Difference between revisions of "Brumcon"
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| − | + | '''Brumcon''' was the 1959 [[Eastercon]], held March 27–30, 1959 (Easter weekend) at the Imperial Hotel in [[Birmingham, UK]]. The [[GoH|guest of honour]] was [[Kenneth F. Slater]]. The [[committee]] was [[Ron Bennett]], [[Terry Jeeves]], [[Bob Richardson]] and [[Norman Shorrock]]. | |
| − | Brumcon was the first Eastercon held under the auspices of the [[BSFA]] following the Association's creation the previous year. | + | It was the tenth convention in the Eastercon sequence and the first of any kind in Birmingham, the second-largest city in the UK. Brumcon was the first Eastercon held under the auspices of the [[BSFA]] following the Association's creation the previous year. Membership was 60, an increase on the previous year's [[Cytricon IV]] but still well below typical membership in the first half of the 1950s. |
| − | [[ | + | In common with [[Cytricon II]] and [[Cytricon II|III]] (1957 and 1958 respectively), the name Brumcon is a retrospective coinage. The [[programme book]] uses the term 'National Science-Fiction Convention'. It seems that the convention only became known as Brumcon after the 1965 Eastercon labelled itself [[Brumcon II]]. |
| − | + | == Preparations == | |
| − | + | The BSFA was formed after a meeting at [[Cytricon IV]] in 1958 and at the same time it was decided that the Association would be responsible for the annual convention. The meeting also concluded that the 1959 event should be 'at the seaside' over Whitsun. The convention is not mentioned in the first issue of ''[[Vector]]'' but the second, in Autumn 1958, said the convention would again be over Easter weekend and invited members to indicate preferences for programme items. ''Vector'' #3 (Winter 1958) makes reference to an enclosed leaflet 'giving details of the annual get-together' and as of 2024 no copies have been traced. The issue itself does however confirm the venue as the The Imperial Hotel in the decidedly non-coast-adjacent [[Birmingham, UK|Birmingham]]. | |
== Venue == | == Venue == | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Imperial Hotel was on Temple Street in Birmingham. It later went through a few names changes – becoming the Imperial Centre Hotel, in which guise it hosted the first four [[Novacon]]s in 1971–4, and The New Imperial Hotel – before being converted into offices. | ||
== Attendees == | == Attendees == | ||
| − | + | A membership list in the [[programme book]] lists 43 members, with two more as 'stop press' inclusions. It includes all members up to March 20, 1959, one week before the convention. In ''[[Vector]]'' #4 (Spring 1959), [[Eric Bentcliffe]] said 'The total membership at the Convention was 60, and 56 people actually attended the con.' The convention balance sheet in the same issue shows 40 paying 5/- and 18 paying 12/6 (twelve shillings and six pence) for a total of 58. The assumption is that the former were BSFA members and the latter were not. There's a difference of two between Bentcliffe's total membership and the balance sheet. Ken Slater presumably didn't pay and so he accounts for one of them. [[Joyce Slater]] may have been the other although there is no evidence she was there and Ken Slater is listed as a member in the programme book while she isn't. | |
| − | ''' | + | 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, 10 people, ''may'' have attended and based on Bentcliffe's numbers apparently at least five of them did. Maddeningly, the combination of known members and know attendees adds up to 59, one short of Bentcliffe total membership, although everything balances if Joyce Slater was a member. |
<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3"> | <div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3"> | ||
| − | # [[Ron Bennett]] | + | # [[Jill Adams]] |
| − | # [[Eric Bentcliffe]] | + | # [[Barrington Bayley]] |
| − | # [[Brian Burgess]] | + | # [[Ron Bennett]] (A) |
| − | # [[Alan Burns]] | + | # [[Eric Bentcliffe]] (A) |
| − | # [[Bob Champion]] | + | # [[Brian Burgess]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Ken Cheslin]] | + | # [[Alan Burns]] (A) |
| − | # [[Les Childs]] | + | # [[Bob Champion]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Dave Cohen]] | + | # [[Ken Cheslin]] (A) |
| − | # [[Geoff Collins]] | + | # [[Les Childs]] (A) |
| − | # [[Peter Davies]] | + | # [[Dave Cohen]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Keith Freeman]] | + | # [[Geoff Collins]] (A) |
