This SKYRACK 41, published on 1st February 1962 by Ron Bennett, 13 West Clffe Grove, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.. 6d per copy, 2/6d for 6 issues. 35 cents for 6 issues in USA, 6 issues sent airmail for 65cents) where subscriptions should be sent to Bob Pavlat, 6001-43rd Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland. News of interest to sf fans, whether fannish, professional or simply social, is. always welcome. Cartoon by Arthur Thomson, and aptly reprinted from SKYRACK 16.

DECEE IN 63 & LONDON IN SIXTY-FIVE

Complete your SKYRACK ballot N-0-W !!!

HARROGATE IT IS !  

For the first time in almost three years, SKYRACK skipped an issue and followed the example of America’s premier newszine, AXE! The Big News with which the year is sent under way is, then, the fact that the Easter Convention this year will, after all, be held practically on SKYRACK’s doorstep, in Harrogate.

The search for a suitable hotel in the north of England has been an extensive one. Although Harrogate, a beautiful inland spa town, is a recognised conference centre, all the major hotels are far too large for our requirements and the Convention Committee was obliged to look further afield. At one time, last October, a.hotel in Kendal was lined up but the booking fell  through at the eleventh hour. Finally, a return was made to Harrogate and we have been fortunate to book two neighbouring smaller hotels to house the Convention. The Con itself will be split between the two hotels so that guests in each can have their fair share of the programme. The hotels are the WEST PARK and the CLARENDON.

Inclusive terms, which are through their economy, becoming more and more popular, have been obtained at only 32/6d at the West Park and 42/6d. at the Clarendon. Both hotels overlook Harrogate’s. famous Stray, and both are fully licensed.

The first Convention Newsletter and registration forms are being sent out as fliers to this.issue of SKYRACK Send your con fee in NOW!  

1962 “BID-ONCE” AUCTION: 50% of buying price goes to any fannish charity you care to name. Send your ceiling  price only. Each lot will be sold. to top bidder at 2/6d (35cents) above second highest bid. Each bundle mailed promptly 8th March. LOT 1 40 assortoted fanzines. UMBRA (9 issues), SPECULATIVE REVIEW (7), WENDIGO (5) PARSECTION 2-6, PSI-PHI 4-7, GEMZINE 8-l3, DAFOE 4, CRY l47, BHISMI‘LLAH 6, WARHOON 8. Over one thousand pages. Reserve price £1 ($2.80). LOT 2. 15 assorted fanzines, 2 issues of YANDRO, one each of AMRA, ANCALAGON, BHIS, CONVERSATION, ERRATIC, ESOTERIQUE, FANTOCCINI, JD-A, HOCUS, SAFARI, SHAGGY, BANE, FANATTIC. Over 350 pages. Reserve price. 6/- (84cents), LOT 3 l5 assorted fanzines as Lot 2, Ovcr 300 pages. Reserve 5/- (70 cents).  

THE DIRECTORY OF 1961 SCIENCE FICTION FANDOM. Yes, the Directory is here again. This 7th annual listing contains the up-to-date whereabouts of over 500 fans the world over, listing addresses, tape recorder owners and more telephone numbers than over before. This is a completely revised listing, with a 50% turn-over of change on last year’s Directory. 100 new names have.been added, 90 “deadwood” names omitted and well over 100 other address changes are shown. Arthur Thomson once again has contributed the cover. The Directory will be included in the 98th (February) FAPA mailing and will be issued free on request, while supplies last, to members of OMPA. l/6d from Ron Bennett or 25cents from Bob Pavlat.  

UP THE POLL! Coming along with this issue of SKYRACK is a voting form for the third annual poll to assess the merits of British fandom. To obtain a true assessment of the worth of contributions to the British fan field would be a nice thing, so why not vote? Non-apa publications which appeared from British fans during 1961 were: HYPHEN, SMOKE, THE FAN DIRECTORY, RETRIBUTION, CAMBER, LES SPINGE, ESPRIT, VECTOR, HAVERINGS, EPITAFF, COLONIAL EXCURSION, GOUDY, THE LXICON PROGRAMME BOOKLET, SFCoL COMBOZINE, .ORION, JETSTREAM, THE PROSE OF KILIMANJARO, NORTHLIGHT, BASTION,and THE ATOM ANTHOLOGY. You sort it out!  

