Ansible 135 [long]
David Langford
ANSIBLE 135
OCTOBER 1998
From DAVE LANGFORD, 94 London Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5AU, UK. Fax
0118 966 9914. ISSN 0265-9816. E-mail ans...@cix.co.uk. Available for
SAE, whim, or _Vargo Statten Magazine_, vol 1, no.3.
[NET NOTE. Please see the last section for subscribe/unsubscribe
information: such requests should NOT be sent to my personal e-mail
address. DRL]
GULP. New panic convulsed the _Fantasy Encyclopedia_ crew in Sept:
suddenly it was time to finalize a corrigenda list for the paperback.
Embarrassing omissions like Alasdair GRAY, Shirley JACKSON, Chuck JONES,
Gwyneth JONES and LABYRINTH (the movie) were hastily fixed for the
24,000-word addenda, and from the depths of one nameless editor's hard
disk there shyly emerged the long-lost entry for RUSSIA....
### THE BUMPER FUN GRIMOIRE ###
MICHAEL BISHOP reveals the shocking truth behind another pseudonym:
`Philip Lawson', author of the mystery novel _Would It Kill You To
Smile?_ (Longstreet Press, 1998) is none other than `Paul Di Filippo
(_The Steampunk Trilogy_, _Fractal Paisleys_, _Ribofunk_, _Ciphers_,
_Lost Pages_, etc.) and me (_Brittle Innings_, _Ulysses_, _War & Peace_,
_Madame Bovary_, etc.).'
JOHN CLUTE's tale of woe and lost sf trophies last issue brought a noble
response from Los Angeles: Bruce Pelz and Mike Glyer are arranging a
replacement LAcon 3 (1996) Hugo. There are spares, since some of that
year's Retro Hugos for 50-year-old work couldn't be presented. A side
effect of all this trophy-hunting is that George Orwell's Retro Hugo for
_Animal Farm_ came to light and may soon find its logical home: the
Orwell archive in the library of University College, London.
NEIL GAIMAN `is set to make his TV debut,' writes Fortean observer _Joe
McNally_: `I was recently sent a half-hour promo reel for some British-
produced sub-manga nonsense named _Archangel: Thunderbird_ in which Mr
G. provides the voice for a rubbish plasticine demon....'
TIM POWERS, our tireless spies reveal, has been furtively enquiring about
just _which_ of his scurrilous David Brin stories had found its way into
_Ansible_. Be a man, Powers! Send them all!
TERRY PRATCHETT stripped to the waist is a terrifyingly hirsute sight:
alarming photographs were taken and furtive orangutan jokes made. All
this was because the Adelphi Hotel greeted the second Discworld con
(Sept) with a broken pool thermostat leading to hot-bath temperatures and
a runaway greenhouse effect: TP wrenched off his shirt when he overheated
during six hours of autograph sessions. The event raised #6,000 for
Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Orangutan Foundation. TP waxed emotional
at the closing ceremony: `It's been such a pleasure to see your little
faces ... it makes all the money worth while ...'
CARL SAGAN commented from beyond the grave on the 1998 Dramatic
Presentation Hugo: `The book was better than the movie. There was more
in it.' (_Contact_, 1985) [PR]
### CONTORTUPLICATE ###
10 Oct [] OCTOCON LITE (mini Irish national con), Royal Marine Hotel, Dun
Laoghaire, nr Dublin. GoH James White. #10 reg (Irish _or_ British).
Contact 43 Eglinton Rd, Dublin 4, Ireland. UK agent D.Lally, 64 Richborne
Tce, London, SW8 1AX; 0171 735 3819.
11 Oct [] POST-OCTOCON CELEBRATION, Flying Pig Bookshop, 17 Crow St,
Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Birthday party for the shop, with guests from
Octocon Lite, drinks, readings, etc. No fee. Info +353 1 6795099.
28 Oct [] BSFA OPEN MEETING, Jubilee pub nr Waterloo, 7pm on.
31 Oct [] NERVOUS? (horror), Cardiff University Union. GoH Ramsey
Campbell, Simon Clark, Peter Crowther. #10 reg. Contact RazorBlade Press,
186 Railway St, Splott, CF2 2NH. Ah, dear old Splott!
31 Oct [] SF MONTH begins at Paddington Library, Porchester Rd, London,
W2. `Special event' 1-5pm; talks/readings throughout Nov.
