Pete Campbell
(???? –)
Peter 'Pete' Campbell was UK fan and fanzine editor from Windermere in the Lake District active in the 1950s. He was the founder of the Lakeland S.F. Organisation, operated the Operation Fantast contact bureau, was a member of OMPA, and was associated with the Hydra League.
He created the 'primarily book-centred'[1] Lakeland S.F. Organisation around June 1952 with members scattered throughout the UK keeping in touch by letter. Its 'chief attraction to most fans was its large lending library of SF, and the casual PAYL (Pay As You Like) system Campbell operated for its services'[2]. He continued the LSFO until May 1954 when it passed to John B. Hall.
He attended the Mancon in 1952 and Coroncon in 1953 and ran unsuccessfully for TAFF in 1954, nominated by Ken Slater who said of him:
Peter is one of our leading fanzine publishers – of the over 100 pages of the first two issues of Andromeda. He belongs to at least two fan clubs and is originator of one of them. He corresponds widely and is well known to many American fans. He attends British Conventions. He works hard for fandom – all fans who have joined Operation Fantast since he took charge of the Greetings Group and Contact Bureau know the results of his efforts. Finally, he is capable of representing us without disgracing us. He is quiet spoken, well mannered, personable, and can turn a slick phrase when necessary.
Campbell himself had attempted to nominate Slater who declined over the matter of whether candidates should post a bond.
At some point around 1957 he formed The Federation of East & West (FEW), 'an international community designed to promote the mutual welfare of all life'. While not a fannish organisation per se it was seemingly influenced by Campbell's fan experience with a contact bureau, local groups, a postal library and a fanzine-like newsletter, East & West News. It was affiliated with the International Science Fiction Society (ISFS) and Sirius #31 (November 1960), their official organ, said that FEW would operate as its branch for 'Non-Fan Contacts'. It claimed FEW had 2,000 members although East & West News #37 (May 1961) claimed a circulation of 1,000.
He returned to fannish publishing in the mid-1960s with Hydra, a fanzine that 'mixed discussion of SF with political pieces and ... deliberately sought out a worldwide audience'[3]. This was likely in turn influenced by Campbell's experience with FEW.
- Andromeda [1953–7] (at least one issue in OMPA)
- Circular of the Lakeland Science Fiction Organisation [1950s]
- The Horse Laugh [1953–?] (for the Operation Fantast Greeting Group)
- Delphi/Gorgonzola [1952]
- Hydra [1964-65]
- Science-Fiction Fan Club Questionaire [1954]
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