TAFF - pg 35


   A goodly mob of us went out for lunch at the Moulin Eouge, a near-
by rest.  We went downstairs and somehow or other I got into a con-
versation with the owner who looked to be Italian,  He said he used
to live in the U.S. until he got deported following his sentence.
Been in England ever since.  I asked him what gang he used to be with
& what he got sent up for.  It was for boot legging & he used to be
with Capone's mob, he said.

   I kept telling him what a nice set up he had for a casino down in
this cellar, and asking him if he knew the Detroit Purple Gang & men-
tioned names of some of the gangsters who'd been in an article in
LIFE some time back.  When we left the restaurant, Carnell looked at
me with awe and asked me how I knew so much about the gangsters in
the U.S. "Next time you're in Cincinnati, Ted, let us take you to
the hot spots in Northern Kentucky." I said.

   Meanwhile back at the con, they were ready to go on with "This Is
Your Fan Life" & planned to pick the victim by surprise.  The word
was leaked out that since Dave Kyle was now in London, Sandy Sanderson
would be the victim.  Eric Jones was to handle the taped effects and
Eric Bentcliffe was the m.c.  Norman Shorrock, it was told to Ted & I,
was who the real victim was going to be,  Ted was asked to work Norman's
movie camera.  So, he asked Norman to move next to him, on the ruse
that the angle was better.  Eric Jones asked Norman to come up & adjust
the mike for the tape recorder & then Eric Bentcliffe had him on stage
& a more surprised person than Norman couldn't be found.

   Ted had some little difficulties with two cameras, so Peter West
took over Norman's camera and bobbed out and in the first two rows
of seats with camera in hand.  He decided he needed a plug and reached
for the one Eric Jones had on his tape recorder & narrowly missed get-
ting backhanded.  The show of Jones beating off West was almost as
good as the one on stage.  Eric had to alternately change speed &
synchronize with Bentcliffes script, while beating off Peter West.
All in all, it was a wonderful production of a spoof of Norman Shorr-
ock's life, which of course, the Liverpool & Cheltenham group conspir-
ed to do without Norman finding out.  Even Ina kept her mouth shut,
and who says women can't keep secrets?

   Out to supper with a group, again, we passed an outside telephone
booth,  I heard the phone ring and suggested to Ron Buckmaster that
we answer it.  He strung someone along at the other end with phrases
like, "I'm sorry, the Duke is out." etc.  It was all we could do to
keep from laughing and giving the joke away.

   We got some drinks & set ups and went to Ella Parker's room for a
chat....Ted Carnell, Ella, Brian Jordan, Arthur Thomson and myself,
Told a few jokes, talked about the state of British Fandom, etc.
Arthur reminds me a lot of Frank Robison....they both have a voice
which is very similar in tone, they think alike and have the same
sense of humor.  I suggested that we could have a party in my roon
that night, but I didn't have the capacity to hold the entire con-
vention,  I'd also brought along some B.S.S. cards that the CFG has
used ever since 1953 and gave these to Arthur.  He took charge of
passing them out & figuring who to invite.  The whole thing to cone
off later in the evening after we'd all visited about.