Nov [] C.S.LEWIS CENTENARY EXHIBITION, Belfast Central Library. Contact
Linda Greenwood, BCL, Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1EA.
14 Nov [] DANGERCON 7 (_Dangermouse_), Ruskin House, Croydon. 11am-11pm.
Fan GoH Alan Sullivan. #5 reg at door. Cheques to Robert Newman, 37 Keens
Rd, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1AH; 0181 686 6800.
13-15 Nov [] NOVACON 28, Britannia Hotel, New St, Birmingham. GoH Paul
J.McAuley. #32 reg (to 1 Nov; #35 at door). Contact 14 Park St, Lye,
Stourbridge, W.Midlands, DY9 8SS.
13-15 Nov [] ORYCON 20, Doubletree Hotel, Portland, OR, USA. $35 reg to
15 Oct, more at door. Too many guests to list, including (again, this is
how to get a US non-Worldcon into _Ansible_) me. Contact PO Box 5703,
Portland, OR 97228-5703, USA. Phone (503) 283-0802.
20-22 Nov [] ARMADACON X, Copthorne Hotel, Plymouth. #25 reg, #19
unwaged. Contact PO Box 38, Plymouth; 01752 267873/812698.
6-7 Mar 99 [] MICROCON 19, University of Exeter. Following this con's
age-old organizational tradition, no more has been divulged.
2-5 Apr 99 [] RECONVENE (Eastercon), Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool. #30 reg;
#15 supp, children 5-14, over-60s; #2 presupp discount to end 98. Under-
5s free. Contact 3 West Shrubbery, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6SZ. _Chris
Bell_ warns that, to encourage early booking so more money can be
budgeted for the event, `we are going to hike the price through the roof
before the con, and into the stratosphere and beyond come the day
itself.' Thus from 1 Feb 99 it's #50 reg, #25 supp/juniors/elders. Last
postal memberships 28 Feb. #80 at door; #40 jun/eld. To ease this, a #15
supporting membership bought _before 1 Feb_ can be upgraded to full
attending for #15 at any time, even at the door; a #25 supp bought in Feb
upgrades for #25. If truly unable or unwilling to commit even #15 in
advance, write to C.Bell and ask about Special Hardship Deals.
4-6 Jun 99 [] AVALON (_Trek_), Meadowside Centre, Burton upon Trent. New
dates, new venue, new guest list. #50 reg or #20/day. Contact (SAE) 28
Yew Tree Rd, Hatton, Derby, DE65 5EX.
_Rumblings_ [] TOTAL ECLIPSE, 11 Aug 99: `Cornwall now booked solid.
Ditto France,' warns _Jonathan Cowie_ ... who has plans for a Romanian
eclipse tour, taking advantage of local fan links. Enquiries (no
commitment required as yet) to 44 Brook St, Erith, Kent, DA8 1JQ.
### INFINITELY IMPROBABLE ###
LEGAL HIGH JINKS IN CANADA. That Robert Sawyer/Allan Weiss literary
lawsuit (see _A134_) rages on, says _Lloyd Penney_: `The _Toronto Star_
reported on a barbecue benefit staged for Robert's defence fund. (Yvonne
and I attended that barbecue ... a fine time, and it raised about $2,000.
Much support is coming from the Canadian literary establishment.) Allan
has now expanded his lawsuit to sue the _Star_ for reporting on the
barbecue. The local and national sf communities are certainly divided,
and writers across the country are resigning from SF Canada, the national
version of SFWA, claiming fears that if they speak up about the
situation, Weiss will sue them, too. Even Allan's supporters are
scratching their heads over this latest development. This story is far
from over, as much as we'd like it to be.'
