This Way Up Alt: The Blackpool Weekends #1

Doctor Who fan events in the `old time` were not always just about large scale conventions - in the pre-internet, pre-video days people had to get out a bit if they wanted to get to know other fans from different areas and if they needed to see those episodes they had hazy memories of. So there were lots of extra things in between conventions and one of them was the annual gathering at Blackpool, the North's premier seaside town and the location for the Doctor Who Exhibition. Each year, in early May from around about 1977 until 1989, fans would converge on the town for a weekend of relaxed fun and fan networking. And in a town as crazy as Blackpool did anyone even notice the occasional Sea Devil or long scarf?

The weekend began with the long walk (or taxi if you were feeling ostentatious) from Blackpool North station down to the North Pier then right along the Golden Mile to one of the two hotels which had been block booked for the occasion. The Lyric was the main hotel where all the gatherings took place, while The Brunswick was used to accommodate the rest of the attendees. There was another hotel between them; maybe they were more Star Trek fans! Both were B&Bs of the old fashioned type, which meant they were friendly and casual, had creaky floorboards, ancient wooden furniture and a narrow staircase. The Lyric was perfectly designed for such events possessed of a Tardis like quality with a dining room backing onto the bar area, creating a space into which about 60 people could pack and still have room to move. It also had a covered porch at the front, the scene for more people to hang out.

Blackpool was an important location because it was at the time the only place north of Birmingham and south of Edinburgh were any national get together of fans took place. Local groups kept people in touch but all the conventions and socials were down South with occasional events up in Scotland. People tended to forget that there was a large area of the country in between for which neither of these locations was particularly convenient to get to and this was the inspiration for the idea (though some conventions did start taking place in Birmingham). It is laudable though that the London fans made the pilgrimage to Blackpool though had the exhibition not been there they may not have been so enthusiastic.

In some ways the event could be likened to fandom's equivalent of a film festival. Fans have always been a creative community and the late 70s/early 80s being the golden age of fanzines, editors would showcase their latest or new issues at Blackpool each May. There were even occasions when a controversy of the moment led to flyers being specially produced for distribution and one year there was even a petition circulating. The gatherings were definitely elitist, however golden they are painted in retrospect. Unless you were actually doing something in fandom the chances of you even finding out about the Blackpool weekend were slim. Passing references were made in the DWAS newsletter CT and CMS's* newssheet but a lot of people would still' be none the wiser. The intention was certainly not to go down this road initially. The earlier gatherings were widely advertised and while Jeremy Bentham was organising them advance notice would appear in zines. But as years went by the date would be spread by word of mouth via fanzine and convention activists rather than consumer fans. In some ways though this was appropriate as anyone attending who didn't know at least a few people there might feel lost.

There was even a sort of status thing to Blackpool, as to who got to stay in the Lyric (as opposed to the Brunswick) but the whole weekend was as informal as it could be. It was a place where you met other fans, where fanzines were sold and started, where you had the chance to meet so called fan luminaries face to face and discover they were OK really and get to the heart of fandom. There were also special showings of delights like the BBC blooper tapes and various other things. This was also the place were the BBC Xmas tapes received a wider airing while the infamous 'video mixes' originated at Blackpool too. In between these, people would drink, laugh, sometimes argue and often network. I actually sustained my worst ever football injury there playing on the beach and ending up with a cut above the head! Lots of what happened is of course destined to remain hidden to all but those who were there.

The timetabled events were, in the days when most people did not own a video, well worth attending, though by no means everyone did. Individual episodes illustrating a particular theme were screened and there were also compilation videos though they were more primitive than the slickly edited cartwheeling ones done today. The sense of community that these events provided was to be cherished and would often over-ride whatever factions might be at loggerheads.

A perfect example was the mid 90s when former members of the DWAS convention team who had been dismissed or left formed their own Phoenix Productions to stage rival events. Now this was a source of bitterness on both sides but at that year's Blackpool event they all found themselves in the Lyric and once the ice had thawed, had a great time getting drunk together. What is often missed by reports of fandom's history is how the divisions were rarely as great as that one thing which everyone had in common - a love of Doctor Who. Cynics who sneer at the existence of the DWAS or even at articles like this are unlucky never to have been part of a purer fandom; yes there were more arguments, yes there were times when student union politics looked mature by comparison, but these were people who cared about things.

The main draw of the town for fans was, of course, the exhibition and a large proportion of the Saturday would be spent there. Quite what the general public made of it all, I'm not sure but the place would be invaded by fans. Once inside, we'd linger in large groups for hours on end. Because the exhibition staff knew us, some people were allowed to don less awkward costumes (a Time Lord for example - mind you nobody really had a burning desire to dress up as a Gellguard) and swan about looking important. It was as if nobody actually wanted to leave the place; I recall spending ages sitting with people on the back steps as we puzzled over the word `Egress`. Afterwards, we'd patronise the cafe above the exhibition, which must be the roomiest one I've ever seen. The staff were hardy souls as they were forced to listen to the sound of Daleks bleating and the theme music echoing from the tannoy beside their entrance all day long. Still, they sold a lot of tea the weekends we were there. Of course one factor you could be certain of was that it would rain; it wouldn't be a seaside weekend without it!

The event was further enlightened by occasional happenings. One year people had compiled a spoof This is Your Life about Gary Russell. Another year, someone decided to wade, fully clothed, as far into the sea as was safely possible. Once a couple of fan made Sea Devil costumes were water tested recreating the iconic 1972 sequence. The sight of 'actual' monsters emerging from the water in front of you is quite exciting really. Another year again some fans from Birmingham made an amateur adventure on video during the weekend. Inevitably the Blackpool gathering ceased. The closure of the exhibition was a major factor as was the fact that most people could now watch old stories at home. Today's sophisticated fans would probably turn their noses up at something as seemingly
basic as a weekend in Blackpool, especially as the opportunity to mingle with Mandrells is no longer there. Yet it was great while it lasted!

*CMS was Cybermark Services, the primarily reference and event based group formed by Jeremy Bentham when he dramatically quit the DWAS in October 1979. For fans it was like the guitarist leaving your favourite band!

There was always a brochure or programme for the weekend offering a sort of loose timetable. Below are some excerpts from these...

Not exactly the brochure this but a bit of controversy about something or other. Fan events back in the day often had this sort of thing! Handed out to us in 1981.