THE LONCON PROGRESS REPORTS - Number 1.

The Fifteenth
WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION
will be held at
KING's COURT HOTEL
LEINSTER GARDENS ... BAYSWATER
LONDON W.2. ENGLAND
from Friday September 6th
to Monday September 9th 1957
Place your reservations with
the Secretary NOW !
VOLUME 15
NUMBER 1
page.2:
President
Chairman
Scretary
Treasurer
Journal Editor
John Wyndham
John Carnell
Roberta Wild
Charles Duncombe
Harry Turner

Frank Arnold
Fred Brown
John Brunner
Pamela Bulmer
Ken Bulmer
Joy Clarke
Vincent Clarke
Dave Cohen
Philip Duerr
Peter Hamilton
Ewan Hedger
Terry Jeeves
Ethel Lindsay
Nigel Lindsay
Dave Newman
John Roles
Arthur Sellings
Norman Shorrock
Ken F, Slater
Peter West
Walter A. Willis
Secretarial Address:
Treasurer's Address:
204 Wellmeadow Road, Catford, London S.E.6, England
82 Albert Square, Stratford, London E,15, England
page.3:

The committee regret that this first Journal is going into the mail later than anticipated - however, there has been a very good reason for the delay. As you will have seen from the announcement on the front page the venue of the 15th World Science Fiction Convention has been changed from the Royal Hotel in Bloomsbury to the King's Court Hotel, Leinster Gardens, Bayswater, London W.2.

This move was not taken hastily, but has been the result of innumerable committee meetings, telephone conversations, and finally a Committee ballot as to whether the Convention should be moved outside London to one of the coastal resorts where accommodation was more in keeping with a Convention atmosphere.

Whilst the Royal Hotel was large enough to accommodate any number of delegates, its general atmosphere did not make it universally favorable to all the committee. On top of this, the additional cost of hiring the necessary conference rooms and ballroom, and PA equipment, turned the site into a speculative gamble and it looked extremely unlikely that the Convention would break even. There would be no money available for additional items such as films and equipment, prizes, special publicity, and the general cost of producing all the necessary printed material required by the Convention.

In short, although the Royal was large enough it would have meant the Committee operating on a shoestring budget and wondering whether sufficient members would join the Society to pay the bills.

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This picture has now been completely changed. We can go ahead with arrangements safely end happily, secure in the knowledge that this really is going to be the Convention which will be talked about for years to come as a criterion.

We have booked the entire King's Court Hotel from mid-day Friday September 6th until Monday evening September 9th, The Convention will be a self-contained unit for the entire period, delegates being able to dine together at all meals if necessary although lunch and dinner are optional and not included in the tariff. There are adequate lounges, a television room, a cocktail bar and mobile (!) bar, a stage with PA equipment and a dressing room. Each room has a wall radio, telephone, and h&c water. The main auditorium can hold comfortably 400 delegates.

The hotel is situated a few minutes from Hyde Park in one direction and the main shopping thoroughfare of Queenaway in the other. Here there are numerous eateries of types to suit all tastes, although the hotel catering will be adequate, being under French supervision and specialising in catering for Continental visitors.

The tariff per day is ridiculously low - 20/- a head for bed and breakfast ($2.80 in American money). Lunch is 4/6d (65cents) and dinner 6/6d (95 cents). In addition to the advantages of this low rate the management has a helpful and co-operative attitude to the Convention. Hot meals can be obtained up to 10.30 p.m. And after that coffee and sandwiches may be obtained at any hour. For delegates the bar is open twenty-four hours a day if necessary. Rooms are reasonably capacious for after-hours sessions, although the main lounges will probably be suitable for any larger parties and the masquerade parade.

To release one secret at this early stage - this year's Convention will open with a luncheon banquet at Approximately 1.00 p.m. on Saturday the 7th September. The cost will be 10/6d per ticket ($1.50). The luncheon will be followed by speeches and introductions. This will be the first World Convention ever to start on time!

Behind all this enthusiasm there must, of course, be a snag - but only a minor one. The King's Court Hotel has sleeping accommodation for approximately 200 people; any overflow can be accommodated in associated hotels only a few yards away. BUT - the Convention Hotel accommodation will be first allocated to those delegates who propose staying

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there for three, four, or more nights. Overseas visitors will therefore have first priority on such accommodation. Delegates who only propose staying one or two nights will run the risk of sleeping 'next door' if they intend going to bed at all!

It is therefore to everyone's advantage (whether resident in Britain or overseas) to place your required reservations with the Convention Secretary as soon as practicable so that you may be given the best possible accommodation. No advance booking fee is entailed at this stage - the Committee have already reserved the entire hotel - but you must state the period for which you wish to book. Naturally, this request does not apply to those delegates who will be visiting each day and going home (or elsewhere) to sleep. It will also help with catering arrangements if firm bookings for meals are placed well beforehand.

At this early stage I can say that the arrangements for this year's World Convention look like living up to the title WORLD. All that is required is the full co-operation of Convention Members.