RANDOM FANDOM. _Mike Don_ has no idea why an envelope bearing the name
of his fanzine and book catalogue _Dreamberry Wine_ should feature
prominently in recent Euro-awareness TV ads.... [MS] [] _Ian Gunn_
determinedly continues to live with the cancer, helped by frequent
hospital visits, continuous chemotherapy via a catheter, and above all
Karen's support. Ups and downs continue, as do fans' good wishes. [KPG]
[] _Brian Jordan_ drew the short straw and is now running that sinister
UK APA `The Organization': 57 Moorlands Cres, Huddersfield, HD3 3UF. []
_Paul Rood_, organizer of both Discworld cons, was the foredoomed victim
of a closing-ceremony tradition established at the 1996 event: dousing
him in custard, or, this year, tapioca. In the event, so appallingly much
canned tapioca was donated for this purpose (`Tapioca Henge' was a
majestic sight) that to avoid conspicuous waste the bulk was cautiously
diverted to charity. Three tins proved sufficient to inundate the hapless
Mr Rood, whereupon the cruel Lord of Misrule (T.Pratchett) applied a
final necessary blob of jam. There was rapturous applause. [] _Nancy
Tucker Shaw_, Bob Shaw's widow, suffered a major stroke on 20 Sept. By
the 22nd she was lucid again and joking with nurses, but at last report
was still paralysed on her left side and will need much physiotherapy.
May this succeed sooner rather than later.
BONNY BANKS. _Ian Sales_, searching Amazon for books, discovered:
`_Classic Glamour Photography_ by Iain M.Banks. (1989, Amphoto; ISBN:
0817436723). Is there no end to the man's talents?'
_ODYSSEY_ MAGAZINE. _Janet Barron_ has officially departed as deputy
editor and (effectively) production editor, which `feels pretty strange'
since she's still up to her ears in production work on issue 7....
C.O.A. _John Bray_, 10 Barratt Cres, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 1UP. _Ken
Brown_, 64 Elswick Rd, Lewisham, London, SE13 7TP. _Dave Clements &
Amanda Baker_, Physics & Astronomy Dept, Cardiff University, Wales/Cymru,
CF2 3YB. _Ed Dravecky_, PO Box 143, Addison, TX 75001-0143, USA. _The
Edge_, 65 Guinness Bldgs, Fulham Palace Rd, London, W6 8BD. _Graham
England & Monika Koch_, Muehlental 25, 28717 Bremen, Germany. _Nick Lowe
& Margaret Welbank_, 88b Mansfield Rd, Gospel Oak, London NW3 2HX. _Bryan
Talbot_, 14 St Bede's Tce, Christchurch, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR2
8HS. _Writers' Bookshop_ (_Small Press Guide_ etc), 1-2 Wainman Rd,
Woodston, Peterborough, PE2 7BU.
WELSH RAREBITS. _Margaret Hall_ knows that _Blodwyn Tatws_ (see _A134_)
wasn't the first Eisteddfod-winning Welsh sf novel. `There was _Seren Wen
Ar Gefndir Gwyn_ (_White Star on a White Background_) by Robin Llywelyn,
which won the prose medal in 1992. And yes, that is the very same Robin
Llywelyn who is manager of Portmeirion and who seems to be trying to stop
the _Prisoner_ conventions there, or at least move them to the depths of
winter instead of allowing them in August.... He is also using a
vandalism incident to add support to his claim that the conventions are
somehow inappropriate for the unique Italianate village, despite the fact
that the convention organizer is sure that no con-goers were involved and
has offered to pay for the repairs. (All this according to reports in the
_Daily Post_ and _Cambrian News_.)'
R.I.P. _Leigh Couch_ (1925-1998), member of First Fandom and `at one
stage ... godmother of all St Louis fandom' [BG] died in early Sept. []
_Akira Kurosawa_ (1910-1998), Japan's most famous film director, died on
6 Sept aged 88. His influential movies included _Rashomon_ (1950), _The
Seven Samurai_ (1954), _Throne of Blood_ (1957), _Yojimbo_ (1961), and
_Kagemusha_ aka _Shadow Warrior_ (1980). [BB] [] _R.D.Mullen_ (1915-
1998), founder of _Science-Fiction Studies_ and a founding member of the
SF Research Association, died on 8 Aug aged 82. [] _Dietmar
Trommeshauser_ (1955-1998), who built a career as a horror author despite
being paralysed in a 1985 accident, died during surgery on 31 Aug. []
_Eleen Tackett_, wife of 1976 NA TAFF delegate Roy Tackett, died on 21
Sept.
BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS. NOVEL (August Derleth Award) Chaz Brenchley,
_Light Errant_. ANTHOLOGY/COLLECTION _Dark Terrors 3_ ed Stephen Jones
& David Sutton. SHORT Christopher Fowler, `Wageslaves'. ARTIST Jim Burns.
