Difference between revisions of "Laurence Sandfield"

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'''Laurence “Sandy” Sandfield''' was a [[British]] [[fan]] active in the 1950s. An early UK [[filker]], he wrote the [[filk songbook]] ''[[Songs from Space]]''.  
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'''Bertram Laurence 'Sandy' Sandfield''' was a [[UK]] [[fan]] from [[London]] active from the 1940s until the 1960s. An early UK [[filker]], he wrote the [[filk songbook]] ''[[Songs from Space]]''. He was a member of the [[British Fantasy Society]] (BFS) and the [[BSFA]].
  
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He appeared in costume at [[London (Eastercon)]] in 1960 as Rhysling, the bard from [[Robert A. Heinlein]]’s “The Green Hills of Earth.”
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Sandfield is mentioned in ''[[Futurian War Digest]]'' #28 (May 1943) seeking back issues of ''[[Astounding]]''. He joined the the BFS soon after and was described by [[John Aiken]] as one of the newcomers at the [[Eastercon-1944|Eastercon]] in 1944, 'wearing a tie of a totally new primary colour'.
  
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He was thereafter a regular attendee at UK [[conventions]] including the Whitcon in 1948 and [[Loncon I]] in 1957. He is often described as playing guitar to mixed reactions. In ''[[A Fake Fan in London]]'', [[Bob Madle]] wrote of the 1957 Loncon with:
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Lawrence Sandfield ... strumming away mightily on his git-iiddle to the utter delight of all attendees
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However it seems likely that [[Bobbie Wild]] was talking of Sandfield when she said, as reported by [[James White]] in ''[[Hyphen]]'' #19:
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... she had insured herself so that she could wrap a certain person's blank guitar round his blank-blank neck with impunity
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[[Archie Mercer]], writing in ''[[Excelsior]]'' #3 described Sandfield's performance at [[Cytricon III]] in 1957:
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Sandy ... is a [[London Circle]]ite who digs trad jazz and plays guitar in espresso bars and places. Sings, too. [[Eric Jones]] recorded an hourlong concert of his playing one of the three nights – I forget which – and when it was played back later I stood glued to the tape-recorder until it was finished – although I'd heard the original. Sandy specialises in blues and folk-songs generally, usually with a Transatlantic bias – a style of playing that is very popular in this country these days, and for which we have borrowed the term 'skiffle' to describe it. Sandy, being an [[sf]] fan, has attempted to adapt the medium to sf-based themes, such as spacemen's songs of home and the like, with varying success depending on how starry the listener's eyes can get. Personally, I prefer his 'London Circle Woman' with a bright twelve-bar chorus for virtually every one of the [[The Globe|Globe]] Tavern's regular female denizens of a Thursday evening – and I can think of a dozen or so more off hand, so he's plenty of material to choose from.
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While Sandfield didn't publish [[fanzines]] he occasionally wrote for others, including one of the three known accounts of [[Cytricon III]] written as by 'Sandy Lawrence'. An article in ''[[Northlight]]'' #7 (ed. [[Alan Burns]], November 1959) written in the aftermath of the [[London Symposium]] one month earlier provoked such a 'a furious and disproportionate response' according to [[Peter Weston]] in ''[[Prolapse]]'' #12, that it led to Sandfield '[[gafiating]] completely<ref>Weston says 'Sanderson' but it seems clear 'Sandfield' is intended.</ref>'. This may be slightly premature as Sandfield  appeared in costume at the [[London (Eastercon)|London Eastercon]] in 1960 as Rhysling, the bard from [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s 'The Green Hills of Earth'. He is listed in [[Ron Bennett]]'s ''[[Directory of Science Fiction Fandom]]'' for 1960 but not for 1961. In ''[[Skyrack]]'' #83 Bennett numbered him among the 'Names from Fandoms Past' present at [[Loncon II]] in 1965.
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He published a handful of short stories in the early 1950s, some under [[pseudonyms]].
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Not to be confused with [[Sandy Sanderson]].
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* {{ISFDB|Laurence_Sandfield}}
 
*[http://www.fiawol.org.uk/fanstuff/THEN%20Archive/songs/songs01.htm Photo.]
 
*[http://www.fiawol.org.uk/fanstuff/THEN%20Archive/songs/songs01.htm Photo.]
  
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{{person | born=????| locale=London}}
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{{person | born=????}}
 
 
[[Category:Fan]]
 
[[Category:Fan]]
 
[[Category:UK]]
 
[[Category:UK]]
 
[[Category:Filk]]
 
[[Category:Filk]]

Latest revision as of 02:47, 20 June 2024

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Bertram Laurence 'Sandy' Sandfield was a UK fan from London active from the 1940s until the 1960s. An early UK filker, he wrote the filk songbook Songs from Space. He was a member of the British Fantasy Society (BFS) and the BSFA.

Sandfield is mentioned in Futurian War Digest #28 (May 1943) seeking back issues of Astounding. He joined the the BFS soon after and was described by John Aiken as one of the newcomers at the Eastercon in 1944, 'wearing a tie of a totally new primary colour'.

He was thereafter a regular attendee at UK conventions including the Whitcon in 1948 and Loncon I in 1957. He is often described as playing guitar to mixed reactions. In A Fake Fan in London, Bob Madle wrote of the 1957 Loncon with: 

Lawrence Sandfield ... strumming away mightily on his git-iiddle to the utter delight of all attendees

However it seems likely that Bobbie Wild was talking of Sandfield when she said, as reported by James White in Hyphen #19: 

... she had insured herself so that she could wrap a certain person's blank guitar round his blank-blank neck with impunity

Archie Mercer, writing in Excelsior #3 described Sandfield's performance at Cytricon III in 1957: 

Sandy ... is a London Circleite who digs trad jazz and plays guitar in espresso bars and places. Sings, too. Eric Jones recorded an hourlong concert of his playing one of the three nights – I forget which – and when it was played back later I stood glued to the tape-recorder until it was finished – although I'd heard the original. Sandy specialises in blues and folk-songs generally, usually with a Transatlantic bias – a style of playing that is very popular in this country these days, and for which we have borrowed the term 'skiffle' to describe it. Sandy, being an sf fan, has attempted to adapt the medium to sf-based themes, such as spacemen's songs of home and the like, with varying success depending on how starry the listener's eyes can get. Personally, I prefer his 'London Circle Woman' with a bright twelve-bar chorus for virtually every one of the Globe Tavern's regular female denizens of a Thursday evening – and I can think of a dozen or so more off hand, so he's plenty of material to choose from.

While Sandfield didn't publish fanzines he occasionally wrote for others, including one of the three known accounts of Cytricon III written as by 'Sandy Lawrence'. An article in Northlight #7 (ed. Alan Burns, November 1959) written in the aftermath of the London Symposium one month earlier provoked such a 'a furious and disproportionate response' according to Peter Weston in Prolapse #12, that it led to Sandfield 'gafiating completely[1]'. This may be slightly premature as Sandfield appeared in costume at the London Eastercon in 1960 as Rhysling, the bard from Robert A. Heinlein's 'The Green Hills of Earth'. He is listed in Ron Bennett's Directory of Science Fiction Fandom for 1960 but not for 1961. In Skyrack #83 Bennett numbered him among the 'Names from Fandoms Past' present at Loncon II in 1965.

He published a handful of short stories in the early 1950s, some under pseudonyms.

Not to be confused with Sandy Sanderson.

Person ????—
This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names.

  1. ↑ Weston says 'Sanderson' but it seems clear 'Sandfield' is intended.
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