THE EASTERCON PROGRAMME
BOOK (1944)

Cover art by Arthur Williams.

1. The volumes of the shorter edition of the "Galactic Chronicles" (three in all) repose in order on a shelf. A cosmically-minded bookworm, starting from p.1 of Vol. I, eats its way through to the last page of Vol. III. If each cover-board is a quarter-inch thick, and each set of pages is one inch thick, how far does the bookworm eat?

2. If it takes a fan and a half an hour and a half to read a pro-zine and a half, how long will it take 100 fans to read 100 pro-zines?

3. A man, rowing upstream on a river, drops a bottle (don't worry, it was empty!) overboard. After continuing upstream for 20 minutes, he turned round and, rowing with the same force, overtakes the bottle a mile below where he dropped it. What is the speed at which the stream flows?

4. A bird, enclosed in (a) a cage, (b) a closed vessel of air, (c) a completely evacuated vessel, is placed on a balance-pan and accurately balanced. Assuming that condition (c) is not fatal to the songster (wotta bird!) describe what happens in each case when it takes flight (using its wings only).

(In the above Competition, the Adjudicator's decision must be regarded as final.)

2.00-3.00 p.m. Conventioneers assemble, are introduced, and generally sort themselves out. Waterloo Station, outside Platform 1 (and alongside Waterloo Station News Theatre.)

3.00-4.15 p.m. Bibliophiles Hour! The entire resources of the Charing Cross Road are at the disposal of the Convention. Conventioneers preferring to sit and chat are recommended to local rendezvous offering light refreshments, etc., but are reminded of -

4.30-5.00 p.m. Second Assembly Point. The Coventry Street Corner House Restaurant, next to the Flower Stand in the Public Hall, Ground Floor. Conventioneers joining the party here should look for a Fan with a red rosette in his buttonhole.

5.00 p.m. Tea. 6.00 p.m. Disney show at a Cameo News Theatre. (Alternatively, Conventioneeers may foregather at their selected place of refreshment, financed - up to a point - by the Convention.)

7.30 p.m. CONVENTION DINNER
Shanghai Restraurant, Greek Street

The President: Mr. Walter H. Gillings
The Guest Speaker: Prof. A.M. Low

10.30 a.m. Assemble at Shirley's Cafe, Park Road, Teddington.

11.00 a.m. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
Mr. Walter H. Gillings.

11.30 a.m.-12.15 p.m. Museum Exhibition (Curator E.F. Parker); Guest Speeches; informal interlude.

12.15-1.00 p.m. Brains Trust. (The Brains; Peter Hawkins, Walter H. Gillings, John K. Aiken;
Question Master, E.F. Parker).

1.00-2.00 p.m. Lunch (served in the cafe).

2.00-3.30 p.m. Musical Interlude. Science Fiction Quiz.

3.30-4.30 p.m. Auction (Auctioneer, Don Houston), followed by Raffle.

4.30-5.30 p.m. Tea (served in the Cafe).

5.30-6.30 p.m. DEBATE "That Man is not a Free Agent". (Speakers will include J.K. Aiken, T.R. Bull ???? Fred Goodier, E.F. Parker.)

6.30-8.00 p.m. FILM SHOW

• "A Tour of the Cosmos" (the famous CSC film).
  
• Disney Cartoon.
  
• Puppet Film; "Fridolin at the Winter Sports".
  
• SEYMOUR HICKS in "THE SECRET OF THE LOCH"
  
• Popeye Cartoon; "I yam what I yam."

No fixed program. Conventioneers are invited to make their own informal arrangements to fit in with departure times, etc.

1. Mention the chief characteristics and natural habits of the following creatures: - The Psammead. Apollyon. The Wendigo. Old Faithful. Rumpelstiltskin. Rhan-Tegoth. The Morlocks.

2. What are the most notorious louse, the most peculiar house, and the most travelled mouse, in science fiction?

3. Distinguish between the real and stfictional materials in the following list, giving salient properties in either case:- Qurp. Tantalum. Bentlam. Lucite. Derris. Vitrilith.

4. What authors were responsible for:-

   A soup mine of Venus.
   An alcohol gusher on the Moon.
   A whisky torrent in North America.

5. "Amazing Stories" once slipped to the bottom - of the cover, not the pile. What artist engineered the downfall?

6. What was Odd John's recipe for atomic power?

7. Who, in whose company, was chased by whom towards a mysterious object in the neighbourhood of what, under the mistaken impression that he had stolen what invention from whom?

(Answers to puzzles on another page will also count when the Prize is awarded.)