Chronological Notes - 1943-1955 | FOOTNOTES Page | Obituary Page | |
Items from Fanzines & Letters. 1943Whit Sunday BFS organised the Pendle Expedition... Mike, Ron Lane, Roy Johnson, Don Houston April 23 & 26 BFS sponsored a convention, the MIDVENTION (originally scheduled for Birmingham, but took place in Leicester, attended by 14 fans). August ... Gus Willmorth LASFL fan, arrived with American forces in Britain. (Check on visit to Lincoln and and Cranwell Radio School with mate - stayed over weekend using beds of folk on leave - date in letters?) August 11 I've got a job illustrating Beyond, the BFS typewritten mag. At least I'm doing an illustration for a Smith epic (of Runyonesque quality) which the editor thinks the best of the contributions. Not DRS at his best but the idea is goodit's about an invention which speeds up the time rate round an automatic lathe, so that it turns out hundreds more parts than normally. Unfortunately when the inventor attempts to raise the speed the lathe visibly rusts and crumbles before the eyes of the astonished works manager... October 8 Letter from Marion: Beyond arrived on Friday... Can't say I'm keen on your 'Dimensional Prisoners'. I don't think that pseudo-cubist stuff gets you anywhere... I thought the illustration to Smith's story was about the only decent one... October 11A Futurian arrived from JMR with the news that Zeus Craig has another son, so young Philip has been promoted to Big Brother. (I had made fast friends with young Philip on visits to the Craig family before call-up) November 14 Beyond is a weird mixture. I notice one early reject of Zenith appearing! Apart from the Smith story I was not enthralled... November 25 Talking of fans, thanks for the letters you forwarded; one was from Ron Lane about a forthcoming convention at the New Year. I'd like to spend a day at it if some of the old crowd arrive, but doubt I can manage it. December 4 Have you got those copies of Tomorrow sorted out for the Convention stint? . . . put say a dozen copies of each issue on one side. Also there are those Astronauts and BIS Journals knocking around: they'll perhaps make someone happy at the con. December 6 Letter from Marion: What a visitation last nightat 7.30 the doorbell rang and in walked Mike Rosenblum, Ron Lane and two other fans. Lots of discussion about the con... seems that 6 people have promised to come and they also expect two Americans and a Canadian. December 26 A dozen of us have been told to expect a posting... There are some vacancies at Cranwell for maintenance mechanics, otherwise it means going out on the 'chain', which usually means a life of moving around, changing stations every few weeks. I suppose I'll be going before my leave is due, which messes up plans for getting home. |
194431 Dec 1943-1 Jan 1944 NORCON convention held in Manchester... Mike, Gus Willmorth, Ron Lane, Peter Knott, Roy Johnson, Ron Holmes, George Ellis, Ron Bradbury. H.T.: Meanwhile, it had been decided that I was needed at Cranwell and I travelled up there over the New Year. Jan 2 1944 Jan 3 1944 Jan 6 1944 Jan 10 1944 As a new arrival have been slapped on to all sorts of duty rotas to fill the gaps; only consolation is that I won't get the duties for a long while. Have to take a Browning gun course and join the gun crew at the operational site, which will excuse me from guards, gas defence and other chores. Though it means being confined to camp one week in four. Jan 13 1944 My letters round about this time are preoccupied with gunnery courses, locating an old coal storage box to store my possessions in, and the prospect of getting a hot bath (with no lights in the ablutions and no hot water etc.) However, Marion wrote. Jan 15 1944 Jan 19 1944 Feb 14 1944 I'm still preoccupied with getting frozen stiff working up aerials, pumping grease into reluctant turning gear, having to go on a bull course, etc. Feb 15 1944 Feb 19 1944 Feb 24 1944 March 1 1944 March 3 1944 March 16 1944 March 20 1944 March 23 1944 Dear Harry, Frank. March 29 1944 April 15 1944 April 20 1944 May 1 1944 June 23 1944 Aug 10 1944 Sept. 1 1944 Oct. 4 1944 Oct. 29 1944 Nov. 24 1944 Dec. 23 1944 Spent Christmas with Marion at a Lincoln hotel. Woke up during the night by the sound of flying bombs which travelled inland... Dec. 27 1944 |