NEWS FROM GERMANY; Burkhard Blum writes that the recently formed German Apa, FAN, is running into teething troubles, with most members publishing only the minimum 2 pages per mailing. The 6th mailing contained the writings of 20 fans and yet totalled only 96 page. The third NiederrheinCon will be held over 17/18 March in Duisburg, the fan in charge being Rudi Gosejakob, Duisburg, Moltkestrasse 62. Well known Los Angeles fan, Ingrid Fritzsch will be holidaying in her native Hannover around now and mid-January saw her lined-up as Guest of Honour at the city’s 3rd Nordwestdeutsche MiniCon. Gerfanzine SOL recently ran a one shot of Chuck Devine’s SeaCon report and the German SF TIMES hopes to publish a supplementary extra shortly with Robert Heinlein’s 1941 Denver speech. Rolf Harder’s LYRA hopes to reprint the Atom Anthology in several instalments.  

CHANGES OF ADDRESS:
Sgt. Keith Freeman, RAF Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hants.
Norman Metcalf, PO Box 336, Berkeley, Calif.
Jean Linard, Simon-Cure, Hopital de St.Alban, Lozere, France.
Alan Rispin, 3 Cantley Mansions, 68 Fairhazel Gardens London NW 6. Tel. MAI 4398.
Tony Walsh, 256 Block B, Berkeley Camp, Berkeley, Glos.  

CONGRATULATIONS & BEST WISHES TO YOU BOTH! Taff Administrator Eric Bentcliffe and Miss Beryl Gibson officially announce their engagement.  

HYPHEN 30 (December 1961; Walt Willis & Dr. Ian McAulay, 170 Upper N’Ards Rd., Belfast 4, N. Ireland; 1/- or 15cents; 24pp) In this issue, the one with the con searchparty setting out from the famed lighthouse, Walt kicks off with his usual amusing editorial and is immediately followed by a Hyphen regular in Bob Shaw whose Glass Bushel column discusses making decisions, Sturgeon and a half dozen other topics. John Berry puns his way around a Scrabble board with an article that should make Betty Rosenblum wish she'd never heard of the game. James White lies with his boots on and Harry Warner recounts his hospital experiences. Brian Aldiss writes on good sf, and the usual, excellent features, like the Atom cover and cartoons, the bacover quotes and the meaty letters make up another king-size, quality-wise Hyphen Recomnended. of course.  

FANDOODLE 1 (December 1961; Ken Slater & Dave Barber, 75 Norfolk Street,, Wisbech, Cambs.; 11 flscp pp) Inadvertently omitted from the eligible fnz for 1961 (in the SKY poll listing) is this new venture from Ken Slater. Ken and Dave wrote all the material, varied and readable. Ken writes on CND, Green Fingers and the 62 Con. Dave makes himself a marked man with a page of notes on fans and fandom. There are a few combined articles  and a vest pocket Do It Yourself fanzine kit. Neat, zany, and welcome.  

VOID 27 (Ted White, 107 Christopher St., New York 14). While this issue contains some really first rate material by Walt Willis, Terry Carr and Avram Davidson, it contains a pretty sickly piece of rubbish by co-editor Pete Graham, whose lack of forethought for his readers’ sensibilities makes me feel ashamed that I'm connected with the zine as its British representative. Sorry, Ted, I know you’ve got your share of fannish troubles with the recent Moskowitz  law-suit fiasco, but the Graham editorial cancelled out completely the excellent material elsewhere in the zine.  

