Cytricon II

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Cytricon II was the 1956 Eastercon, held March 31-April 1, 1956 (Easter weekend) at the George Hotel in Kettering, UK. There was no guest of honour. The committee was Joy Clarke and Vin¢ Clarke assisted by other members of the London Circle.

It was the seventh convention in the Eastercon sequence and the second of four at the George hotel. There was a significant international element with seven overseas fans attending out of a total of 80-odd, likely making it proportionally the most international Eastercon ever. It was the first to have printed badges although none have survived. It was also the smallest Eastercon since Loncon in 1949.

The name Cytricon II seems to be a retrospective coinage, adopted because the 1956 convention followed Cytricon and was in the same place. However, the combozine doesn't use the term and says rather 'Second Kettering Convention'. Contemporary reports don't seem to user Cytricon II either.

Preparations[edit]

The attendees at Cytricon in 1955 were focused first on the London in '56 Worldcon bid with the idea of a second Kettering convention in 1956 as very much a fallback position. At the Cleveland Worldcon, and in the face of overwhelming support for New York in 1956, the London bid was withdrawn without a vote although the bid would return as London in 1957. At some point, then, Cytricon II was arranged although this time in the hands of the London fans. Vin¢ Clarke wrote: 

London fans have stepped into the breach again and are booking the George Hotel, Kettering, Northants, scene of 1955's extraordinarily successful 'do', for the '56 Convention. It will be attempted to run it as an International Convention, for many visiting fans are expected from other countries, and the experience gained is going to be very, very useful for the 1957 Convention, which will call for a concerted effort from fan groups all over the country[1].

As with the previous convention, there were progress reports – Peter Weston believed there were three[2] – but copies have not been traced. Pamela Bulmer said in Femizine #8 (March 1956) that the convention 'has intentionally not been publicised'. This is seemingly a reference to the focus on planning for the London in 1957 Worldcon bid. It does however seem at odds with Clarke's view above which dates from only one month earlier.

Venue[edit]

The George Hotel in Kettering was an old coaching inn dating back to 1639. It would host all four Cytricon Eastercons from 1955 to 1958 and the Kettering Minicon of 1960, as well as Cytricon V, a fiftieth anniversary gathering in 2008. It was later renamed the Naseby Hotel but sadly it closed permanently in 2016 and has been turned into flats. Some fans stayed in the nearby Royal Hotel and that hosted some evening socialising.

Attendees[edit]

There are 85 people listed as registered members in the combozine. Some of these didn't attend and in a few cases presumably never had any intention of doing so. There are 87 known attendees based on mentions in convention reports, appearances in photos or who signed a copy of the combozine. Despite this near match, many attendees weren't listed members and listed members didn't always attend.

In the table below names marked (A) are known attendees, names marked (AN) are known attendees who are not on the membership list, and names marked (N) are members who are known to have not been present. The remainder may have attended. In a few cases that's the limit of our knowledge about them and where this is the case there won't be a page for them until and unless we find out some more. Names to which this applies are in italics. Additionally names marked * are family members of attendees who likely weren't fans per se.