SMALL PRESS _Interzone_. SPECIAL (Karl Edward Wagner Award) D.F.Lewis.
COMMITTEE AWARD Ken Bulmer, for services to the British Fantasy Society
-- he was its first president.
TASTY. The infamous Bulwer-Lytton competition for worst story openings
(unfair to poor old B-L, even Thog agrees) was won this year by _Bob
Perry_: `The corpse exuded the irresistible aroma of a piquant, anchovy
chili glaze enticingly enhanced with a hint of fresh cilantro as it lay
before him, coyly garnished by a garland of variegated radicchio and
caramelized onions, and impishly drizzled with glistening rivulets of
vintage balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic oil; yes, as he surveyed the
body of the slain food critic slumped on the floor of the cozy, but
nearly empty, bistro, a quick inventory of his senses told corpulent
Inspector Moreau that this was, in all likelihood, an inside job.' [JB]
CENSORED! Artist Tony DiTerlizzi's name has been purged from the title
and copyright pages of Greg Bear's _Dinosaur Summer_ in UK HarperCollins
pb ... and all his jolly internal illustrations have gone too, even the
many b/w drawings which could easily have been reproduced. Sigh.
INTERNATIONAL HORROR GUILD AWARDS ... LIFE ACHIEVEMENT Hugh B.Cave. NOVEL
Ramsey Campbell, _Nazareth Hill_. COLLECTION Brian McNaughton, _The
Throne of Bones_. ANTHOLOGY _Revelations_ ed Douglas E.Winter. FIRST
NOVEL Mary Ann Mitchell, _Drawn to the Grave_. SHORT FORM Kim Newman,
`Coppola's Dracula'. SHORT STORY John Shirley, `Cram'. ARTIST Stephen
R.Bissette. GRAPHIC Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, _Preacher:_ `Proud
Americans'. PUBLICATION _Necrofile_.
SMALL PRESS. _The Arts of Falconrie & Hawking: A Begginners Guide_ by
`Hodgesaargh', with distressed fonts and spelling, mingles real and
Discworld lore. Proceeds to DWcon charities. A6, 44pp+covers, #3.50 to
Dave Hodges, 68 Gotch Rd, Barton Seagrave, Kettering, NN15 6UQ. [] _Steve
Sneyd_ offers more historical-poetic booklets: _Challenge_ (#2.75) is
a selection from Lilith Lorraine `inc Bio & Biblio', _Kin to the Far
Beyond_ (#1.70) traces US sf fanzine poetry 70s-90s, and _Entropies &
Alignments_ (#1.45) covers 60s UK fanzines, `perhaps of most interest as
a lot of early Brian Stableford poetry involved. Just leaves UK 70s
(since UK 90s would go on a nanochip) & whole project will be completed.'
All post free: 4 Nowell Place, Almondbury, Huddersfield, HD5 8PB.
THE GONAD FACTOR. Really this should be a letter to the Las Vegas
newszine _Crifanac_, in whose sixth issue Ted White memorably proposed
the Gonad Factor in TAFF voting -- but _Crifanac_ is so frequent that
I've missed #7. In Ted's golden words: `... a majority of male fans on
both sides of the Atlantic vote with their gonads. Given a choice between
male and female candidates they will pick the female nine times out of
ten.' There follows a hand-waving attempt to establish that Dan Steffan's
win over Samanda Jeude actually argues _for_ the Gonad Factor. It seems
wiser to study the history of TAFF voting. Each female winner is evidence
in favour of the Factor if the opposition is all-male -- otherwise, by
Ted's logic, it becomes a mere battle of womanly sexual charisma, as when
Lee Hoffman beat sultry Gertude M.Carr and Pam Wells beat Abigail Frost.
The theory is supported by 6 TAFF races (Lindsay, Carol, Gomoll, Edwards
& Lake, Bowman, Frost) and opposed by 5 in which charm-challenged men
still overcame women's gonadic spell (Ford, Weber, Hughes, Pickersgill,
Steffan). Statisticians feel that, since male voters predominate, a 9 out
of 10 bias would tend to swing rather more than 6 of 11 races. We'd all
love to know where Ted found his figures.
