THIRDMANCON - THE 1968 EASTERCON

After the original plan to hold it in Blackpool fell through, the 1968 British National Convention, THIRDMANCON, was held at St. Ann's Hotel (now refurbished as the Buxton Crescent Hotel) in Buxton over the weekend of April 12th - 15th. Guest of Honour was Ken Bulmer and according to Ron Bennett "registrations hit a 215 peak [with] 160 attendees." The con was organised by Manchester's Delta Group with a committee consisting of Chairman Harry Nadler, Vice Chairman Eric Bentcliffe, Treasurer Bill Burns, and Programme Co-ordinator Chuck Partington.

The following list has been gleaned from con reports, photos, and the like. Progress Report #5 included a list of members with asterisks next to the names of those who had sent in hotel booking forms at that point. It's very likely that all those thus marked also attended, as of course did many (most?) of the others who registered.

It can be tempting to infer the presence of people registered but not mentioned. For example, in one report someone refers to the presence of "the Rosenblums". Now Mike Rosenblum, wife Betty, and college age children Howard and Diane were known to attend conventions at this point so it could refer to all four. Or it could not. In 1969 Betty was absent having been taken ill shortly before the con. Similarly, someone registered whose first con this would have been was Leroy Kettle, but - as he recounts in THE BEAST OF TRUE RAT:

"I developed acute appendicitis just before Easter and was lying in a bed with a pipe sticking out of a hole in my stomach, and no pubic hair, when I should have been on the train for Manchester."

Known Attendees:

Gill Adams Brian Aldiss Heinrich Arenz Mike Ashley Hans Auler Thea Auler Dave Barber Harry Bell Afio Bertoni Graham Boak Irene Boothroyd Keith Bridges John Brunner Marjorie Brunner Ken Bulmer Pam Bulmer Brian Burgess Bill Burns Ramsey Campbell Jenny Chandler Graham Charnock Ken Cheslin Peter Clarke G.P. Cossato Peter Day Tom Disch Gardner Dozois Tony Edwards

Marge Edwards Alex Eisenstein Phyllis Eisenstein Keith Freeman Wendy Freeman Tony Glynn Dave Griffiths Jake Grigg Brian Hampton Graham Hall John A.J. Hart Trevor Hearndon Hans Werner-Heinrichs Brian Hill Terry Jeeves Val Jeeves Les Johnson Rob Johnson Eddie Jones Tom Jones Margaret Jones Michael Kenward Anne Keylock Gary Klüpfel Waldemar Kumming Dave Kyle Chas Legg Ethel Lindsay Duncan Lunan

Peter Mabey Barbara Mace Brian Marshall Jim Marshall Ken McIntyre Archie Mercer Beryl Mercer Mike Moorcock Jean Muggoch Harry Nadler Marie Nadler Stan Nicholls John Owen Darroll Pardoe Doreen Parker Ella Parker John Parker Chuck Partington Linda Partington Billy Pettit Greg Pickersgill Charles Platt Chris Priest John Quattromini ? Quinn [pic above] Mary Reed Moira Read Walter Reinecke Bob Rickard

Peter Roberts Phil Rogers John Roles Betty Rosenblum Mike Rosenblum Howard Rosenblum Tom Schlück Daphne Sewell Bob Shaw Alan Shorrock Gavin Shorrock Norman Shorrock Ina Shorrock Steve Stiles Tony Sudbery Derek 'Bram' Stokes Julia Stone Ted Tubb Tony Walsh Simone Walsh Gerry Webb Norman Weedall Don Wollheim Eileen Weston Pete Weston James White Alan Whittaker Jack Wilson

convention membership card

convention badge

More of Bill Burns's UK con badges here

Report below edited together from those written by the individuals noted. Comments inserted by me appear in parentheses or are italicised, or both. Source notes and links to complete, unedited versions of those reports can be found here.

The photos presented herein come from a variety of collections, though this doesn't mean a particular picture was taken by that person. The collection photos are from, where known, is noted in parentheses thus: (ns) Norman Shorrock, (ss) Steve Stiles, (kf) Keith Freeman, (sn) Stan Nicholls (pm) Peter Mabey, (hr) Howard Rosenblum, (jpkr) unknown. As always, a tip of the hat to Peter Weston for identifying many of the people in these photos and for supplying them in the first place.

Here are links to pages devoted to the individual days and to convention literature.

Wednesday 10 April

This year's US TAFF winner, Steve was newly arrived in the UK and staying with Eric Bentcliffe outside Manchester.

