Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the second Birmingham Convention. As you will have noticed, I say a second Birmingham convention, because six years ago there was another convention here, the first Birmingham convention and the first science fiction convention to be held under the auspices of the B.S.F.A. At that time the B.S.F.A. was less than a year old and none of the present committee even knew of the existence of the association and in fact apart from myself (initiated at this historic first B.S.F.A. convention), none of the present convention committee had any inkling or the existence of the B.S.F.A. and Fandom.

Terry Jeeves, Bob Richardson, Ron Bennet, and Norman Shorrock formed the committee for that convention. Except for Bob Richardson, the rest of the committee are still with us.

Since that time, the B.S.F.A. has grown in numbers and in services to its members, perhaps not fulfilling the magnificent ideals the founders aspired towards as yet, but on the whole the B.S.F.A. is a healthy organisation and a thriving concern.

Conventions have also changed and grown since that first convention, especially grown. The changes have been in the direction of better organisation and catering toward the more science fictionaly minded attendees, on the other hand the conventions have retained that friendly and convivial air born of the years when it was a proud and lonely thing to be a science fiction reader. The friendly spirit which provades the conventions, the traditional open arms with which old hands, welcome in the neos (tolerance is sometimes strained, I confess) is something unique to our particular hobby and its adherents.

When my neofannish eyes beheld the first Birmingham convention there was scarce forty attendees haunting the dim recesses of the Convention hotel, but over the years, largely due to the B.S.F.A., this figure has increased to almost 150 people at the last convention. This year it is true that the Easter convention attendance is down but this is largely due, I believe, to the fact that there is a world convention in London this year. No doubt, next year the trend towards bigger conventions will again be seen.

The actual size of the convention should have no bearing on the amount of enjoyment the attendees get from it and we, the Brummies, the Committee and myself trust that this will prove true once again. It would be immensley satisfying for us here in Birmingham to succeed in putting it on and not being too unworthy of those in former years.

Once again on behalf of the entire Birmingham Group.

WELCOME TO THE CONVENTION

. ......Ken. M.P. Cheslin.

April 1965