- Ted Carnell

page 6:

.1. Guest of Honour
.2. John Wyndham
.3. E.J. Carnell
.4. Ken Bulmer
.5. Pamela Bulmer
.6. Vince Clarke
.7. Joy Clarke
.8. James Rattigan
.9. Dorothy Rattigan
10. John Brunner
11. Ethel Lindsay
12. Fred Brown
13. Roberta Wild
14. Charles Duncombe
15. Frank Arnold
16. Peter West
17. Philip Duerr
18. David Cohen
19. John Roles
20. David Newman
21. Norman Shorrock
22. Eric Jones
23. Ewan Hedger
24. Nigel Lindsay
25. Terry Jeeves
26. Ken Slater
27. Walter Willis
28. Peter Hamilton
29. David Page
30. Danny Cohen
31. Peter Campbell
32. K. W. Cowley
33. Helen Winick
34. Archie Mercer
35. LewiS J. Grant
36. Lee Hoffman Shaw
37. Larry Shaw
38. Franklin M. Dietz
39. Stuart S. Hoffman
40. Eva Firestone
41. Wm. J. Merrill III
42. Pamela Merrill
43. Gerry de la Ree
44. Helen de la Ree
England
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N.Ireland
Scotland
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45. David A. Kyle
46. Ruth E. Landis
47. Bret Hooper
48. Ian T, Macauley
49. Perry Norris
50. Dan Curran
51. Thomas Purdom
52. Barbara Silverberg
53. Robert Silverberg
54. Sandy Cuttrell
55. Audrey Lovatt
56, Lyle Keasler
57. Roger Sims
58. Stephen J, Hilbert
59. Friederick Prophet
60. Nellie R. Dillingham
61. Ralph Bailey
62. Ray Van Houten
63. James V. Taurasi
64. Frank R. Prieto
65. George W, Price
66. Mona Lee Shines
67, William L. Hamling
68. Frances Hamling
69. David H. Williams
70. Rusty Hevelin
71. James F, Broderick
72. Allan Howard
73. Ben Jason
74. Jock Root
75. Arthur Sennea
76. Dennie R. Campbell
77. Thomas A. Denny
78, Gertrude Whittum
79. Frank Andrasovsky
80, W.R. Cole
81. Wally Weber
82. Arthur Hayes
83. Robert A. Madle
84. Ruse Winterbotham
85. George J. Kelly
86, Lyn Shanas
87. Karl Olsen
88, Gordon N, Huber
U.S.A.
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.89. Lester del Rey
.90. Edward E. Bielfeldt
.91. Evelyn del Rey
.92. George L. Cole
.93. Judith Grad
.94. Donn N. Filetti
.95. William C. McCain
.96. Sue E. Sanderson
.97. Donald G. Ray
.98. William F, Bentlake
.99. Dr. Donald L. Corbett
100, Stephen F, Schultheis
101. William J. Jenkins
102. Jack S. Zeitz
103, Harold Lynch
104. Vera de Bra
105. Warren de Bra
106. Charles Thornton
107. Oswald Train
108. Forrest J. Ackerman
109. Thompson R. Fahringer
110, J.A. Christoff
111. Edmund Maske III
112. George Nims Raybin
113. Mary Dziechoweky
114. Elaine Phillips
115. Max Phillips
116. Pat Warner
117. Dick Ellington
118. Leigh Brackett
119. Edmond Hamilton
120, Lloyd A. Eshbach
121. Edward E. Smith
122. Jeannie M. Smith
U.S.A.
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123. William L. Donahue
124. Jerome Wenker
125. John G. Wanderer
126. Ben Chorost
127. George Goodwin
128. P. Howard Lyons
129. Alice Goodwin
130. Hans Stefan Santesson
131. Harvey J. Satley
132. Alderson Fry
133. Winifred McGill
134. Sidney Coleman
135. Kevin O'Brien
136. Robert Briney
137. Lee Anne Tremper
138, Albert E. Maves
139. Peter H. Hope
140. Mary Lalene Spilsbury
141. Mary June Wolf
142. John E. Maroney
143. Jim Goodwin
144. Bob Pavlat
145. Bob Tucker
146. John Hitchcock
147. Jean Carroll
148. Randy Garrett
149. Ernest A. Wheatley
150. Joseph M. Vallin
151. Eddie Jones
152, P. Chappell
153. J. R. Owen
154. Eric Bentcliffe
155. Ken T. McIntyre
156. Mike Wallace
U.S.A.
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Canada
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page 8:
157. Patrick Everest
158. Ken Johnson
159. Peter H. Mabey
160. J.G. Linwood
161. Ron Bennett
162. Jan Jansen
163. William V. McQuaid
164. Harold Moellendick
165. Robert H. Richardson
166. Lars-Erik Helin
167. Irene Boothroyd
168. E.R. James
169. Dan Morgan
170. J.N. Sharma
171. L. Morris
172. H.M. Boxer
173. J.H. Munns
174. Victor Le Blond
175. Thomas L. MacDonald
176. H. Gomberg
England
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Canada
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177. D. Oldham
178. B.G. Evers
179. Jack Wilson
180, Cyril Whittaker
181. J. Micklethwaite
182. Anne Steul
183. W.S. Houston
184. Helen Leyton
185. J. Cawthorn
186. S. V. May
187. Volmeyer High School SF Society
188. Lars Helander
189. "The Lunarians" N.Y. SFS
190. Daphne Buckmaster
191. Ron L. Buckmaster
192. Belle C. Dietz


... and lots more :
England
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Germany
U.S.A.
England
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U.S.A.
Sweden
U.S.A.
England
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U.S.A.

LATEST SCIENCE FICTION CLUB to be organised in New York City is "The Lunarians", At the inaugural meeting on November 18th 1956 there were ten fans in attendance. President is David A. Kyle; Treasurer Franklin M. Dietz; and Secretary Belle C, Dietz.

Address is 1721 Grand Avenue, Bronx 53, New York, U.S.A.


The JOURNAL of the World Science Fiction Society, Inc.
204 Wellmeadow Road, Catford, London S.E.6, England

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