1945Jan. 1945 Feb. 2 1945 Feb. 8 1945 March ... Last issue of FIDO (see p.34 THEN #2 ... ref to Fanarchy) March 13 1945 I spent some time wandering round other stations and managed to wangle some leave when son number 1 was due to arrive at the end of May. However, on my return to base I found I was due for an overseas posting. When Marion wrote the next few letters, I was spending my time at Blackpool, getting kitted out and being lectured on Japanese booby traps and such-like esoteric matters, though no one was supposed to know our ultimate destination. And thereafter I was despatched up to Glasgow to take up quarters in a converted Dutch cargo vessel doing duty as a troopship, and set sail (or steam) for unknown lands... [Note: H.T. was sent to India to prosecute the war against the Japanese by keeping temperamental radar systems running. Then he found himself stuck there after Japan surrendered!] June 20 1945 July 14 1945 July 17 1945 July 18 1945 July 20 1945 July 26 1945 Aug 8 1945 So you got to at last? The censor neatly snipped it out & I can't imagine where you've been - it couldn't be B-MB-Y, by any chance? Sep. 7 1945 Sep. 7 1945 Oct. 23 1945 |
1946November(?) HT arrived home from India |
1947Winter HT bowled over by winter and freeze-up. Aware of pollution at [Anchor] chemical works Searching for home ended up at Moston; 9 Willow Bank, Church Lane |
1950-ishMVSFC meeting, reunited with Eric Needham, met Eric Bentcliffe, Brian, Frances and Sandy Sanderson. below: cartoon from Fantasy Advertiser, 1951 [collected by H.T.]
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19525 October 1952 ... MANCON was held in Waterloo Hotel, attracting around a 100 fans - no London fans turned up "Manchester is too far away".
("Brought about the fannish resurrection of Harry Turner" ses THEN #2, p.61. "Following his return from service with the RAF in India... Harry Turner had met up again with Eric Needham, who had also seen service in the RAF. Having made contact with the new generation of Manchester fans at Mancon - a group whose main members at this point were Bentcliffe, Cohen, Brian Varley, Frances Evans, H.P. (Sandy) Sanderson, and Terry Jeeves - he and Needham stayed in touch and, early in 1953, Turner became involved in an attempt to revive Astroneer. Though intended as the group's official organ it had only seen one issue, the mantle of group fanzine falling instead on Space Times). Autumn ... First issue of Nebula Science Fiction. |
1953THEN #2, p.68-9 support for Fanarchy - London fans "are social group, without secretary, dues, or organisation"... SPACE TIMES Vol. 2 No. 4 April 1953
... these are the opinions of the Editor, and not necessarily those of any other member of the Space-Times staff.
"The ego spot" turns its lecherous eye onto....
Advance notice of Astroneer, to be edited by Harry Turner and Paul Sowerby... SPACE TIMES Vol 2 No 5 May 1953 Cover by Ken McIntyre
SPACE TIMES Vol. 2 No. 6 June 1953 Anniversary issue. Multilithed cover HT (Attack of the Carrotaliens) in sepia and green.
SPACE TIMES Vol. 2 No. 7 July 1953 Cover HT illustrating "End of Voyage" SPACE TIMES Vol. 2 No. 9 (15) September 1953
SPACE TIMES Vol. 2 No. 12 December 1953 Christmas Ish Multilith cover by HT in red on pale green paper.
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1954THEN #2, p.110 ... "Combozines... The first in Britain had been put out for SUPERMANCON and featured a number of special two or four page versions of contemporary fanzines, bound together." 10th April HT & family moved to Romiley, where Now & Then was born SPACE TIMES Vol. 3 No. 4 April 1954
HYPHEN 9 July 1954
Walt Willis: THE MAGNIFICENT FLOP/ Supermancon report.
