S. Nyman
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S. Nyman was a UK fan from Tottenham in London active in the 1930s. He had been an occasional visitor to the Ilford Science Literary Circle in 1930–31 and later became a member of the Science Fiction Association (SFA).
Wally Gillings wrote of the early days of UK fandom in 'The Clamourous Dreamers', published in New Futurian, edited by J. Michael Rosenblum. In its fourth installment, published in #4 (Spring 1955) he recalled:
... two curious visitors to the Ilford Circle. One of these was a well-remembered Mr. S. Nyman, of Tottenham, who had a habit of descending on my doorstep at Leyton somewhere about midnight, and who tried persistently, but in vain, to stir up interest in his locality.
This attempt to 'stir up interest in his locality' can be seen in the lettercolumn of Wonder Stories, November 1931, where a letter from Gillings is followed by extracts from letters from Leslie J. Johnson (although rendered as Leslie G. Johnson) and Nyman, with the latter saying:
I am interested in the formation of such circles [as the Ilford group], as science fiction differs from ordinary fiction in being of some value beyond that of passing entertainment. The formation of science fiction clubs would emphasize that value in creating an interest in science. If there are any readers in North London who are interested in the formation of a science fiction circle, communicate with me so that I can discuss the matter further.
It's unclear whether anybody did contact Nyman, but there's no evidence anything came of it and Tottenham did not join Ilford and Hayes as one of the London foundations of fandom.
Nyman became a member of the Science Fiction Association (SFA) in May 1937. He attended the inaugural meeting of the London branch on October 3, 1937, as recalled by Eric C. Williams in a letter dated October 6, 1937, to Sid Birchby, later quoted over 50 years later by Birchby in an October 30, 1987, letter to Rob Hansen:
You remember that cross-eyed fellow Nyman on Sunday who kept asking awkward questions in a loud voice at the smallest points? It was he who caused the break-up of the Ilford Science Literary Circle. Once he gets going, he just blabs and blabs, and the others get tired of coming!
Birchby adds:
Yes! I remember [him], after 50 years, and how he came uninvited to try to con me out of some magazines.
Williams's recall is at odds with that of Wally Gillings who said, also in 'The Clamourous Dreamers' part 4, that the Ilford group never reassembled after its summer 1931 recess:
... mainly for lack of enough members interested in more than parlour chit-chat, and partly because we could find no other way of discouraging an elderly lady who had mistaken us for a Spiritualist circle.
Gillings was writing 24 years after the event whereas Williams letter was a mere six years after the Ilford group's demise, but then Gillings was the prime mover in the Ilford group and Williams didn't attend.
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