BSFA Convention, 1960

The Annual Science Fiction Convention held under the auspices of the British Science Fiction Assoc. at Easter 1960, abbreviated as the BSFA Convention, 1960 and retrospectively named Kingcon, was held April 16-17, 1960 (Easter weekend) at the Kingsley Hotel in London. The guests of honour were E. J. "Ted" Carnell and Don Ford. The committee was Ella Parker, Bobbie Gray, Sandra Hall and Archie Mercer.

It was the eleventh convention in the Eastercon sequence and the first in London since 1953. It was the second Eastercon held under the auspices of the BSFA following the Association's creation in 1958. 98 people are known to have attended.

The slightly unwieldy name is that shown on the cover of the programme book. In Skyrack 17 Ron Bennett, in an attempt to introduce brevity at the expense of ambiguity, referred to the convention as the Loncon. He also called it The Quiet-Con. Eric Bentcliffe later coined the name Kingcon in Triode 18 (May 1960) and this was later echoed by Ken Cheslin, Bennett and Jim Linwood.

Preparations

At Brumcon, the 1959 convention, there had been some discussion of the convention site for 1960 at the BSFA AGM with Ron Bennett suggesting that Harrogate could have a suitable hotel. However, "The question was left open". Bennett continued to canvas opinions on Harrogate or Leeds in Skyrack 1 (April 1959) and in 2 the following month he reported rumours of proposals for London and Cheltenham. Issue 3 in June said that the BSFA committee had decided to award the convention to London and 4 that it would revert to the Whitsun weekend as was usually the case pre-1955. Interestingly, Vector 5 (dated Autumn 1959, and based on a remark in Skyrack 9 distributed in late-October) was still inviting members to express preferences between London and Harrogate, and Easter and Whitsun, and indeed whether there might be a a Harrogate convention at Easter and a London convention at Whitsun or vice versa. Elsewhere in the same issue it says definitively "The BSFA 1960 Convention will be held at the Whitsun weekend in London, so note the dates in your diaries now – June 4th and 6th, 1960".

Vector 6 (January 1960), however, while confirming the location as London gave the date as Easter. The guest of honour was to be Ted Carnell and the convention would also welcome TAFF winner Don Ford. Membership fees were 10/- for BSFA members and 15/- for non-members, a significant increase from the previous year when the figures had been respectively 5/- and 12/6. The venue wasn't named but was at this point The Dominions Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London W2. The editorial warned that the prices, 35/- per head bed-and-breakfast, "will sound high to some members, but for London it is reasonable". However in February the convention switched to the nearby Sandringham Hotel, a move attributed by Ron Bennett in Skyrack 14 (February 1960) to "dissatisfaction expressed at the high prices of the Dominion".

The British Fanzine Bibliography lists a 2-page BSFA Newsletter in February which presumably contained some further details, but as of 2025 a copy hasn't been located. An unnumbered BSFA Newsletter (dated April 8, 1960) was almost entirely given over to the convention, now only a week away. This quoted lower membership fees of 7/6 for BSFA members and under-18 non-BSFA members; 5/- for under-18 BSFA members; and 10/- for non-BSFA members. Hotel rooms were 30/3 (single) and 58/- (double) with priority to BSFA members and especially those living furthest from London. It stressed that "This notice cancels all previous information published anywhere regarding the 1960 BSFA Easter Convention."

Then on Tuesday April 12, 1960, two days before the convention was due to start, the owner's mother told Ella Parker, "I don't like the sound of this party you have arranged for Easter. I don't like it at all. If my daughter takes my advice she'll cancel the whole thing." And the owner duly cancelled. After tramping the streets for some hours, Bobbie Gray contacted the district's Chamber of Commerce who suggest the Kingsley. A further BSFA Newsletter (April 12, 1960) was issued with the revised arrangements.

Despite all this last minute activity, Parker still found time to host a party on Wednesday April 13. She said in TAFF Baedeker, Don Ford's TAFF report:

... too often one hears the complaint after a convention attended by a BNF that he – the BNF – had been monopolised by his friends and the newcomers didn't get a chance to meet him. This seemed a good oportunity to introduce some newcomers in fandom to Don before the con as well as meeting him for myself and judging whether I'd voted right or not.