| − | # [[Barry Hall]] | + | # [[Peter Davies]] (A) |
| − | # [[Sandra Hall]] | + | # [[Karl Dollner]] |
| − | # [[Peter Hammerton]] | + | # [[Keith Freeman]] (A) |
| − | # [[Paul Hammett]] | + | # [[D. K. Fawcett]] |
| − | # [[Joan Hammett]] | + | # [[George Gorse]] |
| − | # [[David Hardy]] | + | # [[Barry Hall]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Bill Harrison]] | + | # [[Sandra Hall]] (A) |
| − | # [[Frank Herbert]] | + | # [[Peter Hammerton]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Terry Jeeves]] | + | # [[Paul Hammett]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Eddie Jones]] | + | # [[Joan Hammett]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Eric Jones]] | + | # [[David Hardy]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Brian Jordan]] | + | # [[Bill Harrison]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Mike Kilvert]] | + | # [[Frank Herbert]] (A) |
| − | # [[Ethel Lindsay]] | + | # [[Terry Jeeves]] (A) |
| − | # [[Jim Linwood]] | + | # [[Eddie Jones]] (A) |
| − | # [[George Locke]] | + | # [[Eric Jones]] (A) |
| − | # [[Ivor Mayne]] | + | # [[Margaret Jones]] |
| − | # [[Ken McIntyre]] | + | # [[Brian Jordan]] (A) |
| − | # [[Archie Mercer]] | + | # [[Mike Kilvert]] (A) |
| − | # [[Stan Nuttall]] | + | # [[Ethel Lindsay]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Ella Parker]] | + | # [[Jim Linwood]] (A) |
| − | # [[Nancy Pooley]] | + | # [[George Locke]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Ken Potter]] | + | # [[Ivor Mayne]] (A) |
| − | # [[Bob Richardson]] | + | # [[Ken McIntyre]] (A) |
| − | # [[Alan Rispin]] | + | # [[Archie Mercer]] (A) |
| − | # [[Phil Rogers]] | + | # [[Jill Micklethwaite]] |
| − | # [[John Roles]] | + | # [[Michael Moorcock]] |
| − | # [[Norman Shorrock]] | + | # [[Stan Nuttall]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Ina Shorrock]] | + | # [[Ella Parker]] (A) |
| − | # [[Ken Slater]] | + | # [[Nancy Pooley]] (A) |
| − | # [[Phil Sless]] | + | # [[Ken Potter]] (AN) |
| − | # [[Pete Taylor]] | + | # [[Bob Richardson]] (A) |
| − | # [[Norman Wansborough]] | + | # [[Alan Rispin]] (A) |
| − | # [[Norman Weedall]] | + | # [[Phil Rogers]] (A) |
| − | # [[Arthur | + | # [[John Roles]] (A) |
| − | # [[Peter West]] | + | # [[Laurence Sandfield]] |
| − | # [[Bobbie Wild]] | + | # [[Norman Shorrock]] (A) |
| − | # [[Jack Wilson]] | + | # [[Ina Shorrock]] (A) |
| + | # [[Ken Slater]] (A) | ||
| + | # [[Phil Sless]] (AN) | ||
| + | # [[Pete Taylor]] (A) | ||
| + | # [[Norman Wansborough]] (AN) | ||
| + | # [[Norman Weedall]] (A) | ||
| + | # [[Arthur "Doc" Weir]] (A) | ||
| + | # [[Peter West]] (A) | ||
| + | # [[Cyril Whitaker]] | ||
| + | # [[Bobbie Wild]] (A) | ||
| + | # [[Jack Wilson]] (A) | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== The convention == | == The convention == | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Ron Bennett]] wrote in ''[[Skyrack]]'' #1: | ||
| + | |||
| + | I think it only fair to mention that while I contested the Association’s implication that British fandom needed such an organisation in order to survive, I do congratulate the BSFA on the way it has gone about achieving its aims. There were several new faces present at the BrumCon, all of whom have been brought into [[fandom]] by the BSFA. Nor were these newcomers, as might have been expected, stuffy. They fitted in well and were most interesting to talk to. | ||
== Publications == | == Publications == | ||
Latest revision as of 00:39, 14 November 2024
Brumcon was the 1959 Eastercon, held March 27–30, 1959 (Easter weekend) at the Imperial Hotel in Birmingham, UK. The guest of honour was Kenneth F. Slater. The committee was Ron Bennett, Terry Jeeves, Bob Richardson and Norman Shorrock.
It was the tenth convention in the Eastercon sequence and the first of any kind in Birmingham, the second-largest city in the UK. Brumcon was the first Eastercon held under the auspices of the BSFA following the Association's creation the previous year. Membership was 60, an increase on the previous year's Cytricon IV but still well below typical membership in the first half of the 1950s.
In common with Cytricon II and III (1957 and 1958 respectively), the name Brumcon is a retrospective coinage. The programme book uses the term 'National Science-Fiction Convention'. It seems that the convention only became known as Brumcon after the 1965 Eastercon labelled itself Brumcon II.
