Ted / Please let me have your nomination platform for Stu.
THE TRANSATLANTIC FAN FUND
170 Upper N'Ards Rd.
Belfast N. Ireland
1st December 1954Dear Ted,
As you know, you have been nominated by Ken Bulmer for the 1955 Transfanfund trip. The other candidates nominated so far are Eric Bentcliffe, Terry Jeeves, Stuart Mackenzie, + Ken Slater
and Ted Tubb.Would you please confirm to me as soon as possible, and in any event before the 12th December, that you will be able to go if elected.
The Transfanfund will pay not more than the cost of the return journey to New York, steerage – ie approximately £105. The rest of the expenses will have to be met from your own pocket, though Don Ford and I hope to arrange for free accommodation for you in Cleveland during the Convention, and it is possible you might get a lift from New York to Cleveland and back. Enough of the money will be given to you in dollars in the States to avoid any difficulties with Exchange Control.
The trip will take a total time of approximately three weeks – ten days on either side of the 4th September 1955. This allows 3 days for the Convention, 3 days for travelling from New York and back, and the rest for the sea journey. Please make sure you will be able to get off work for this period.
The above estimate makes very little allowance for discrepancies between your schedule and the sailing dates of available ships. I think it might be as well for me to actually book a passage to New York before they become scarce. If any of you have any objection to this would you please let me know before the end of January.
There is not likely to be any shortage of accommodation for the return journey.
Some members of the London Circle have proposed that each candidate should be required to post a £5 bond to guarantee that they are serious about accepting nomination. One doesn't like this sort of thing among friends, but I can see their point of view... that anyone prepared to make sacrifices in September to go to the States should be willing to make some now. However it's possible that some of you might not be able for some reason to send in £5 just at the moment and I shouldn't like to refuse your nomination on that account – especially since I haven't really got any mandate from fandom for such an action. So I propose merely to ask you to send in the fiver. I will state on the ballot form the names of the candidates who have done so and leave it to the voters to draw their own conclusions.
Please sign one copy of this letter below and return it to me before the 12th December. The other copy is for you to keep.
All the best,
WaltPS. Please ask Ken to let me have your 100 word nomination platform.
To: Walt Willis, 170 Upper N'Ards Rd., Belfast, N.Ireland
I have read the above letter and I promise that so far as I can see at present I will be able and willing to go to America under the Transfanfund in 1955. I enclose £5 which I understand will be forfeited if I am elected and do not go, for any other reason than physical incapacity. (Note: the £5 will of course be refunded to all unsuccessful candidates.)
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