REAL-WORLD NEWS. `University researcher Philip Adongo from Ghana told a
world population conference in Beijing that small families work better
in modern society. He noted that the research leading to that conclusion
was based partly on interviews with the dead. Using soothsayers, Philip
Adongo asked village ancestors for advice on the ideal size of a family
in a tribal area of the West African nation. "If I only heard from the
living, I wouldn't get a very good balance," he explained. "This study
has been the first to be conducted of respondents who are deceased."'
[GF] Next issue, we interview John W.Campbell.
THE DELTA AWARD for best amateur film of 1998 was presented (at the
Festival of Fantastic Films) to Shane Hannafey's sf short _The Gift_.
Hannafey, an American, is the first non-British director to win. [SG]
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION. _Simon R.Green_ makes my flesh creep: `Well,
it's official; you're in _Deathstalker Destiny_. You are a named
character, you have dialogue, and you die a horrible death. Much like
everyone else in the Deathstalker series, really....' [] _David L.Stone_,
world-famous _Interzone_ reviewer, brags that he `appeared in full colour
on the front page of a Kent newspaper accompanied by the heading "Posh
Spice Loves Me".' It seems that this _Dune_ character adored DLS's story
in the small-press mag _Xenos_ so much that she sent a fan letter.
THE DEAD PAST. _25 Years Ago:_ `Beyond This Horizon', a month-long sf
festival in Sunderland, raged from 23 Oct to 25 Nov 1973. (_Checkpoint
42_, Oct 73) [] _15 Years Ago:_ D.West won the US _Pong_ Poll as Best
Fanwriter and dominated Silicon 7's `far more cosmic' Straw Poll, in the
categories `Which Fan Would You Like To Be King/Queen?', `Favourite Fan
Over 50' and `Which Fan Should Be Exhumed?' But D. placed behind Peter
Weston and the Fake Bob Shaw in the more hotly contested `Which Fan
Should Be Exhumed And Reburied?' (_Ansible 35_, Oct 83) [] _5 Years Ago:_
through the power of Anagramancy, Colin Greenland was revealed to be of
a Non-Lilac Gender. (_Ansible 75_, Oct 93)
FANFUNDERY. _Concatenation_ and the NW Kent SF Soc want to bring two
Romanians to an as yet unspecified UK con in Spring 2000. Donations
begged for, to Phil Delnon c/o 44 Brook St, Erith, Kent, DA8 1JQ.
OUTRAGED LETTERS ... _Ken MacLeod_ fans by the score pointed out my 1998
Prometheus Award typo: _The Star Fraction_ for the correct _The Stone
Canal_. Oops. [] _Chris Priest_ was unhappy with Thog's citation last
issue of Robert Girardi's _Vaporetto 13_: `the droll remark leapt upon
by Thog was actually made by an intentionally comic-eccentric character
in a skilful and unusual novel.' [] _Marcus Rowland_ wants it known that
10% of the price of his _Forgotten Futures_ CD-ROM (_A134_) goes to the
Imperial Cancer Research Fund. [] _Ian Watson_ is `Off to Israel [this]
month to snack on sheep's stomachs and turkey's testicles.'
THOG'S MASTERCLASS. `With gruesome relish, Lena kept topping herself
during the long hike east from the Rimmer Range.' (David Brin,
_Infinity's Shore_, 1996) [] `Dorman felt all of his muscles growing
tense in preparation for an encounter that he could not hope to avoid if
his voice carried less far than it would have done if he had been just
a little nearer.' (Frank Belknap Long, `Monster From Out of Time') []
`Circling us ominously, its huge vanes flapping like the wings of a
hungry vampire bat, was a stark white helicopter ...' (Kendell Foster
Crossen, _Year of Consent_, 1954) [BA] [] `Even in the black slacks and
sweatshirt, the curves of her rock-hard body undulated without mercy.'
(Steve Perry & Gary A.Braunbek, _Isaac Asimov's I-Bots: Time Was_, 1998)
[FR] [] _Dept of T.S.Eliot Imagery:_ `And now I can sense Penelope's
influence everywhere, like a faint pollutant distorting the light,
creating gaudy, unnatural sunsets like a disembowelled horse spreading
its guts across the heavens.' (James Miller, `Weak End' in _Dark Terrors
4_, 1998) [PB]
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_ANSIBLE_ AGENTS
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ENDNOTES.