One of the party attendees was Alan Dodd who appears not to have attended the convention itself.

Venue

The Kingsley Hotel is at Bloomsbury Way, Camden, London, WC1A 2SD. It wasn't used for further conventions but remains in business as of 2025 as the Thistle London Holborn. The original venue, The Dominions, and its successor, The Sandringham, are no longer hotels.

Attendees

There is no published membership list but there are 98 known attendees based on mentions in convention reports and appearances in photos. In his report in Cactus 5 (May 1960) Archie Mercer, the treasurer and "in the fortunate position of having in my possession the only official record of registered attendees", tried to mention everybody who paid to attend so what follows is likely at least close to a full list.

However Skyrack 17 (May 1, 1960) said that "the official attendance ... ran out at 87 + the two Guests of Honour". The mismatch between 89 officially present and 98 known attendees may be explained by London fans dropping in to the Kingsley for part of the convention without actually paying to join.

Names marked * are family members of attendees who likely weren't fans per se.

1. Jill Adams
2. Brian Aldiss
3. Norman Ashfield
4. Frank Arnold
5. Mal Ashworth
6. Sheila Ashworth
7. Alan Bale
8. Ron Bennett
9. Eric Bentcliffe
10. Sid Birchby
11. Daphne Buckmaster
12. Ron Buckmaster
13. Ken Bulmer
14. Pam Bulmer
15. Brian Burgess
16. Ted Carnell
17. Jim Cawthorn
18. Hugh Chalkley
19. Penny Chandler
20. Ken Cheslin
21. Harry Clements
22. Vin¢ Clarke
23. Joy Clarke
24. Peter Davies
25. W. O. Daniels
26. Charles Duncombe
27. Mrs Duncombe *
28. Susan Ellam
29. Dick Ellingsworth
30. Frances Evans
31. Audrey Eversfield
32. John Fairley
33. Les Flood
34. Don Ford
35. Ted Forsyth
36. Keith Freeman
37. Don Geldart
38. Harry Gilbert
39. Bill Gray
40. Bobbie Gray
41. Jim Groves
42. Ron Hall
43. Sandra Hall
44. Tikwis Hall
45. Danny Hamilton
46. Dorothy Hartwell
47. Ildiko Hayes
48. Peter Hitchin
49. Terry Jeeves
50. Val Jeeves
51. Eric Jones
52. Margaret Jones
53. Brian Jordan
54. Mike Kilvert
55. Dave Kyle
56. Doug Lacey
57. Ethel Lindsay
58. Jim Linwood
59. Gunther Loth
60. Ivor Mayne
61. Ken McIntyre
62. Peter McIntyre
63. John McGovern
64. Archie Mercer
65. Mike Moorcock
66. Gerry Mosdell
67. John Newman
68. Joan Newman *
69. D. Peter Ogden
70. Ella Parker
71. Bob Parkinson
72. John Phillifent
73. Ken Potter
74. Irene Potter
75. Dorothy Ratigan
76. Mike Raynor
77. Alan Rispin
78. Phil Rogers
79. John Roles
80. Ken Slater
81. Sandy Sanderson
82. Laurence Sandfield
83. Arthur Sellings
84. Sture Sedolin
85. Norman Shorrock
86. Ina Shorrock
87. Arthur Thomson
88. Ted Tubb
89. Iris Tubb
90. Tony Walsh
91. Norman Wansborough
92. Norman Weedall
93. Wynne Whiteford
94. Laurel Whiteford *
95. Jack Wilson
96. "Wring"
97. Doc Weir
98. Peter West

Not a convention member as such, Ernestine Hope Bellamy was an American newspaper writer who happened to be staying in the Kingsley. She had some knowledge of UFOs – according to Bobbie Gray she had seen one although that may have been a misunderstanding – and she spoke to some of the fans and did go to the con hall to see the film The Day The Earth Stood Still. According to Don Ford she "[took] a few notes for a possible column in her hometown newspaper" about the convention. It's unclear whether this actually appeared.

