Coroncon
(For other Loncons, see Loncon (Disambiguation).)
Coroncon, the 1953 Eastercon, held May 23–24, 1953 (Whitsun weekend), at the Bonnington Hotel on Southhampton Row in London. There was no GoH. The committee was Fred Brown and others.
Arguably, this was the first modern British SF convention, setting the standard for all that came afterwards. As Rob Hansen notes, "among the new ideas to emerge there were name-badges, James White's zap-guns (a.k.a. water pistols), and room-parties." It was named "Coroncon" because 1953 was the year of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
Attendees[edit]
There is seemingly no published membership list. Fantasy Times #179 (June 1953) said the convention, 'averaged 152 attendees both days'. The following are either mentioned in contemporary reports or appear in photos. Names marked * are family members of attendees who likely weren't fans per se.
This is a work in progress. Names are being checked to see if they're here under other forms.
- Frank Arnold
- Dave Barker[1]
- Eric Bentcliffe
- Bryan Berry
- Fred Brown
- John Brunner
- Daphne Buckmaster
- Ron Buckmaster
- Ken Bulmer
- Brian Burgess
- Bert Campbell
- Peter Campbell
- Ted Carnell
- Vin¢ Clarke
- Dave Cohen
- Tony Cooper
- Jack J. Curle
- Ron Deacon
- Philip Duerr
- Charles Duncombe
- Frances Evans
- R. A. Fairthorne
- Les Flood
- Jesse Floyd
- Georges Gallet
- Dave Gardner
- Denis Gifford
- Maurice Goldsmith
- Bill Harding
- Peter Hamilton
- Paul Hammett
- Ernest Harmer
- Chuck Harris
- George Hay
- Arthur F. Hillman
- L. Ron Hubbard
- Jimmy Ivins
- Terry Jeeves
- Ken Johnson
- Eric Jones
- Rita Krohne
- Brian Lewis
- Bea Mahaffey
- Shirley Marriott
- Frank Milnes
- Jim Mooney
- Alex Morrison
- Bill Morse
- D. Peter Ogden
- Nic Oosterbaan
- Mary Patchett
- Peter Phillips
- Ken Potter
- Bill Price
- Fred Price
- Jim Ratigan
- Dorothy Ratigan
- Fred Robinson
- John Roles
- Sandy Sanderson
- Ken Slater
- Norman Shorrock
- Mr Solibakke
- Louise Solibakke
- Pete Taylor
- Mike Tealby
- Bill Temple
- Jeanne Thorne *
- Tony Thorne
- Ted Tubb
- Brian Varley
- Norman Wansborough
- Norman Weedall
- James White
- Walt Willis
- Madeleine Willis
- Helen Winick
- Dave Wood
- Sam Youd
Fantasy Times #179 mentions 'a very fine spaceship play written by Canadian Bill Morse and Londoner Terry Wright'. However, Wright isn't mentioned in any of the Coroncon reporting and as of 2024 the name hasn't been located anywhere else.
- Coroncon publications and photos on fanac.org.
- ''Consomme, A Ken Slater report on the con online at fanac.org.
- Conroncon on THEN.
- Con reports in Peri 3 (April 1954) by Terry Jeeves and others.
| From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959 |
| (Bulmer) The London con of 1953, named after some mundane event or other that took place that year; christened thus ten seconds after the proposal for a con in 1953 had been mooted (at the '52 con, also in London). It was held at the Bonnington Hotel during the same weekend the Queen's Army Schoolmistresses Reunion [!!!] took place there. Site of the Roofcon, and notorious for the quelling by unplayful porters of night party sessions. |
____
- ↑ The assumption is that this is the person referred to as 'Dai Barker' in the membership list of the British Teenage Fantasy and Science Fiction Society. Dai is sometimes used as a diminutive for David.
| London SF Con | Eastercon | Supermancon |
| 1953 |
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