... The talk at tea-time was all about the startling news that the film show that evening was to be Things To Come--NOT Metropolis. Shocked murmurings were heard when the announcement was made. Small indignation meetings were held. Neofans staggered about, white and trembling, their world crashing to ruins about their ears. Old fans shook their heads forebodingly. No good would come of this mad craze for novelty. A Convention without Metropolis! It was unthinkable...
... I could mention the interesting affair of Burgess's entrails. These were several pounds of assorted livers, lights and other internal organs which Burgess had bought in London slightly too long ago, brought to the Convention, and deposited in Peter Hamilton's room for safe keeping. Unfortunately he had omitted to tell the occupant of the room about them, and when Peter Hamilton found them he thoughtlessly threw them out of the window into the canal.
...Dave Cohen and Eric Needham stood by the door with distraught faces and courageously asked representative fans what they had thought of the Convention... Every one that I heard was to the effect that the official programme had been a fiasco, but that they, personally, had enjoyed the Convention.... The Supermancon seems actually to have strengthened fandom, a thing which no Convention has ever done before.
...To hell with the official programme... The parties were much more enjoyable. Advert announcing foundation of OMPA -- The Off-trail Magazine Publishers Association... details from Ken Bulmer or Viną Clarke. FEMIZINE 2 Convention issue, Summer 1954
-- I'm just relaxing as a precaution against collator's cramp - --- Harry Turner Frances: The party was undoubtedly the outstanding success of the Con. It must have led to a few thick heads, broken glasses, and broken zap-guns before it was all over, but everyone had a good time...
I would like to put on record the fact that the Supermancon Combozine was a wonderful piece of work. To the Wizard of Repro, Harry Turner, we pay homage.
HYPHEN 11 November 1954
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1955FEMIZINE 5 February 1955
This particular weekend we had Harry Turner staying with us and Vince and joy called
over in the evening. Having missed the last bus they decided to brave the uncharted
depths of Hither Green. At this stage I should mention that the station is built in a 'V'
shape, the only connection of the two sets of lines being at the junction of the arms of
the 'V'.
When we first moved to Catford my dear husband thoughtfully warned me to come out of the station this end or it might be confusing. Of course, he didn't tell me how I
would know which was this end. I alighted from the train and promptly followed
everyone to the exit, this being in the opposite direction from that which I had come by
in the morning.
Almost an hour, miles of platform and several trains later, I found the right exit and finally arrived home utterly exhausted. Ken once attempted to explain to me what a Moebius strip is and since my experience seemed twice as complicated as this I am convinced that it must have originated from Hither Green Station and any fan who has the diligence to search there will no doubt find the original Moebius strip. Think of it! We laid on a Moebius strip (does anyone know how to spell the flaming word?) just to make you feel at home! Anyway, after six months travelling, I felt I could take on the responsibility of seeing our guests safely on their train. Inside the station I immediately turned right and followed the bridge I know. Ken, however, was determined to prove that women were unintelligent and said that obviously the quickest way was to go along the platform to the inky depths of the subway below. Not wishing to cause a scene I followed meekly; but I must confess that I felt a glow of pride when I heard a lusty yell: "Not that way, mate. It's closed". We turned back and I naturally thought that we would all now follow the route which I had proved to be without booby-traps. But Ken had other ideas. He decided to try the other parallel platform and attempt to gain access to the subway from there. I was thankful to see that my guests had not altogether lost faith in us and were now hopefully following me. We arrived at our platform safely. Ken was not so lucky. Of course, it was his own fault. If he hadn't tried to prove that his way was the quickest when obviously it wasn't, he wouldn't have landed up in a sewer and staggered up safe and sound in the charge of not one, but two, porters long after we had arrived andwere beginning to become a little worried. I did not have to work out in my own mind which was the quickest way--I knew instinctively, which all goes to show that women think far more quickly and concisely than men. We are thinking of obtaining a large supply of Vargo Statten magazines and laying a trail from the station mysteries to our door. Because, you see, we have Chuck coming to visit us next week--ah well, that will, no doubt, be another story. ■ |
1958STEAM Vol. 4 No. 3, June 1958, produced by Ken Bulmer Produced by the SEPTUAGENARIAN FANS ASSOCIATION™ |
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