Initiated by Ethel Lindsay, 1972

Our host wrote: I sent copies of the last issue of BLETHERINGS [No. 4] to Chuck Harris and to Harry.Turner. To Chuck to see his reaction to seeing a long-defunct fanzine appear on his doorstep; and to Harry because the material had come from him. This brought forth some correspondence... [in Bletherings #5, 03/1972]

Harry Turner: There's no escape from the past, is there? Here am I happily making up for all the lost time in pursuing a career as a painter of serious intent; and you send me these reminders of my more profligate years :.For the historical record, your statement that the material you have used in Bletherings 4 represents an unfinished Now and Then is not quite true, The cover by Deness Morton was intended for Astroneer which was the organ of the fan group, in which the leading lights were Dave Cohen, Eric Bentcliffe, Brian Varley, Sandy Sanderson et al.

We met in the Waterloo Hotel, circa 1954, as Eric reports in The Awful Truth. The article by Brian Varley and the other Morton page were originally intended for the post-war Zenith, which I abandoned in the second issue as it seemed to be getting very "sercon" whereas my. tastes ran to the spontaneous and casual, as exemplified in N&T. So the Widowers' verses are really the only N&T material in this survival from the past! Yes, the unsigned verses were Eric's--and so are some of the signed ones for that matter.

Having set the record straight, I hasten to say that it's nice to hear from you (albeit indirectly!) and to see that fandom still survives. And that FAPA is still functioning. I am mildly amazed that these things still happen. I know a few very young SF fans and still keep in touch with a few of the older gang. And how are you making out? Still at Courage House, I see...Your old and tired fan face...Harry.

Then Harry wrote again (in response to info in Chuck's letter):

Chuck with 3-year-old twins?' It's hard imagining these fans of yesteryear in their role as parents: All Chuck said about Eric Needham was true -- though he wasn't entirely 'under-rated': he had a fair correspondence from his fans considering the limited circles of fandom. It was a pity he couldn't find a better outlet for his comic genius than fanzines, but I think he was probably too impulsive and erratic a writer to have written on a commercial basis.

The thing about the N&T period was that it was all spontaneous and grew naturally. Eric was a lonely creature -- he had personal problems that eventually piled up and were one reason for his rapid exit from Fandom -- and I like to think that he found comfort in his visits here when the kids were all young and there was plenty of life and activity to distract him from his preoccupations.

In one sense it is true when he says that his N&T work was autobiographical -- even the wildest fantasies have originated from something that happened or something that was said. Eric had a childlike awareness -- he would pounce on an unconsidered remark and build a make-believe (but logically water-tight) world from it. He was self-educated: most of his extensive knowledge came from erratic reading during his RAF career -- which was why you would find him suprisingly knowledgeable about some esoteric topic and then suddenly ill-informed on some accepted mundane matter.

And it wasn't all literary and philosophical knowledge he'd absorbed -- he had a phenomenal grasp of things mechanical and electronic, and a genius for building equipment of all sorts from junk parts.

I first met him before the war at fannish gatherings; it was 1937 at the Leeds SFA that our paths first crossed; but I can't recall we had a great deal in common then. My main memory is of someone vaguely scruffy and inordinately shy. When our paths crossed again in post-war years, he'd changed considerably and we found a lot in common -- though he was still vaguely scruffy and still shy with strangers, but covered up by acting in some outrageous way.(I seem to recall your first meeting with him will bear this out!)

The thing that I liked about him (though it could be uncomfortable on occasions) was his natural curiosity and forthright questions about any topic that interested him. He had a refreshing uninhibitedness that kept me mentally alert during the years when a comfortable family existence could have led to rapid bourgeois complacency! I certainly enjoyed his company. He was able to make easy contact with people through his articles and letters in a way he often found difficult in a personal confrontation.

As Chuck says, he could be wildly generous -- and often would do his good deeds under a cloak of anonymity. Ah well, I hope he's found some happiness wherever he's gone. Gad. . I thought I'd lost the knack of writing long letters. See what an effect you're having on me. I think your fanzine brought back all the thoughts of Eric...Harry

Our host added: Alas..there does not seem to be any revival of WIDOWERS verses due to my publishing them. The only one who produced some was Chuck.

WIDOWERS verses by Chuck Harris

He took the. loaves and fishes
And the multitude He fed
The old-time winners for Jewish dinners?
WIDOWER'S WONDERFUL BREAD

As shepherds watched their flocks by night
Came an angel with a Banner
"If you want to snooze
Protect those ewes
WITH WIDOWER'S RADAR SCANNER"

compiler's note: here are the Widowers verses from Bletherings #4 as context.
All verses with no other credit are assumed to be by ESN.

Zeus sat on Olympus high
With gods as sole spectators
Who feared no jolts from lightning bolts
with WIDOWERS' INSULATORS
    Chuck Harris

When Mason and Dixon drafted out
Their famous boundary line
They had a frolic with neo-alcoholic
WIDOWER'S RHUBARB WINE
    dag

The red men of the western plains
Once hunted scalps but later
Heard the news and now just use
WIDOWERS' DEPILATOR

Simon Legree, that terrible man
Who attempted to hurt Eliza
Ended his days because of his ways
As WIDOWER'S FERTILIZER

The brides of Bluebeard, one by one
Were murdered in a closet
End the lives of unwanted wives
In a WIDOWER'S SAFE DEPOSIT

Barnum & Bailey said with pride
From the height of Jumbo's shoulders
To keep him penned, we recommend
WIDOWER'S ELEPHANT HOLDERS
    A. Mercer

The LAUNDRY BOILERS verse in N&T #8 is credited to Pat Darrell

compiler's note: A LoC to Waldo 7 (Eric Bentcliffe's perzine, Autumn 1983)
contained a couple of verses contributed by the Dutch fan Roelof Goudriaan:

Shakespeare took the critics aback
By the passion of his love scenes in dramas.
Until he said that Romeo and Juliet
had been wearing WIDOWERS SHOWBIZ PYJAMAS.

The cave-man was shivering night after night
before he at last became brighter.
The innovation to spark off civilization
was a WIDOWERS CIGARETTE LIGHTER.

Produced by the SEPTUAGENARIAN FANS ASSOCIATION™