  1. A. Armstrong
  2. John Ashcroft (A)
  3. Mal Ashworth (A)
  4. Alan Barclay (AN)
  5. Ron Bennett (A)
  6. Eric Bentcliffe (A)
  7. John Brunner (A)
  8. Daphne Buckmaster (A)
  9. Ron Buckmaster (A)
  10. Ken Bulmer (AN)
  11. Pam Bulmer (AN)
  12. Brian Burgess (A)
  13. Alan Burns (A)
  14. Ted Carnell (A)
  15. W. Carr[3] (A)
  16. Meredith Chatterton (A)
  17. Gerry Clarke
  18. Joy Clarke (A)
  19. Vin¢ Clarke (A)
  20. Dave Cohen (A)
  21. Pat Doolan (AN)
  22. Philip Duerr (AN)
  23. Peter Emery (A)
  24. Paul Enever (A)
  25. Frances Evans (AN)
  26. Dave Gardner (AN)
  27. Irene Gore (AN)
  28. John Greengrass (A)
  29. Peter Hamilton (A)
  30. Joan Hammett (A)
  31. Paul Hammett (A)
  32. Chuck Harris (A)
  33. Bill Harrison (A)
  34. Bill Harry (A)
  35. E Hedges
  36. Arthur F. Hillman
  37. Jan Jansen (A)
  38. Terry Jeeves (A)
  39. ? Jefferson[4]
  40. ? Johnson[5]
  41. Eric Jones (A)
  42. Margaret Jones (A)
  43. Hal Kennedy (A)
  44. Bruce Kidd (A)
  45. John Kippax
  46. Tony Klein (AN)
  47. Dave Kyle (A)
  48. Ethel Lindsay (AN)
  49. Don MacKay (A)
  50. Lil MacKay (A)
  51. Renee MacKay (A)
  52. Michael Mansfield
  53. Shirley Marriott (A)
  54. Jim Marshall (A)
  55. Ken McIntyre (A)
  56. Archie Mercer (A)
  57. Jill Micklethwaite (A)[6]
  58. Ellis Mills (A)
  59. Frank Milnes (A)
  60. Dan Morgan (A)
  61. Eric Needham (A)
  62. Dave Newman (A)
  63. Stan Nuttall (A)
  64. Sheila O'Donnell (A)
  65. John Owen (A)
  66. David Page (A)
  67. Margaret Page (A)
  68. Ken Potter (A)
  69. G. Powell
  70. Dorothy Ratigan (A)
  71. Jim Ratigan (A)
  72. Peter Reaney (A)
  73. Peter Rigby (A)
  74. John Roles (A)
  75. Sandy Sanderson (A)
  76. Laurence Sandfield (A)
  77. Larry Shaw (A)
  78. Lee Shaw (A)
  79. Ina Shorrock (A)
  80. Norman Shorrock (A)
  81. Ken Slater (A)
  82. Anne Steul (A)
  83. Pete Taylor (AN)
  84. Arthur Thomson (AN)
  85. David Thurlby
  86. I. Thurlby *[7]
  87. Ted Tubb (A)
  88. Brian Varley (AN)
  89. Mike Wallace (A)
  90. Norman Wansborough (A)
  91. Norman Weedall
  92. Peter West (A)
  93. Cyril Whitaker[8]
  94. Bobbie Wild (A)
  95. Walt Willis (A)
  96. Dick Wilson (A)
  97. Jack Wilson (A)
  98. Geoff Wingrove (A)
  99. P. Wollan
  100. Cathie Youden (AN)

A copy of the combozine signed by various people includes somebody whose name appears to be 'Karl Something D-something'. Eric Jones, writing in Sidereal# 3.1, noted that none of the Kettering fans attended Cytricon II and this is backed up by the membership list in the combozine. Denny Cowen, the chair of Cytricon appeared for a very short time on Sunday but he was obviously 'just passing thru' and so doesn't really count as an attendee. A slight contradiction to this comes from Archie Mercer who said that on the Sunday 'I got into a discussion with some local Kettering types'[9] but unfortunately – and unusually for Mercer – he didn't name them. It is possible these were non-fans who happened to be in the hotel.

Notable first-time convention attendees include Bobbie Wild.

The convention[edit]

Fans began arriving on Friday. A peculiar element to contemporary readers is that some talked about bringing vinyl records along while Archie Mercer and Peter Hamilton brought their own gramophones. Various greetings were exchanged and Geoff Wingrove and [[John Brunner] adjourned to Mercer's room for a jazz session.

Proceedings began on Saturday at about 11am with W. Carr's demonstration of hypnotism. After lunch there was a pro editors' panel featuring Ted Carnell and Ted Tubb (the printed programme also lists Peter Hamilton and Larry Shaw), followed by the Liverpool Group tapera 'Last and First Fen'. Various fans then spoke for two minutes on one of a number of defined subjects drawn from a hat. Mercer thought 'The most fluent speech ... came from Anne Steul'. There was another jazz session and the London Circle punch party.

John Greengrass and Ted Tubb conducted the usual auction, although Geoff Wingrove said it was soon abandoned through lack of support with people heading off to the Liverpool Group party[10]. Many fans were in fancy dress, including Eric Jones as a BEM and various Liverpool people attired as their 'Last and First Fen' characters. There was later a 'Great Procession' to the overflow hotel, The Royal[11].

Sunday began with another jazz session until about noon. The afternoon was given over to discussion of the London in 1957 Worldcon bid. This was led by Dave Kyle,Ted Carnell (chairman of the bid), Jan Jansen, Pam Bulmer, Joy Clarke and Bobbie Wild. Kyle suggested that Easter wouldn't be suitable for American fans and suggested August or September. He thought 75 Americans would be willing and able to come and talked of a charter flight[12]. A tea break was followed by an OMPA meeting. John Greengrass provided some kind of entertainment (according to Mercer who wasn't there) and then there was a further auction.