Preparations[edit]
The BSFA was formed after a meeting at Cytricon IV in 1958 and at the same time it was decided that the Association would be responsible for the annual convention. The meeting also concluded that the 1959 event should be 'at the seaside' over Whitsun. The convention is not mentioned in the first issue of Vector but the second, in Autumn 1958, said the convention would again be over Easter weekend and invited members to indicate preferences for programme items. Vector #3 (Winter 1958) makes reference to an enclosed leaflet 'giving details of the annual get-together' and as of 2024 no copies have been traced. The issue itself does however confirm the venue as the The Imperial Hotel in the decidedly non-coast-adjacent Birmingham.
Venue[edit]
The Imperial Hotel was on Temple Street in Birmingham. It later went through a few names changes – becoming the Imperial Centre Hotel, in which guise it hosted the first four Novacons in 1971–4, and The New Imperial Hotel – before being converted into offices.
Attendees[edit]
A membership list in the programme book lists 43 members, with two more as 'stop press' inclusions. It includes all members up to March 20, 1959, one week before the convention. In Vector #4 (Spring 1959), Eric Bentcliffe said 'The total membership at the Convention was 60, and 56 people actually attended the con.' The convention balance sheet in the same issue shows 40 paying 5/- and 18 paying 12/6 (twelve shillings and six pence) for a total of 58. The assumption is that the former were BSFA members and the latter were not. There's a difference of two between Bentcliffe's total membership and the balance sheet. Ken Slater presumably didn't pay and so he accounts for one of them. Joyce Slater may have been the other although there is no evidence she was there and Ken Slater is listed as a member in the programme book while she isn't.
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, 10 people, may have attended and based on Bentcliffe's numbers apparently at least five of them did. Maddeningly, the combination of known members and know attendees adds up to 59, one short of Bentcliffe total membership, although everything balances if Joyce Slater was a member.
- Jill Adams
- Barrington Bayley
- Ron Bennett (A)
- Eric Bentcliffe (A)
- Brian Burgess (AN)
- Alan Burns (A)
- Bob Champion (AN)
- Ken Cheslin (A)
- Les Childs (A)
- Dave Cohen (AN)
- Geoff Collins (A)
- Peter Davies (A)
- Karl Dollner
- Keith Freeman (A)
- D. K. Fawcett
- George Gorse
- Barry Hall (AN)
- Sandra Hall (A)
- Peter Hammerton (AN)
- Paul Hammett (AN)
- Joan Hammett (AN)
- David Hardy (AN)
- Bill Harrison (AN)
- Frank Herbert (A)
- Terry Jeeves (A)
- Eddie Jones (A)
- Eric Jones (A)
- Margaret Jones
- Brian Jordan (A)
- Mike Kilvert (A)
- Ethel Lindsay (AN)
- Jim Linwood (A)
- George Locke (AN)
- Ivor Mayne (A)
- Ken McIntyre (A)
- Archie Mercer (A)
- Jill Micklethwaite
- Michael Moorcock
- Stan Nuttall (AN)
- Ella Parker (A)
- Nancy Pooley (A)
- Ken Potter (AN)
- Bob Richardson (A)
- Alan Rispin (A)
- Phil Rogers (A)
- John Roles (A)
- Laurence Sandfield
- Norman Shorrock (A)
- Ina Shorrock (A)
- Ken Slater (A)
- Phil Sless (AN)
- Pete Taylor (A)
- Norman Wansborough (AN)
- Norman Weedall (A)
- Arthur "Doc" Weir (A)
- Peter West (A)
- Cyril Whitaker
- Bobbie Wild (A)
- Jack Wilson (A)
The convention[edit]
Ron Bennett wrote in Skyrack #1:
I think it only fair to mention that while I contested the Association’s implication that British fandom needed such an organisation in order to survive, I do congratulate the BSFA on the way it has gone about achieving its aims. There were several new faces present at the BrumCon, all of whom have been brought into fandom by the BSFA. Nor were these newcomers, as might have been expected, stuffy. They fitted in well and were most interesting to talk to.
Publications[edit]
Future conventions[edit]
- Report in Skyrack #1.
- Rob Hansen's page on the convention, including known attendees and links to publications and photos.
| Cytricon IV | Eastercon | London |
| first | Brumcon | last |
| Website | 1959 |
| This is a convention page. Please extend it by adding information about the convention, including dates, GoHs, convention chairman, locale, sponsoring organization, external links to convention pages, awards given, the program, notable events, anecdotes, pictures, scans of publications, pictures of T-shirts, con reports, etc. |
