Cytricon II

Cytricon II was the 1956 Eastercon, held March 31-April 1, 1956 (Easter weekend) at the George Hotel in Kettering, UK. There was no guest of honour. The committee was Joy Clarke and Vin¢ Clarke assisted by other members of the London Circle.

It was the seventh convention in the Eastercon sequence and the second of four at the George hotel. There was a significant international element with seven overseas fans attending out of a total of 80-odd, likely making it proportionally the most international Eastercon ever. It was the first to have printed badges although none have survived. It was also the smallest Eastercon since Loncon in 1949.

The name Cytricon II seems to be a retrospective coinage, adopted as the 1956 convention followed Cytricon and was in the same place. However, the combozine doesn't use the term and says rather 'Second Kettering Convention'. Contemporary reports don't seem to user Cytricon II either.

Preparations[edit]

The attendees at Cytricon in 1955 were focused first on the London in '56 Worldcon bid with the idea of a second Kettering convention in 1956 very much a fallback position. However, at the Cleveland Worldcon, and in the face of overwhelming support for New York in 1956, the London bid was withdrawn without a vote. The bid would return as London in 1957 and at some point Cytricon II was arranged although this time in the hands of the London fans. Vin¢ Clarke wrote:

London fans have stepped into the breach again and are booking the George Hotel, Kettering, Northants, scene of 1955's extraordinarily successful 'do', for the '56 Convention. It will be attempted to run it as an International Convention, for many visiting fans are expected from other countries, and the experience gained is going to be very, very useful for the 1957 Convention, which will call for a concerted effort from fan groups all over the country^[1].

As with the previous convention, there were progress reports – Peter Weston believed there were three^[2] – but copies have not been traced.

Venue[edit]

The George Hotel in Kettering was an old coaching inn dating back to 1639. It would host all four Cytricon Eastercons from 1955 to 1958 and the Kettering Minicon of 1960, as well as Cytricon V, a fiftieth anniversary gathering in 2008. It was later renamed the Naseby Hotel but sadly it closed permanently in 2016 and has been turned into flats.

Attendees[edit]

There are 85 people listed as registered members in the combozine. Some of these didn't attend and in a few cases presumably never had any intention of doing so. There are about 86 known attendees based on mentions in convention reports, appearances in photos or who signed a copy of the combozine. Despite this near match, many attendees weren't listed members and listed members didn't always attend.

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 may have attended. In a few cases that's the limit of our knowledge about them and where this is the case there won't be a page for them until and unless we find out some more. Names to which this applies are in italics. Additionally names marked * are family members of attendees who likely weren't fans per se.

A copy of the combozine signed by various people includes somebody whose name appears to be 'Karl Something D-something'. Eric Jones, writing in Sidereal# 3.1, noted that none of the Kettering fans attended Cytricon II and this is borne out by the membership list in the combozine. Denny Cowen, the chair of Cytricon appeared for a very short time on Sunday but he was obviously 'just passing thru' and so doesn't really count as an attendee. A slight contraction to this comes from Archie Mercer who said that on the Sunday 'I got into a discussion with some local Kettering types'^[8] but unfortunately – and unusually for Mercer – he didn't name them.

The convention[edit]

Fans began arriving on Friday. A peculiar element to contemporary readers is that some talked about bringing vinyl records along while Archie Mercer brought his own gramophone. Various greetings were exchanged and Geoff Wingrove and [[John Brunner] adjourned to Mercer's room for a jazz session.

Proceedings began on Saturday at about 11am with W. Carr's demonstration of hypnotism. After lunch there was a pro editors' panel featuring Ted Carnell and Ted Tubb (the printed programme also lists Peter Hamilton and Larry Shaw), followed by the Liverpool Group tapera 'Last and First Fen'. Various fans then spoke for two minutes on one of a number of defined subjects drawn from a hat. Mercer thought 'The most fluent speech ... came from Anne Steul'. There was another jazz session and the London Circle punch party.