Dave Newman had his 'annual' room party and there was also a Liverpool party. Several fans also partied in the residents' lounge at The Royal. As a change from jazz, there was an 'impromptu skiffle-session that lasted until dawn'[13].

Mal Ashworth summarised: 

There were some very excellent all-night parties; or – rather – there were some very excellent sounding all-night parties. Alas and alack-aday, however, – being in the Royal Hotel whilst the main body of the convention was in the George we saw comparatively little of these fine, fabulous, fannish affairs. We stopped by them once early in the evening, and once they actually penetrated up to the Royal, but the courteous and tolerant manager there threw them out with some remark about not wanting any bloody circus in his hotel. We did the next best thing and sat around in the lounge of the Royal – a fairish sized band of us – having a minor party on our own.
...
Then there was the convention programme. The programme was fine, too. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the height of praise in Cool Cat Bop Type Talk is the phrase 'It didn't bother me'. That's how the programme was. It didn't bother me. It was good. It was interesting if you wanted it, and unobtrusive if you didn't. And to ask more than that of a convention programme is asking a lot[14].

Publications[edit]

There were a number of – to date untraced – progress reports. The Cytricon II combozine was the third such, although it would be the last for some time, and included the programme and a membership list alongside sample issues of various fanzines.

Future conventions[edit]

While the future focus was very much directed at the prospect of a UK Worldcon in 1957, it seems that there was a contingency plan for a 'second international convention' in the style of Festivention in the event the bid failed. In Femizine #8 (March 1956, and thus before Cytricon II), Pam Bulmer[15] said, 'The main concern of fandom here in Britain is for the 1957 International Convention which will be held from the 19th to 21st April [Easter weekend] inclusive. As I write negotiations are in hand for the booking of a suitable hotel.' This could be a reference to the London Worldcon bid, euphemistically referred to as the '1957 International Convention'. Terminology was then somewhat fluid in a manner that would likely horrify later WSFS business meeting denizens, as evidenced by the way that the International Convention of 1951, Festivention, was sometimes referred to as the 'Worldcon'[16]. Dave Kyle's comments referenced above, that Easter wouldn't be suitable for the Americans, do suggest that Easter was at the point being considered for the Worldcon. Later in the same issue Bulmer said, 'Your vote can turn the SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION into the FIFTEENTH WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION.' This carries the implication that there would be a convention: if the vote went in favour of London then 1957 would be a Worldcon and if it didn't then it would be the Second International Convention.

The question is academic. The London bid was successful and became Loncon, the first British (and indeed first non-North American) Worldcon. Nevertheless, at some point after Cytricon II plans were made for what became known as Cytricon III at Easter 1957.

Links

____

  1. ↑ Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine v2 #7 (February 1956)
  2. ↑ Cytricon V Programme Book (2008).
  3. ↑ As shown on the membership list. He was also referred to as 'Harry Powers'.
  4. ↑ The membership list includes somebody called Jefferson from Leeds with no initial.
  5. ↑ The membership list includes somebody called Johnson from an unknown location with no initial.
  6. ↑ Archie Mercer referred to 'Jill What'sername' being present and this is the only contender.
  7. ↑ This is likely David Thurlby's wife.
  8. ↑ It's likely that Whitaker was present. Writing of Cytricon III, Archie Mercer mentioned seeing 'Jack Wilson and Cyril Whittaker [sic] – accompanied as usual by Jill Micklethwaite. And as Micklethwaite and Wilson were at Cytricon II...
  9. ↑ 'Into the Land of Canaan', Ploy #6 (June 1956).
  10. ↑ Snooze #6 (Summer 1957).
  11. ↑ Ibid, Ploy.
  12. ↑ Ibid, Snooze.
  13. ↑ Ibid, Ploy.
  14. ↑ Triode #9 (January 1957).
  15. ↑ The assumption is that it was Bulmer; the piece is uncredited but she is the editor.
  16. ↑ For instance Walt Willis in Quandry #8 ('If you are in London for the festival (and the World Science Fiction Convention, May 10th to 13th, 1951)...'); #9 ('Ackerman reported to be coming to the World Convention in London in May...'); and #10 ('Further articles in the series "The Other SF" in this column will be delayed until after the World Convention in London in May...')
Cytricon I Eastercon Cytricon III
Cytricon I Cytricon Cytricon III
1956
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