Taffkin's Bum #1 comes to you courtesy of not-yet-blooded UK TAFF administrator, Maureen Kincaid Speller. Available from 60 Bournemouth Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 5AZ, UK, which is also the address for all correspondence relating to TAFF. Or try taff@acnestis.demon.co.uk [now defunct]
31st July 1998
I'm writing this while trying to think about doing the packing. I'm trying very hard to think about it but, well, you know how it goes. Now that Martin has tidied up the loose ends of his administration and handed the reins to me (and you know, it was really very odd the way he did cartwheels down the road afterwards) I just wanted to get a few words out to everyone before I leave for my trip.
This is something I wrote on rec.arts.sf.fandom shortly after the announcement of the results. It still stands.
'I'm overwhelmed by the honour, needless to say, and just hope I can live up to it and be a good TAFF delegate. Martin and Ulrika are going to be hard acts to follow.
'First of all, though, my thanks to Chris and to Bridget, my fellow candidates, for providing such friendly competition during this TAFF race, and I urge them both to think about running again in the future.
'Thanks also to Claire Brialey, Christina Lake, Dave Langford, Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden and Geri Sullivan, my nominators and advisors over the last few months, and to Mark Plummer, who masterminded my campaign, and co-edited Bumper Snufkin with Claire.
'Thank you to everyone who voted, and not just for me -- TAFF only flourishes because of your support, and it is appreciated.
'Thanks also to Dan and Martin for their work in the last couple of years, to ensure that we still have TAFF, and to Ulrika for staying up late to talk me down yesterday.
'Not forgetting Gary Farber for advice and support, and John Dallman for taking on piratical navigation, and last but not least, Paul Kincaid, for cups of tea, foot rubs and being very, very tolerant on Sunday.'
To which I'd now like to add thanks to Peggy Rae Pavlat and numerous members of the Worldcon Committee for their help in sorting out my stay in Baltimore. Also, all those brave, brave souls who've invited me to stay and been incredibly generous with their time and advice in setting up this trip.
WAY TO GO
I have an itinerary planned, as follows, with all the usual caveats about changes, and seizing the moment and so on:
1 August -- Croydon sets fire to itself in my honour (aka Noel plays with the barbecue)
2 August -- Heathrow, fly to Washington, D.C., staying with Marilee Layman in Manassas
3 August -- Richard Lynch's walking tour of Washington, and a visit to Harry Warner.
5-9 August, Worldcon in Baltimore
10-11 August, Gettysburg wth Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden
11 -1 9 August, New York, staying at the Nielsen Haydens, meeting various New York fans, looking at art galleries, the Dakota, the Brooklyn Bridge, eating oysters
22 August, Chicago, meeting up with Nigel Rowe. Paul flies home, arriving at Heathrow, on August 23, at 10.30 a.m. Later, I admire Nigel's spiffy new condo, and go on to play with the waterlilies and see American Gothic for myself.
From here, dates are a little flexible, a day or two either side
August 26 or 27, driving to Madison with Jae Leslie Adams, staying with Jeanne Gomoll. Things are being planned, remarks Nigel Rowe ominously.
circa 2 September, Minneapolis, staying with Geri Sullivan
circa 10 September, Seattle, staying with Kate Schaefer at the house with collapsing walls (no hard hat need, promises Kate)
circa 1 8-24 September, Portland and Eugene, depending on if I can ever get them the right way round.
circa 24 September, San Francisco, first with Allyn Cadogan (we're going camping, and attending a pow-wow), then variously with Allen Baum and Donya Hazard White, and Doug Faunt, and a trip out to Glen Ellen to see Jeanne Bowman and Robert Lichtman (and visit a winery in Napa Valley)
circa 12 October, Los Angeles, with Ulrika O'Brien (who has promised to show me a real sf clubhouse because I still can't get my head round this concept)
circa 19 October, Las Vegas, with the Vegrants (casinos, volcanos, the desert, the Hoover Dam and much, much more) circa 25/26 October, fly back to New York, staying with Moshe Feder. 28 October, leave New York
29 October, arrive at Heathrow, 9.35 a.m. Recover in time for Novacon.
That's the plan. The reality, I'll let you know about as we go along. I'm hoping to send back bulletins, which will be distributed by Mark Plummer and Claire Brialey at the Jubilee in London, and which will be available on rec.arts.sf.fandom and other on-line venues, and mailed out to interested parties. If you'd like to be an interested party, I should think two or three stamped, self-addressed envelopes sent to Mark at 14 Northway Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 6JE will secure copies.
The trip report ... yes, there will be a trip report ... this will come later and be complete in time for Eastercon 1999.
Administrative News
Nominations for the 1999 North America to-Europe TAFF race have been extended to AUGUST 15, 1998. The selected candidate will travel from North America to the UK to attend Reconvene, the 50th British National Science Fiction Convention (Eastercon), held April 2-5, 1999, at the Britannia Adelphi, in Liverpool England.
Prospective North American candidates should ensure that their signed nominations (two from European nominators, and three from North American nominators) reach the North American by midnight on August 1 5, 1998. Prospective candidates should also mail a 100-word platform statement, and a $20 candidacy bond check directly to Ulrika O'Brien, again by that same deadline. The deadline is for receipt of nominations and candidacy platforms, please, not a postmark-by date.
Please send all nominations, checks, and statements to:
Ulrika O'Brien
123 Melody Lane, #C
Costa Mesa, CA 92627, USAFinances
Martin has already passed me a cheque for £1000, which is safely banked. So far, I've spent £521.50 on a round flight to the States (which included a freebie internal flight, and an obscene amount on 'duty' and 'taxes'). There is some more money to come, I know, and I'll report on that next time.
Meanwhile, I'm pleased to say that ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, the British Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy group has very generously donated a Beeblebear to the fan auction at Bucconeer (which is doubtless going to cheer up Customs as well), and thank you in advance to Intuition, the 1998 Eastercon, for donating stuff for auction (and to Steve and Alice Lawson for getting the stuff to the States).
Also, thanks to Tony Berry's mum, for a donation of $31. This came accompanied a note exhorting me to buy some decent beer, which sounds very like Tony to me.
Just to remind you that Martin's TAFF report, Have Bag Will Travel, is still available from Martin for £5 from 24 Ravensbourne Grove, off Clarkes Lane, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 1HX
TAFF also gratefully accepts freely given donations of money or auction goods; such donations are the sole support the Fund has, and have sustained it for over forty years.
While I am away, any TAFF enquiries should be sent to Paul Kincaid at the administrative address, and he'll do his best to pass them on me.