John Greengrass and Ted Tubb conducted the usual auction, although Geoff Wingrove said it was soon abandoned through lack of support with people heading off to the Liverpool Group party^[9]. Many fans were in fancy dress, including Eric Jones as a BEM and various Liverpool people attired as their 'Last and First Fen' characters. There was later a 'Great Procession' to the overflow hotel, The Royal^[10].

Sunday began with another jazz session until about noon. The afternoon was given over to discussion of the London in 1957 Worldcon bid. This was led by Dave Kyle,Ted Carnell (chairman of the bid), [[Jan Jansen], Pam Bulmer, Joy Clarke and Bobbie Wild. Kyle suggested that Easter wouldn't be suitable for American fans and suggested August or September. He thought 75 Americans would be willing and able to come^[11]. A tea break was followed by an OMPA meeting. John Greengrass provided some kind of entertainment (according to Mercer who wasn't there) and then a further auction.

Dave Newman has his 'annual'^[12] room party and there was also a Liverpool party. Several fans also partied in the residents' lounge at The Royal. As a change from jazz, there was an 'impromptu skiffle-session that lasted until dawn'^[13].

Mal Ashworth summarised:

There were some very excellent all-night parties; or – rather – there were some very excellent sounding all-night parties. Alas and alack-aday, however, – being in the Royal Hotel whilst the main body of the convention was in the George we saw comparatively little of these fine, fabulous, fannish affairs. We stopped by them once early in the evening, and once they actually penetrated up to the Royal, but the courteous and tolerant manager there threw them out with some remark about not wanting any bloody circus in his hotel. We did the next best thing and sat around in the lounge of the Royal – a fairish sized band of us – having a minor party on our own.
...
Then there was the convention programme. The programme was fine, too. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the height of praise in Cool Cat Bop Type Talk is the phrase 'It didn't bother me'. That's how the programme was. It didn't bother me. It was good. It was interesting if you wanted it, and unobtrusive if you didn't. And to ask more than that of a convention programme is asking a lot^[14].

Publications[edit]

There were a number of – to date untraced – progress reports. The Cytricon II combozine was the third such, although it would be the last for some time, and included the programme and a membership list alongside sample issues of various fanzines.

Future conventions[edit]

History.

____

↑ Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine v2 #7 (February 1956)
↑ Cytricon V Programme Book (2008).
↑ As shown on the membership list. He was also referred to as 'Harry Powers'.
↑ The membership list includes somebody called Jefferson from Leeds with no initial.
↑ The membership list includes somebody called Johnson from an unknown location with no initial.
↑ Archie Mercer referred to 'Jill What'sername' being present and this is the only contender.
↑ This is likely David Thurlby's wife.
↑ 'Into the Land of Canaan', Ploy #6 (June 1956).
↑ Snooze #6 (Summer 1957).
↑ Ibid, Ploy.
↑ Ibid, Snooze.
↑ This was his second Eastercon.
↑ Ibid, Ploy.
↑ Triode #9 (January 1957).

Cytricon I	Cytricon	Cytricon III
Cytricon I	Eastercon	Cytricon III
	1956

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.

[1] Vargo Statten Science Fiction Magazine v2 #7 (February 1956)

[2] Cytricon V Programme Book (2008).

[3] As shown on the membership list. He was also referred to as 'Harry Powers'.

[4] The membership list includes somebody called Jefferson from Leeds with no initial.

[5] The membership list includes somebody called Johnson from an unknown location with no initial.

[6] Archie Mercer referred to 'Jill What'sername' being present and this is the only contender.

[7] This is likely David Thurlby's wife.

[8] 'Into the Land of Canaan', Ploy #6 (June 1956).

[9] Snooze #6 (Summer 1957).

[10] Ibid, Ploy.

[11] Ibid, Snooze.

[12] This was his second Eastercon.

[13] Ibid, Ploy.

[14] Triode #9 (January 1957).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

Cytricon II

Contents

Preparations[edit]

Venue[edit]

Attendees[edit]

The convention[edit]

Publications[edit]

Future conventions[edit]

Navigation menu

Personal tools

Namespaces

Variants

Views

More

Search

navigation|Navigation

Fancyclopedia 3

Contributing

Tools