TAFF VALE

No 3 • April 1988

calling calling...here is the news...................

EDWARDS and LAKE WALK IT TO NEW ORLEANS

JUST THE FACTS

Wowee. The Transatlantic Fan Fund election for 1988 (Europe to North America) hit its deadline on April 15th, and after a seeming eternity of fussing about and long poundsworth of telephone calls, a Result was obtained. Jeanne Gomoll and myself (Greg Pickersgill) do truthfully state this is how things are. As subtly hinted above LILIAN EDWARDS and CHRISTINA LAKE, running as if they were a one and only indivisible pair (a claim they make with some considerable justification) achieved a victory that is at least significant if not historical. Let's see, fans, how they did it.

On the first count, dealing with First Place votes only, we get

                UK/EUROPE NORTH AMERICA AUSTRALIA TOTAL
LILIAN EDWARDS/
CHRISTINA LAKE     73          63           6      142
MARTIN TUDOR       51          16           4       71
DAVE WOOD          43          11           0       54
HOLD OVER FUNDS     1           2           0        3
                  168          92          10      270

There was also one 'No Preference' vote from a particular British Young Fogey who couldn't decide where his preferences lay, and one incomprehensible write-in from Australia for that shadowy presence 'Christine Lake'. Good grief. But their money's good anyway, as is that of the other three who could find no-one deserving of their support in what at least this administrator thought was a fine field of candidates.

However. You will see that that gives us a total vote of 272. To win outright a candidate would need 137 votes, and indeed, with 142 votes Edwards and Lake run the board. Not that it would have made any difference at all had they fallen any shorter, because by virtue of the Famous 20% Rule, which states that all candidates must achieve 20% of the vote at each end of the election to remain in the running, both Tudor and Wood get bumped off right away, both of them falling short of the minimum required 18 votes in North America. Incredible but true. Bad luck guys. Try again next year. So much for losers, eh?

SO WHAT ABOUT THE WINNERS THEN?

Well, gee, one trusts Lilian and Christina are just wholly taken up with their astounding runaway win, entirely justified by some of the top-level fanac we've seen from them both singly and together over the last couple of years. Having won by a margin of support as large as that, especially in the US, would be daunting to lesser breeds no doubt, but we expect L/C will trip gaily hand-in-hand through such diverse places as New Orleans (naturally, which is where the Worldcon is, of course), Texas, San Francisco, Seattle, and Madison WI, just effervescing with wit and elan fit to put every other recent British TAFF winner to shame (not so difficult, really, when you consider what a dull lot we've been ). And that's just the bits of the plan I've heard about thus far. No doubt more daring stunts are even now in preparation. Good luck, say I, enjoy it.

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

This years vote of 272 is in fact the second highest since 1977, which likely makes it the second highest ever. I don't have details beyond that. 1985's total vote of 513 - roughly twice that of the previous highest -- was grossly inflated by reasons beyond rational understanding, and can therefore be ignored. Which I suppose makes this the highest 'real' TAFF vote ever. (The lowest, incidentally, since '77 has 1980 and '81 in a tie with 124). The average vote since '77, again discounting 1985, is 168. I'd give you some details of greatest winning margins and lowest scores and all kinds of sporty things like that, but I can't be bothered to work them out and anyway it would be kind of mean and embarrassing to some people. So those who want to know will just have to send an SAE and they can have raw data, OK.

Financially, things are funky. This years vote drew in £284 in total. Voters worthy of mention include Mike Gould who donated £20, and quite a lot of others he said vaguely who put in £5 or more. Once again the spectral presence of ROGER EARNSHAW slipped into our hearts and minds leaving only a cheque for £18 to mark his passing. And he doesn't even vote either. Is this the stuff real fans are made of? Very likely, I think. Anyway, thanks to you all, you have helped bring the balance of funds for TAFF-UK up to £1470, a sum which even as you read this is being passed to whichever co-winner has hold of the purse.

Actually, before I forget, I'd like to mention that, referring again to stats and stuff, the British vote of 169 really is a new high, comfortably beating the artificially inflated 1985 high of 134, and walking right past the 'real' second highest 103 of '86. (These figures do include a disappointingly few votes from Continental Europe).

VOTERS -- more or less in order, British and European.

