Eric Bentcliffe

(February 17, 1927 – February 26, 1992)

Eric Bentcliffe, left, and Terry Jeeves at Loncon, 1957. Photo by Norman Shorrock.

English SF actifan Eric Bentcliffe (aka Urk Buncliff) was one of the organizers of The Tucker Transfer. He was Britain's TAFF delegate in 1960 and wrote a trip report, EpiTAFF. (His opponent in the race, Mal Ashworth, wrote A Few Words About Bilbo Bentcliffe in his support!)

Bentcliffe served in the Royal Air Force from 1945 to 1949 with, according to Waldo #4 (1978), 'His supreme accomplishment being the losing of two Lancaster night-bombers, and a Fairy Swordfish – but only on paper!' He wrote to Amazing asking if any American fans were interested in exchanging prozines. The letter was published in 1950 and many people responded including Dale R. Smith. At about the same time he saw a mention of Ken Slater and Operation Fantast. Slater connected Bentcliffe with Ken Bulmer and Vin¢ Clarke in London and Science Fantasy News, and more locally with Dave Cohen in Manchester. Bentcliffe contacted Cohen who was already in touch with Frank Richards and Taffy Williams and was present for the birth of the Nor'west Science Fantasy Club.

He invented Soggies and the term "Convacation." He helped form BSFA, was part of the Mancon and Thirdmancon committees, and wrote a fanzine column for Egg. He was a Knight of St. Fantony.

He married Beryl Watkins about 1960.

• Bibliography at ISFDB.

Fanzines and Apazines:

• Amzine Stories
• Bastion
• Blazon
• Checklist of British SF And Fantasy Magazines [1952] (for the Nor'west Science Fantasy Club)
• Con-Science (with Terry Jeeves and Eric Jones)
• EpiTAFF
• Fanit [1954]
• mi [1960–76] (rider with first Skyrack and later Checkpoint)
• When Yngvi Was a Louse
• Salvo [1960]
• Space Times [1952–4] (sometimes with others, for the Nor'west Science Fantasy Club)
• Triode (with Terry Jeeves and Eric Jones)
• A True Bill [1955] (with John Berry)
• Waldo [1959–84] (some for OMPA)

Awards, Honors and GoHships:

• 1956 — Ex-Chairman of the Liverpool Science Fiction Society
• 1957 — Knight of St. Fantony
• 1960 — 1960 TAFF Race winner

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Person

1927—1992

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