_The Blinding Pillar of Incandescence._ Idiot spammer of the month:
the chap who for mere money will make _Ansible_'s web site ever so
much more prominent, clearly necessary since (as he points out) it's
difficult to locate via a web search for `adhesives'. On the whole I
think I'd like to keep it that way.
_Fantasy Encyclopedia Web Site._ By special dispensation of John Clute
and John Grant, that whole mass of corrections, updates and addenda to
the 1997 _Encyclopedia of Fantasy_ can now be consulted on-line at
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/Misc/fec.html ...
_Ansible_ on-line may have been made redundant by the introduction of
the awesome _Plokta_ News Network, which plies its grisly trade at
http://www.plokta.com/pnn/ ...
_Riddle._ Q: What sort of idiots would beg your editor to drop
everything and put together some gems from Thog's Masterclass at short
notice to fill a slot in a discussion programme, and then cease all
communication as soon as the sucker had agreed to this? A: The BBC
World Service.
_Stop Press!_ Kevin, the popular landlord at the Jubilee pub, seems
likely to be moving soon to the Florence Nightingale some 200 yards
away (east end of Westminster bridge). It's been suggested that the
first-Thursday London fan gatherings might follow him to this larger
pub.
Ansible 135 Copyright (c) Dave Langford, 1998. Thanks to Brian
Ameringen, Barbara Barrett, John Bray, Gary Farber, Gregory Frost,
Bruce Gillespie, Steve Green, Karen Pender-Gunn, Peter Redfarn, Franz
Rottensteiner, Andy Sawyer, Mark Slater and our Hero Distributors:
Janice Murray (NA), SCIS, Alan Stewart (Oz), and Martin Tudor (Brum
Group).
1 Oct 98
--
David Langford
ans...@cix.co.uk | http://www.ansible.demon.co.uk/
Sion Arrowsmith
David Langford <ans...@cix.co.uk> wrote:
>NEIL GAIMAN `is set to make his TV debut,' writes Fortean observer _Joe
>McNally_: `I was recently sent a half-hour promo reel for some British-
>produced sub-manga nonsense named _Archangel: Thunderbird_ in which Mr
>G. provides the voice for a rubbish plasticine demon....'
This is just a touch out of date -- it was shown on the Sci-Fi
Channel at the end of March and mentioned in the April SFX....
--
\S -- si...@chiark.greenend.org.uk -- http://www.chaos.org.uk/~sion/
___ | "Frankly I have no feelings towards penguins one way or the other"
\X/ | -- Arthur C. Clarke
<*> |
David Langford
Arrowsmith) wrote:
>In article <3614954b...@news.demon.co.uk>,
>David Langford <ans...@cix.co.uk> wrote:
>>NEIL GAIMAN `is set to make his TV debut,' writes Fortean observer _Joe
>>McNally_: `I was recently sent a half-hour promo reel for some British-
>>produced sub-manga nonsense named _Archangel: Thunderbird_ in which Mr
>>G. provides the voice for a rubbish plasticine demon....'
>
>This is just a touch out of date -- it was shown on the Sci-Fi
>Channel at the end of March and mentioned in the April SFX....
Mr McNally will be Reprimanded. Tut, tut.
[Mutter, mumble, you just can't get the research staff these days....]
Dave
--
David Langford
ans...@cix.co.uk | http://www.ansible.demon.co.uk/
Read Ansible and lots more at http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/SF-Archives/
Marcus L. Rowland
>_Stop Press!_ Kevin, the popular landlord at the Jubilee pub, seems
>likely to be moving soon to the Florence Nightingale some 200 yards
>away (east end of Westminster bridge). It's been suggested that the
>first-Thursday London fan gatherings might follow him to this larger
>pub.
Argh...
Isn't the Florence Nightingale on a sort of concrete island in the
middle of a roundabout? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Certainly a
lot less convenient for Waterloo etc.
--
Marcus L. Rowland
http://www.ffutures.demon.co.uk/ http://www.forgottenfutures.com/
"We are all victims of this slime. They... ...fill our mailboxes with gibberish
that would get them indicted if people had time to press charges"
[Hunter S. Thompson predicts junk e-mail, 1985 (from Generation of Swine)]
Marcus L. Rowland
>Argh...
>
>Isn't the Florence Nightingale on a sort of concrete island in the
>middle of a roundabout? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Certainly a
>lot less convenient for Waterloo etc.
