Fan Scene CT 1981 Part 4

October

Some of the best bits of CT were the copies of press clippings and this issue features one about Verity Lambert taking over as Chairman of the BFI Production Board. Meanwhile Gary Russell is not pleased with the scheduling of repeats which are to be shown at 5.40 against the news and we can apparently all breathe a sigh of relief at the news that John Nathan Turner is staying on for the twentieth season. 

This issue proves to be mostly made up of adverts which does show how healthily creative Doctor Who fandom was at the time. Amongst this months are another enigmatic ad for what is to be the final issue of `Oracle` which shows a picture of a noose and the phrase “I’ll be hanged if I miss this”.  `Colony in Space` issue 2 is “super, great, fantastic, dynamic” or so they say and includes a Matthew Waterhouse interview, convention report and even an editorial! There’s an interview with Janet Fielding in issue 6 of `Views News and Reviews` plus a look at the works of Robert Holmes. 
November

There’s information flowing thick and fast about the next season now and we know the titles and main details of the first five stories.  However Gary R is about to introduce changes to CT for 1982. There will be –wait for it- three columns per page. Oh and new ad rates including charging 25p for a Swap, sorry, Swop Shop ad. In postal orders, uncrossed. There are also two people leaving- Chris Dunk who has apparently been publications manager whatever that entailed and Mark Sinclair of the Drama department. Newer members would perhaps be forgiven for not realising the Society had such a department and Gary does hint that these roles may not be filled. At the time the word was that the Drama Department lived up to its name rather too well!
Meanwhile `Moonbase` is back with a new editor. This was a rare thing; generally fanzines were very personal vehicles and once someone decided they’d had enough that was the end of the zine. Only occasionally would they be passed over to someone else. There’s a new fanzine advertised called `Cerebration Mentor`. It costs 35p but the ad says “this is not a rip-off fanzine” so I suppose it’s not. It is a bizarrely chatty, apologetic advert that shows different techniques people used to sell their zines.
Over at the soon to be more expensive Swop Shop Mark Smith is parting with the 1973 Radio Times Special (why???) and wants an original copy of `Starburst` 6 while we leave this issue with an amusing typo that assures us there will be “paced” lunches at DWASocial 2.

December

A big moody copy of the actual Escher Castrovalva print dominates the final issue of the year and, according to Gary’s editorial, “the last issue of CT- for ever”. He’s joshing with you of course, from 1982 the newsletter is to be once again called `Celestial Toyroom`. He’s also promising a six page issue each month (till now the last few have been four pages) and Pen Pals is to go, though I thought it already had. The Castrovalva piece is actually an interesting summary of the print by David Howe. News-wise it seems there won’t be a Peter Davison `Radio Times` cover for Doctor Who- instead it will be for Sink or Swim. That probably does go down well in the latest issue of The Monthly Sink`. There’s news that the Tussauds exhibition will be carrying on into 1982 with a facsimile of Davison replacing that of Tom Baker.
A feast of adverts fills the issue including issue 7 of `Views, News and Reviews` which features an interview with artist John Canning and a look at the works of Terry Nation, a new title `Definitive Gaze` which talks to John Flanagan, `Skaro` vol 2 no 2 which has a lengthy John Nathan Turner interview and there is an enigmatic `Frontier Worlds` ad. Obviously they are trying to out do `Oracle` when it comes to cryptic promotion.
If this issue seems particularly full and somewhat haphazardly produced it does demonstrate there was a lot going on with some more News turning up on page 5 and late news on the back cover. There’s also cuttings of Janet Fielding being announced as the new companion and Tom Baker taking on his first post Who role as Long John Silver at the Mermaid Theatre from 15 December plus news that he’ll soon be filming a version of Hound of the Baskervilles.
Finally, the new ad rates. It now costs a whopping £20 for a full page ad but if you want a half a column (8cm by 19 and a half cm) it’s £3.50. Postal orders of course….