickson, Russell, Smith, Chandler, McLaughlin, Leinster, Harrison, Clement, Leiber, and Bradley. Bid now! Remember it’s for TAFF.

ALSO FOR AUCTION are eight issues of the British wonderzine APORRHETA, numbers 2 (lacking cover), 4, 6-10. Some very entertaining and thought provoking fan material from 1958-59. 50% to TAFF.

THE DIRECTORY OF 1962 SCIENCE FICTION FANDOM. This eighth annual listing contains the addresses of over 500 fans around the world and is the most up to date and revised listing ever produced. Arthur Thomson cover. $1 or 5/- to non-fans from Ron Bennett or Bob Pavlat. 1/6 or 25cents to fans, and just the cost of postage to members of FAPA or OMPA.

WHOOPS! Take note you auction bidders! Bids for those items listed up there should be sent to Ron Bennett and definitely not to Ellis Mills who after all has done his share in donating the things in the first place.

WE OLD TIMERS WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS (he says with a slight cough) remember the good old days when copies of FANAC would drop on our doormats every couple of weeks. Things just aren’t the same these days it would appear for FANAC numbers 87-89 (July-Nov 62) have just reached us here in the UK sent in a batch by Walt Breen, currently the editor, publisher, proprietor et al, and posted out by FANAC’s suffering agent Archie Mercer (70 Worrall Rd., Bristol 8) who obviously, very obviously, cares about the present deplorable situation in regards to how Breen is treating his overseas readers. Mercer explains the situation well in a two paged issue of AngloFanac, the second issue of which this is. The first issue was pretty well responsible in sparking off SKYRACK, a fact which Archie has for some reason never held against me. The point is this; if you should have had FANAC and haven’t, it’s Breen's fault. Not Archie’s. Nor Eney’s for that matter.

MAIN ITEM OF INTEREST gleaned from the three above mentioned issues of FANAC and not previously published elsewhere to my knowledge is the sad report of the death of Brooklyn fan Shel Deretchin on 22nd October from diabetes. Shel was very well known over here for his zany “Boy Ugh” costume at the 1957 London WorldCon, following which event he made many friends during a visit with other American fans (Bob Madle, Dave Kyle and Steve Schultheis amongst them) to Liverpool. Shel was kind enough to spare much of his time to showing me around Greenwich Village during my stay in New York in 1958 and was furthermore, the first American fan with whom I was ever in correspondence. It is with very deep regret that I learn of his death. At 29 too.

VECTOR 18 (official organ of the British Science Fiction Association, edited by James Groves 29 Lathom Rd., London E6, and duplicated and published in and from Leeds by J. Michael Rosenblum) This latest issue contains the third and final part of Philip Harbottle’s appraisal of John Russell Fearn who in retrospect appears to have attained a stature he himself probably didn’t dream of in the days of the Vargo Statten Magazine. It also contains an illustrated story by Ian Aldridge and a story by Robert Presslie, who was one of the personalities at this year’s Peterborough Convention. Chit-chat, letters and book reviews as well as an excellent Arthur Thomson cover make up an average issue of Vector. Of special interest is the BSFA offer  to circulate with the next issue of Vector any flier any BSFA member wcould care to publish. 200 copies to Jimmy Groves, and the cost is only 7/6, a tremendous saving over one’s own personal postage rates of 2d per sheet.

LES SPINGE 10 (Jan 63, Dave Hale, 12 Belmont Road, Wollescote, Stourbridge, Worcs. 1/- per copy. Distributed through OMPA) Letters with a heading of Cry at the Wild Ghus, neat multi-coloured duplicating indicate to a marked degree how LS has improved during the past few months The mixture of contents is as before with a reasonably high class story by Mike Deckinger and other material by Ken Cheslin, Colin Freeman, Alan Burns, John Berry, Jhim Linwood and “Steve Leon-Paul.” The material is all pretty good, but in practically evey case it could have stood a little polishing by either author or edtor. Not that Editor Hale isn't trying; the overall tone of this issue compared with previous issues gives rise to the proof of Dave’s much improved attitude and maturity.

