Ilford Science Literary Circle
The Ilford Science Literary Circle was the UK's first SF club (and one of the first in the world). It was founded by Walter Gillings and Len Kippin, and first met on October 27, 1930.
The 18-year-old Gillings was a trainee reporter at the Recorder newspaper in Ilford, Essex. He inserted a letter in the October 3, 1930 number on behalf of himself and Kippin 'in an attempt to bring together in Ilford all who are in sympathy with the furtherance of scientific achievement'.
The group's first meeting was held at 32 Thorold Road, Ilford on October 27, 1930. The address was the home of George Dew and Mary Dew. Also in attendance was J. W Beck. Meetings took place weekly and were further reported in the Recorder.
The author J. M. Walsh attended a meeting in June 1931. In the fourth installment of 'The Clamourous Dreamers', published in New Futurian #4 (edited by J. Michael Rosenblum, Spring 1955), Gillings also recalled the 'well-remembered Mr. S. Nyman' attending at least one meeting.
The last known meeting was on July 27, 1931, reported in the Recorder on July 31. Gillings later recounted that the group went into summer recess and never reassembled:
… mainly for lack of enough members interested in more than parlour chit-chat, and partly because we could find no other way of discouraging an elderly lady who had mistaken us for a Spiritualist circle.
More Reading:[edit]
- Research on the group by Rob Hansen.
- First Club discussion.
| Club | 1930—1931 |
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