According to the prearranged plan, I was to be dropped off at Harry Nadler's, the chairman and prime mover of the ThirdManCon. Briefly detouring in the outskirts of Manchester, we dropped some camera equipment off at Tony Edwards' home. It was his job to film events at the con, and an ambitious plan - to make a newsreel to be shown on the last day of the convention - was also in the works. Tony's wife Marge popped out to say hello, and I was taken with the similarity of her personality to Miriam Knight's - that is, a Golden Goojie Girl. (I met many opposite number types later at the convention, and it helped me in getting along with first meetings.)

Harry Nadler, Bill Burns (ss) "Taken in Harry's tiny spare bedroom at Mesnefield Road, where all the duplicating was done until we bought the Multilith 1250, which lived in the equally tiny garage." - Bill

Harry Nadler reminded me of rich brown, Bill Burns had the aura of a Jon White or Alan Shaw. Nevertheless, both of them were ink-stained, hard at work at a strange clanking device when Eric and I arrived. Resembling a Rex Rotary in that it was both big and complicated, it shook the house madly as Nadler furiously whirled the crank, Burns feeding the beast paper and ink. At odd intervals the machine would grind to a halt while Harry swore and Bill offered up such consolation as "It isn't half bad, y'know" and "Two days to Buxton, Harry - could be closer!" A leering poster of a vampire BEM loomed over the whole attic room.

I knew that these were trufans.

The convention was two days away, and the two committee chairmen were hard at work on the con program booklet, a profusely illustrated multi-coloured affair. The clanking device was a photo-offset machine; Harry worked as a printer and had been able to get it at a bargain rate. In recognition of my timely arrival, Harry selected a certain "stencil" - metal plate, actually - placed it on his duplicator and spun the handle. Paper crinkled and flew into the receiving tray, trailing black ink over surfaces. It was a mess. By careful translation, I was able to make out the message: "Welcome Steve Stiles, T.A.F.F. Man '68!" it said.

"Drat!" said Nadler. The plate was ruined. There was only one thing to do. I did it. I carefully redrew the surprise Welcome Steve Stiles message. So there wouldn't be a blank page in the program booklet, of course....

By about 11:30, both of them had collapsed in a heap of prozines, and we eventually made it down to the living room to have some tea with Harry's wife, Marie. Marie seemed to be a jovial type, but it was obvious that the last-minute activity of putting on a con had put a strain on her. "Never again, Harry, never again!" she kept repeating, a slightly dazed look on her face. Having been around committee chairmen and their wives at moments like these, I could only sympathize with all parties. After we talked a bit about my trip, Bill revealed that he had a spare bed at his home, and that I'd be welcome to try it on for size. I still hadn't completely adjusted to the changeover in time zones, felt quite tired - it sounded very good.

Steve Stiles, Ella Parker (ss)

Thursday 11 April

Harry and Marie were sitting in their living room, pale and wan but satisfied; the program booklet had finally been finished. Two more of the Delta Group, Manchester's fan club, Charles Partington and Brian Marshall had also arrived, and we had been talking for a bit when there was a knock at the door. It was Gardner R. Dozois, destined to be known as "Dozie" in the days following.

Gardner was a tall, heavy-set American GI with the look of a young Alfred Hitchcock. A new SF pro with no contact with organized fandom, he had read about the coming convention and cut out for greener pastures and like minds. It was his unasked-for claim to fame to have been written up in the Army Times in one of those cute "he believes in flying saucers" articles, with a photo of Gardner peering from behind a tree in a sinister manner.

Gardner was affable and we were benign, but it was a classic first contact with fandom situation - many awkward gaps in the conversation as if all concerned weren't quite sure about what kind of people they had fallen in with. Perhaps sensing this, Gardner made self-conscious observations on the differences between the American Way of Life and foreign nonsense; nothing too sophisticated, as like on double-decker buses, but bombshells like, Gee, everyone drives on the wrong side of the road here. And those Germans may be Efficient but they sure build bad roads...Gardner appeared to think that Europe should have known better; in short, falling into the same tourist bits that had tempted me. I righteously decided he was a schmuck. I was wrong, though. I later reversed my opinion. Gardner had been putting us on. In fact, I later enjoyed his company exploring London.

Harry took us on a tour of the Delta Group clubroom, an industrial loft filled with printing presses and type fonts. Unfortunately, most of these acquisitions had yet to be sorted out and put in order, but the place had potential....

Back to the Nadler house, we started collating the program booklet. I believe there were more than six hundred of them. Round and round a table we went; it took me back to the days of collating XERO with the Lupoffs and Bhob Stewart. "Never again, Harry - promise me that!" said Marie. The night was young, would get older. Tomorrow I'd be taking the train to Buxton.