The convention

There was no official programme on the Friday. On the Saturday, Doc Weir introduced the guest of honour, Ted Carnell, and Carnell introduced TAFF winner, Don Ford. The first general item was to be a TAFF candidates quiz, but this had to be deferred as one of the candidates, Eric Bentcliffe, hadn't yet arrived. Instead Carnell gave a talk on the current state of sf which according to Sandy Sanderson "turned out to be one of those things that could have gone on for ever – everyone had something to say." However, Ron Bennett said the Carnell talk was preceded by an auction conducted by Ken Slater.

Sanderson thought the best item, "the thing that really saved the day", was was Don Ford's slide show. This covered Worldcons and Midwestcons, "trying to avoid showing too many of the fans who'd been over to London in '57, and concentrating on some of the lesser known or shall we say lesser travelled fans than they'd previously seen". The deferred TAFF candidates quiz – with Mal Ashworth, Bentcliffe and Sanderson – took place in the evening with question-master Eric Jones. It was followed by the fancy dress party with about 10-12 entrants. The winners were [[Ethel Lindsay[[ and Ina Shorrock as two of the Witches of Karres. The evening concluded with the usual round of parties.

Sunday began with the BSFA AGM where the legal position with the hotel cancellation was discussed. Jim Groves was elected editor of Vector, Ella Parker BSFA secretary, and Archie Mercer was re-elected treasurer for the third year. Ina Shorrock was elected chairman over Doc Weir, and Brian Aldiss narrowly defeated Ken Bulmer to become president. Don Ford said that Kettering was "voted" the site for the 1961 convention although other reports – for which see "Future Conventions" below – suggested something less conclusive.

Norman Shorrock was the surprise subject of "This Is Your Fan Life". Ford described it as "a wonderful production of a spoof of Norman Shorrock's life, which of course, the Liverpool and Cheltenham group conspired to do without Norman finding out." Doc Weir gave a talk on Karel Čapek, and Ron Bennett conducted a TAFF auction, after which the programme concluded with a screening of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Ethel Lindsay hosted an OMPA party and Archie Mercer believed about half the membership was present.

On the Monday a number of fans gathered in Trafalgar Square to see the Aldermaston marchers

Overall, Archie Mercer thought "Socially, the Con was every bit a success – lacking only the nocturnal freedom characteristic of Kettering Cons". He also pronounced it a financial success. Ron Bennett summarised the weekend in Skyrack 17:

this convention was a fight against the odds from start to finish, and in so far as the convention was held and an enjoyable time was had by all, it may be safely assumed that fandom won through.

Publications

The convention didn't issue progress reports as such although the function was fulfilled by issues of the BSFA Newsletter, one in February and two in April. An 18-page programme book was produced by Gerry Mosdell. It included the formal programme and profiles of Ted Carnell (by Ken Bulmer) and Don Ford (by Ted Carnell). The remainder of the content was advertisements.

Future conventions

Don Ford said in TAFF Baedeker that on Sunday "Kettering voted as the site for next year's con". However, Archie Mercer version was rather that on the Monday the newly-constituted BSFA committee agreed to let the Cheltenham group run the convention in Kettering, and in Skyrack 17 (April 25, 1960) Ron Bennett downgraded the decision somewhat and said that Kettering was merely "suggested as next year's convention site, and fans wishing to express an opinion on this choice are asked to write to Ella Parker [address]." Whether it was a suggestion or a decision, at some point in the following months – it was reported in Skyrack 26 (November 26, 1960) – the BSFA decided the 1961 convention would be held in Gloucester.

Links

• Kingcon – the 1960 Eastercon at fiawol.org.uk
• The story of the venue changes at fiawol.org.uk
• Transcript of programme book content at fiawol.org.uk
• Report in Skyrack 17 at news.ansible.uk
• Further report in Skyrack 18 at news.ansible.uk

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Brumcon	Eastercon	LXICON
	1960

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