Took a look tonight; it's not in the middle of the road, but getting to
it from Waterloo does involve a considerable walk and either using an
extremely nasty subway tunnel (which I remember as filthy and crime
ridden when this area was the seat of London's local government, and
appears to have been allowed to deteriorate since) or crossing a couple
of very busy roads.
Morgan
Rowland" <mrow...@ffutures.demon.co.uk> said:
>In article <S7hjIcAQ...@ffutures.demon.co.uk>, I said
>>Argh...
>>
>>Isn't the Florence Nightingale on a sort of concrete island in the
>>middle of a roundabout? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Certainly a
>>lot less convenient for Waterloo etc.
>
>Took a look tonight; it's not in the middle of the road, but getting to
>it from Waterloo does involve a considerable walk and either using an
>extremely nasty subway tunnel (which I remember as filthy and crime
>ridden when this area was the seat of London's local government, and
>appears to have been allowed to deteriorate since) or crossing a couple
>of very busy roads.
Disabled access? Close parking?
--
Morgan
"Come to the edge." he said. They said "We are afraid." "Come
to the edge." he said. They came. He pushed them...and they flew.
Claire Brialey
In article <t$RsJQAQX...@ffutures.demon.co.uk>, Marcus L. Rowland
<mrow...@ffutures.demon.co.uk> writes
>In article <S7hjIcAQ...@ffutures.demon.co.uk>, I said
>>Argh...
>>
>>Isn't the Florence Nightingale on a sort of concrete island in the
>>middle of a roundabout? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Certainly a
>>lot less convenient for Waterloo etc.
>
>Took a look tonight; it's not in the middle of the road, but getting to
>it from Waterloo does involve a considerable walk and either using an
>extremely nasty subway tunnel (which I remember as filthy and crime
>ridden when this area was the seat of London's local government, and
>appears to have been allowed to deteriorate since) or crossing a couple
>of very busy roads.
The Florence Nightingale is about 200-300 yards further away from
Waterloo than the Jubilee is, including crossing the roads off the
roundabout via pedestrian crossings. The subway currently appears to be
closed. It's probably about the same distance if you come out of
Waterloo through the rear of the domestic terminal as through the
Eurostar terminal past the Jubilee. It's also opposite (i.e. across the
roundabout) Westminster Bridge, although of course Westminster
Underground is on the other side.
It is a bigger pub generally, with more open space downstairs than the
Jubilee (and more seats, I think); I believe it has a larger upstairs
room than the Jubilee as well.
Ultimately, since Kevin has said he'll only move if he can still have
guest ales, we'd gain a bigger pub with the same beer and the same
landlord who actually likes us and wants to have the First Thursday
meeting in his pub. If it goes ahead, he'll either be moving later this
month or in January; he may know within about a week.
Interested London fans might like to check out the Florence Nightingale
on another Thursday evening to see what it's like in terms of size,
numbers of other people, general atmosphere etc---or to stroll down from
the Jubilee on 5 November.
---
Claire Brialey (who went to the Nightingale some years ago and got the rest of
this from Kevin)
Fishlifter Enterprises
c...@tragic.demon.co.uk
Marcus L. Rowland
<mor...@sidhen.demon.co.uk> writes
>Disabled access? Close parking?
I haven't been inside this time, but have been there a few years back.
It's on a VERY busy junction in a hospital zone, so certainly no on-
street parking. There is a small car park adjacent, but I believe it
belongs to someone else. And ISTR that the floor is on 2 or 3 levels
with steps.
Sandra Bond
<mrow...@ffutures.demon.co.uk>, silping a nuclear fizz in the insurgent
manner, wrote:
>In article <7AQqhHAv...@sidhen.demon.co.uk>, Morgan
><mor...@sidhen.demon.co.uk> writes
>>Disabled access? Close parking?
>
>I haven't been inside this time, but have been there a few years back.
>It's on a VERY busy junction in a hospital zone, so certainly no on-
>street parking. There is a small car park adjacent, but I believe it
>belongs to someone else. And ISTR that the floor is on 2 or 3 levels
>with steps.
Not so. I can speak from experience as the vampire live role players
meet there (oh, the shame as I admit it! -- though it means they should
find fandom quite normal compared to some of the undead-wannabees).
