BSFA Convention, 1960

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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[edit]

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".[1] 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[2], 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.

Venue[edit]

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[edit]

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. Pam Bulmer
  14. Ken 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[3] *
  95. Jack Wilson
  96. "Wring"[4]
  97. Doc Weir
  98. Peter West

The convention[edit]

Publications[edit]

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[edit]

In Skyrack 17 (April 25, 1960) Ron Bennett reported that "Kettering was suggested as next year’s convention site[5], and fans wishing to express an opinion on this choice are asked to write to Ella Parker [address]." Don Ford said a little more emphatically in TAFF Baedeker that "Kettering voted as the site for next year's con". 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[edit]

____

  1. ↑ Ivor Mayne in Orion 22 (July 1959).
  2. ↑ It appears that the hotel was called The Dominions although contemporary fannish reports call it The Dominion.
  3. ↑ Archie Mercer noted only that "Wynne Whiteford and his wife showed up briefly". An obituary of Wynne in SF Commentary 78 gives the first name.
  4. ↑ 'According to Archie Mercer, "a London fringe-type ... who apparently always goes to London Cons." This could have been P. B. Wring who was a member of Loncon in 1957. However, we know no more about him.
  5. ↑ It had been the venue for the four Cytricons 1955–7.
Brumcon Eastercon LXICON
1960
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