SCRIBBLE 11 (Colin Freeman, 41 Mornington Crescent, Harrogate. 6d per copy. 16 pages). If some fanzines cost 1/- then this one is certainly worth 6d. (10 cents in in the States to Bob Pavlat) Scribble has recently undergone a major change. Much of the writing is either by fans or else is fan slanted while the overall level of humour has decidedly improved. Arthur Thomson contributes headings and a cover with which he very nearly succeeds in excelling himself. Archie Mercer describes the Hokey Cokey and John Berry gets serious about music. Has anyone noticed how John Berry’s recent writing have been well up to the high standard of his golden period of 1955-58?

THE WILD COLONIAL BOY 2 (John Foyster, 4 Edward St., Chadstone SE 10, Victoria, Australia. Distributed through SAPS). This Jan 63 issue is aptly named, a wild collection of stories and SAPS mailing comments, plus a good article by Bertram Chandler.

SHANGRI L’AFFAIRES 63 (Jan 63. Edited for LASFS by Steve Tolliver, excellently duplicated and available for 25cents from Ron EllIk, 1825 Greenfield, LA 25, or 1/8d from Archie Mercer) This month’s three star choice with Ron Ellik’s Squirrel Cage devoted to the Harrogate Convention. I’m not such a good brag player, but there isn’t an item here which isn’t recommended.

INSIDE 1 (Jon White, 90 Riverside Drive, New York 24.  25¢) Actually number 54, this latest issue of INSIDE, the NEW Inside, appears some two months late from a new editor, former proprietor Ron Smith having emigrated to Australia. This is a good issue, with an especially worthy article by Bob Bloch on SF criticism.  He might just have been writing about this page!

SOME FANS evidently missed the notice last issue of Ella Parker’s change of address: 43 William Dunbar House, Albert Road, London NW 6 (substitution of “West Kilburn” for ”Albert Road” is apparently just as good).

SID BIRCHBY mentions that his recent CoA did not appear in Skyrack and Archie Mercer also makes the same comment. It didn’t, which is just another reason why one should buy the 1962 Fan Directory, in which the CoA did appear. (40 Parrs Wood Avenue, Didsbury, Manchester 20). And a genuine NEW Change of address -  Michael Moorcock, Flat 3, 8 Colville Terrace, London W 11

SOME HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT SF FANDOM is a N3F sponsored booklet, compiled by Al Lewis & Ron Ellik, from whom it is available @ 20 cents a copy. Full of background facts on world conventions, Hugo winners and TAFF campaigns. Well worth the money.

MARCH ISSUE of F&SF contains stories by Harry Harrison, Calvin’ “Biff” Demmon and Fritz Leiber. :::: Latest issue of Peterborough Con Newsletter, East-Fanglian Times, was circulated with hotel booking forms If-you haven’t booked yet do so now. Registrations now top the 130 mark, believed to be a record for a national convention. The Con looks to have a crowded and enjoyable programme with films, panels, discussions, speeches and the fancy dress party, to say nothing of the official BSFA business meeting and any private parties which might just possibly happen (there is always that slight chance). Brag, anyone? :::: Is DENIS a Digital Electronic Number Indicator System? Or what? That’s one of the surprises the Petsrborough Committee will have lined up for attendees! ::: A “queer thing making a noise like a goods train and shaped like a rocket” recently seen over Stourbridge. Oh, what have you boys been up to now? :::: SFCoL Club meeting on 3rd March was/will be first official fan gathering at new home of Ella Parker.:::: Arthur Thomson mentions in a letter that be hasn’t yet received the art award won by him during last year’s ChiCon, Anyone any idea where it is? :::: Gentlemen of Hannover, I still have not been informed which inhabitant of your fair city is responsible for the five shilling money order sent me late November-early December which I still have sitting here. The post office will not cash it without this notification and obviously someone out there is DM 2.50 in the red and is receiving no benefit from their shelling out. :::: Vote Ella Parker for the Doctor Arthur Rose Weir Memorial Award. She has organised a con, been BSFA Secretary, hosted out of work fans, thrown parties and meetings, published a highly successful fanzine and has been rude to Bill Temple, Ron Bennett, Arthur Thomson and Ted Tubb! Vote for her. :::: SKYRACK POLL WINDS UP 15th MARCH. JOIN IN THIS BUMPER VOTING!