SILME 1 (John & Bjo Trimble, 222: S. Gramercy, Place, Los Angeles 4, Calif; 38pp; December 1961). This is a fan artists’ zine, not of fan art, but about fan art. All excellently done and a great interest to anyone who is even slightly interested in artwork. Of especial interest are the judges’ reports on the SeaCon Art Show (I read somewhere that a fault was that these tend to overlap, but I feel that this overlap is far from being a fault; indeed it is all the more interesting to read the different views on the same topic) and Juanita Coulson’s advice on stencil cutting. Contributors include Harlan Ellison, Gem Carr, Al Lewis, Dick Eney, Jack Harness and Ron Ellik.  

ORION 28 (Jan 62; Ella Parker, 151 Canterbury Rd., West Kilburn, London NW 6) Well, Ella didn’t waste much time after returning from the States, did she? Here’s the latest Orion, not quite as bulky as recent issues (30 perfectly duplicated pages), but up to the readable standard we have come to expect from Ella and her slaves. Andy Young writes his third part of European Pumble and John Berry contributes his latest Sergeant story. Fred Hunter carries on where he left off in a recent O, and Neville Goldberg escapes from SCRIBBLE. Honours go to Ella’s chatty editorial, particularly on fannish thoughtlessness and TAFF trip reports. I can appreciate this point. I ran off 200 copies of COLONIAL EXCURSION and though I’ve been told that the writing therein wasn’t exactly poor, I still have over 130 on my hands. As each copy cost me over 5/- to produce, I can’t honestly say that I’m happy as to the state of affairs. Ah, well, theres no business like fan business, I guess.  

SKYRACK poll forms a flier to this issue. Vote!  

CONGRATULATIONS to Larry & Noreen Shaw on the arrival of a second son and to Ken & Pam Bulmer on the arrival of a second daughter. At the: time of writing I’m is waiting for a telegram to arrive, telling me of the arrival of either a second son or third daughter to Norman & Ina Shorrock. ETA is 28th and he/she looks like being a stop press item:  

Since last issue of SKYRACK, Harrogate fandom spent a flying weekend visit down in London to hear about Ella’s Stateside trip from the horses mouth. Liz and I got snowed up New Year’s Eve on return trip north. Archie Mercer was in the town the previous weekend and we also just missed the SFCoL Xmas party. The SFCoL have themselves four new members in Ajax Hoch, Errol Pace, and Frances and Brian Varley and a new Committee in Ella Parker (Chairman), Ethel Lindsay (Secretary) and Ian Peters (Treasurer). Three posts to fill and three Scots to fill them! Scottish Fan Club of London appears to be right.  

TAWF’s British Agent, Arthur Thomson, urges that any further donations to this highly successful drive be sent him as soon as possible so that he can turn the cash over to Walt, who can then consolidate what plans he has. ::: Bob Tucker writes that fanzines, SKY included, have been reaching him battered and late and wonders if there’s some sort of a middleman’s strike, en route. Well, since that date, GPO workers here in the UK have been “working to rule” as a protest against the Government’s economic policy’s “Pay Pause.” The pause is pretty ridiculous, says Socialist Bennett, and every good luck to the GPO...but mail is being delayed. :::: Ted Forsyth flew home from an Edinburgh holiday Xmas and Ian & Betty Peters were due to fly on the same route about the same time. Ethel Lindsay beat them both by a couple of weeks and became probably the first British fan to fly internally. Anyone claim the record first? :::: The 1961 SFCoL Bowling Championship ended up in hands of Don Geldart, who pipped Ron Bennett in a replay. ::: Len Moffatt sends cutting from Los Angeles Mirror, 27 Dec  - The SolaCon famed Alexandria at which evidently Edward VII stayed at one time is being pulled down to give way to a 30 storey skyscraper. :::: Archie Mercer reports that Jean & Annie Linard are divorcing and that Jean is again in hospital.:::: London is bidding for the 1965 WorldCon, a considerate bid in view of Stateside rotation system. Last WorldCon outside USA was also in London, in 1957.