Birmingham Science Fiction Group

1980-1984

The venue for the regular meetings changed twice during this period. They started at the Imperial Hotel, moved to the Ivy Bush in June 1982, then back to the Imperial at the end of 1983. Once again, the Beer & Skittles nights were at the White Swan and the special Fred Pohl meeting in October 1982 was at the Holiday Inn.

	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
January	AGM	AGM	AGM	AGM	AGM
February	Dr John Barker Bio Chip	Ken Slater S F Bookseller	Brian Aldiss Helliconia Spring	John Sladek	Malcolm Edwards Gollancz SF Editor
March	Chris Morgan University Challenge	Jack Cohen Sex & Aliens	Colin Kapp Cageworld	Through time and space with Peter Weston	Question Time
April	Les Flood Being a S F agent	Thomas M Disch	Anne Page Blade Runner Promo	Toby Roxburgh Futura Editor	BBC programme on 1979 Worldcon
May	Robert Holdstock	Garry Kilworth In Praise of aliens	Quiz	Lawrence Miller and Panel Question Time	Douglas Hill Juvenile SF
June	Rog Peyton Open Forum	Hugh Walters	Dave Langford Space Eater / Fairy story	Barrington J Bayley	Jack Cohen West Of Eden
July	Barge Trip	Panel Discussion	Beer & Skittles	Pete Lyon Fan Artist	Vernon Brown Quiz
August	Frank Hampson & Alan Vince Dan Dare	Diana Reed EGM / SF on the radio	Brian Stableford	Balloon Debate / Game	Harry Harrison West Of Eden
September	Ian Watson	Bob Shaw & Dave Hardy Thomas Cook's Galactic Tours	Kevin Davies The making of HHGTTG	Bob Shaw Orbitsville Departure, Anne McCaffrey	Tom Shippey Think / Doublethink, SF in the real world
October	Michael Guest Dowsing & Quiz	Stephen Orton Aetherius Society	Frederik Pohl, Eddie Jones Personal View of SF Art	Shaun Hutson OTT Horror	Christopher Priest SF Ghetto
November	Julian Isaacs E S P	Richard Evans Arrow Editor	S F Mastermind - Regional Heat	Alan Moore Comic Books	Question Time (Team Think)
December	Beer & Skittles	Christmas Party	Christmas Party	Christmas Party	Christmas Party

Other Projects - The Birmingham Science Fiction Film Society

"The B.S.F.F.S is being formed as an offshoot of the B.S.F.G. The intention is to show a programme of SF Films once a month at the Arts Lab cinema on Sunday mornings" (newsletter February 1980)

"Birmingham Science Fiction Film Society had a very successful first programme on Sunday 4th May, consisting of Phase IV, Forbidden Planet and a brief parody of Star Wars entitled Hardware Wars. Next month it will be Soylent Green, War of the Satellites and the first part of a serial, Radar Men From the Moon." (newsletter May 1980)

"On Friday 21st August at 7:45 pm (at the Ivy Bush) there will be a fairly brief Extraordinary General meeting of the BSFG" This will be to discuss and vote on the proposal that : 'That part of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group known as the Birmingham Science Fiction Film Society be disbanded, its debts (if any) paid off by the BSFG and its accounts closed.' " (newsletter July 1981)

"At the end of August we severed relations with the Brum Group Film Society - what else can one do when it's discovered that the chairman of that society had signed a contract with the hotel for a film convention, agreeing to a £500 per day penalty clause in the BSFG's name without informing the BSFG!" (15th Anniversary Souvenir Book )

The Lord Mayor's Procession

"A Brum group float took part for the first time on Saturday 24th May. Those who constructed the Apollo Capsule were Mike Field, David Hardy, Alan Cash and Pauline Morgan. Displaying themselves in alien and spacemen costumes on the day were the same four plus Mike's two children Mark and Emma. The launch vehicle was driven by Peter Weston." (newsletter June 1980)

"After weeks of hard, dedicated work by a small group of stalwarts, the BSFG float, representing a sea monster arising from the ocean and threatening the occupants of an inflatable dingy, went on display. To considerable crowd approval and applause it roared (literally) on its way in the Lord Mayor's Procession, much to the satisfaction of those who had laboured on its construction." (newsletter June 1982)

APA-B

"This way, members have all the fun of producing their own thing, (and it can be a lot of fun!) together with the bonus of receiving magazines from other members. If you've perhaps been contemplating a fanzine of your own, then this is an excellent way to begin." .. "APA-B first distribution : June 17. Official Editor : Cathryn Easthope. " (newsletter June 1983)

Informal Meetings

"Starting in February there'll be an informal meeting (positively no programme items or entrance fees) on the first Tuesday of each month in Willie's Wine Bar" (newsletter January 1981)