You *can* park on-street just outside the hospital from (I think)
6-30pm.
And the pub is less than five minutes' walk from the Jubilee even for
fat old me.
Not sure about the steps to the door -- never thought to check -- but
there are at least 2 different entrances, and I think 3.
Sandra
--
+ "My mother bids me bind my hair, and not go about such a figure: +
+ It's a nuisance, of course, but what do I care? +
+ I shall do as I please when I'm bigger." -- Lewis Carroll +
++++++++++++++++++ san...@ho-street.demon.co.uk ++++++++++++++++++++++++
Marcus L. Rowland
<san...@ho-street.demon.co.uk> writes <re differing floor levels in
different parts of the pub>
>Not so. I can speak from experience as the vampire live role players
>meet there (oh, the shame as I admit it! -- though it means they should
>find fandom quite normal compared to some of the undead-wannabees).
>
but I'm sure I remember it as having several areas with raised floors
reached by a couple of steps.
>You *can* park on-street just outside the hospital from (I think)
>6-30pm.
>
If you literally mean outside the hospital, which is in Lambeth Palace
Road, you are talking a walk that my map shows as 100 yards or more.
Hardly door to door for anyone with walking difficulties.
>And the pub is less than five minutes' walk from the Jubilee even for
>fat old me.
>
It's roughly as far from the Jubilee as the Jubilee is from Waterloo
underground station, and 2-3 times as far as the Jubilee is from the
nearest part of Waterloo passenger terminus. Again, an unwelcome extra
distance for anyone with walking problems. And across two main roads.
>Not sure about the steps to the door -- never thought to check -- but
>there are at least 2 different entrances, and I think 3.
I'm round that way fairly often, so I'll try to stop by next week and
check more thoroughly, if I can find somewhere to park. Doubtless others
will be taking a look too.
I'll be delighted if this is an improvement on the Jubilee, but my
memory of this pub is that it was awkward to reach, even by road,
because of the layout of the junction and parking problems, and wasn't
very comfortable. But that was several years ago, maybe it's different
now.
David Langford
>LEGAL HIGH JINKS IN CANADA. That Robert Sawyer/Allan Weiss literary
>lawsuit (see _A134_) rages on, says _Lloyd Penney_: `The _Toronto Star_
>reported on a barbecue benefit staged for Robert's defence fund. (Yvonne
>and I attended that barbecue ... a fine time, and it raised about $2,000.
>Much support is coming from the Canadian literary establishment.) Allan
>has now expanded his lawsuit to sue the _Star_ for reporting on the
>barbecue. The local and national sf communities are certainly divided,
>and writers across the country are resigning from SF Canada, the national
>version of SFWA, claiming fears that if they speak up about the
>situation, Weiss will sue them, too. Even Allan's supporters are
>scratching their heads over this latest development. This story is far
>from over, as much as we'd like it to be.'
Update, update: Allan Weiss has since stated to me (unthreateningly, by the
way) that he has no lawsuit against the _Toronto Star_.
Dave
Stuart Green
Langford) wrote:
> On Fri, 02 Oct 1998 09:03:39 GMT, ans...@cix.co.uk (David Langford) wrote:
>
> >LEGAL HIGH JINKS IN CANADA. That Robert Sawyer/Allan Weiss literary
> >lawsuit (see _A134_) rages on, says _Lloyd Penney_: `The _Toronto Star_
> >reported on a barbecue benefit staged for Robert's defence fund. (Yvonne
> >and I attended that barbecue ... a fine time, and it raised about $2,000.
> >Much support is coming from the Canadian literary establishment.) Allan
> >has now expanded his lawsuit to sue the _Star_ for reporting on the
> >barbecue. The local and national sf communities are certainly divided,
> >and writers across the country are resigning from SF Canada, the national
> >version of SFWA, claiming fears that if they speak up about the
> >situation, Weiss will sue them, too. Even Allan's supporters are
> >scratching their heads over this latest development. This story is far
> >from over, as much as we'd like it to be.'
>
> Update, update: Allan Weiss has since stated to me (unthreateningly, by the
> way) that he has no lawsuit against the _Toronto Star_.
>
> Dave
What about the allegation people are resigning from SFC for fear of being
sued? Also bunkum, I suggest. Glad to see you corrected your first error,
please correct the second one as well.