JOHN ANNAS, PAUL ANNIS, TONY ADAMS, DAVID AGULNIK, JONNY AXELSON, MICHAEL ASHLEY, MAL ASHWORTH, HAZEL ASHWORTH, OLIVE ASHWORTH, GEORGE BONDAR, WILLIAM BAINES, JANE BAINS, IAIN BANKS, TONY BERRY, PAUL BATES, ERNIE BABER, ERIC BENTCLIFFE, HARRY BOND, JOHN BRUNNER, CHRIS COOPER, PETE COX, AVEDON CAROL, DAVID COOPER, MIKE CHRISTIE, SHERRY COLDSMITH, KEV CLARKE, VINCE CLARKE, ARTHUR CRUTTENDEN, CHRIS BAYLEY, DAVE COCKFIELD, JAN DAWES, IAN DICKSON, JOHN DALLMAN, ALAN DOREY, ROCHELLE DOREY, MICHELLE DAYTON, VINCE DOHERTY, PETER DAY, MIKE DICKINSON, DERMOT DOBSON, PAUL DORMER, DAVE ELLIS, STAN ELING, HELEN ELING, BERNIE EVANS, MICK EVANS, MIKE FORD, SUSAN FRANCIS, JON FAIRBARN, GWEN FUNNELL, COLIN FINE, KEITH FREEMAN, WENDY FREEMAN, JENNY GLOVER, JAMES GREER, TO GOODRICK, ALAN GILBERT, STEVEN GLOVER, ROELOF GOUDRIAAN, GLEN WARMINGER, STEVE GREEN, MIKE GOULD, GAMMA, RON GEMMELL, JUDITH HANNA, ANNE HAMMILL, ROBBIE HANSEN, RC HEWISON, JULIAN HEADLONG, MARTIN HOARE, DAVID HARDY, DAVE HOLMES, ALUN HARRIES, JOHN HARVEY, EVE HARVEY, STUART HURLBUT, CHUCK HARRIS, SUE HARRIS, DAVE HODSON, STEVE HUBBARD, TIM ILLINGWORTH, SIMON INGS, WILF JAMES, ROB JACKSON, TERRY JEEVES, JOHN JARROLD, ROZ KAVENEY, PAUL KINCAID, PETE LYON, KEN LAKE, STEVE LAWSON, BERNARD LEAK, ETHEL LINDSAY, COLIN LANGEVELD, DAVE LANGFORD, STEVE LINTON, CAROLINE MULLAN, RICHARD MCLARAEN, WILLIAM WORRIS, KRSTO MAZURANIC, NICK MILLS, MARK MEENAN, LYNN-ANN MORSE, ROD MILNER, PAULINE MORGAN, CHRIS MORGAN, KAREN NAYLOR, JOSEPH NICHOLAS, ZY NICHOLSON, CHRIS O'SHEA, SIMON OUNSLEY, PHIL PROBERT, EUNICE PEARSON, DARROLL PARDOE, ROSEMARY PARDOE, LINDA PICKERSGILL, ROGER PEYTON, ANNE PAGE, DAI PRICE, PHIL PALMER, MAUREEN PORTER, PHIL RACE, JIMMY ROBERTSON, MIC ROGERS, MALCOLM REID, ANDY RICHARDS, ROGER ROBINSON, TONY RICKERBY, INA SHORROCK, NORMAN SHORROCK, ALISON SCOTT, NICK SHEARS, KATE SOLOMON, IAN SORENSEN, MARTIN SMITH, JANET STEVENSON, JOHAN SCHIMANSKI, JENNIFER STEELE, TONY SNOWDON, CHARLES STROSS, BRUCE SAVILLE, ALAN SULLIVAN, R. SHAW, ALEX STEWART, DM SHERWOOD, DAVE SUTTON, CHRIS SUSZLOWICZ, MOIRA SHEARMAN, PASCAL THOMAS, PETER FRED THOMPSON, SUE THOMASON, LINDA TOAL, STEVE TUDOR, ARTHUR THOMSON, KIRSTIN THORRUD, HARRY TURNER, PAUL VINCENT, JONATHAN WAITE, SARA WOODALL, ASHLEY WATKINS, WALTER WILLIS, MADELEINE WILLIS, STUART WRAY, IAN WATSON, OWEN WHITEOAK, PAM WELLS, PETER WESTON, SHAUN WILCOCK, and DON WEST.

If that isn't 169 I've left somebody out. Don't bug me.

MORE DETAILS

The observant will note that the list of voters includes no more than a handful of European fans, much to the dismay of one candidate who has spent several years cultivating contact with continental fans and who, it may be assumed, imagined some substantial support might emanate from that direction. Alas it did not. Might this be a lesson for the future, or just another reminder of the fact that, like Americans, They Are Not Like Us? Whatever. As regards Nominators, things turned out fair well this year, with all bar one British nominator getting a vote in. Those who get to see a list of NA nominators will discover to their horror that two North American nominators failed to vote this year. This is hopeless. I see no reason why I shouldn't gallop my high horse around again shouting and yelling that 'Nomination Should Be Taken Seriously!' For christ's sake, don't agree to nominate someone just because you'd be embarrassed to refuse them. You never know, if you refuse they might find someone who will actively campaign for them, distributing and collecting ballots, and even actually voting themselves. For the person they nominated. (Which isn't as universal as you might imagine.) Really, if you don't believe the person is the best imaginable winner just say no and get out of the way. And if you do nominate, be serious and do something!

The even more observant will see lots of unusual names on the list, some of them dragged from deep cover, some hithertofore unknown. I was all along a little apprehensive about some of them, but as luck would have it all three candidates received 'doubtful' (as in either being unknown to me as administrator, or suspicious on the grounds of lack of familiarity with present fandom) in about equal proportions, so discounting or challenging them would not in fact have had any relevance to the result. And anyway, their money was good. This is something for future administrators to keep an eye on, though. Dragging out relatives, casual acquaintances, and people you've stood next to in the toilet once or twice does not necessarily make for an informed voting constituency. Any acceptances of that sort made here should not be construed a precedent.

SO WHAT NOW?

Hmm. I'm vaguely unclear as to whether I continue as TAFF administrator with all its massive labours and responsibilities until Worldcon or hand over right now to Lilian and Chris. Personally I favour the latter course, taking the attitude that as of Midnight 18th April I'm off the set. I guess I'm still good for a contact address, information, advice, and general wisdom of life, but overall I'd say Go To The Source: their addresses being

LILIAN EDWARDS
1 BRAEHEAD ROAD
THORNTONHALL
GLASGOW G74 5AQ
CHRISTINA LAKE
47 WESSEX AVENUE
HORFIELD
BRISTOL B57 ODH

I'm sure they'll love to hear from you, bearing gifts.

Almost before we've had time to turn on the TV it will be TAFF Time again. Yes, gosh, later this year, probably around October, ballots will be issued for the NORTH AMERICA TO EUROPE run, the winner attending a British convention in 1989. Nominations are, I guess, opening soon (we ex-administrators are pretty vague about these things) with ballots available in October, with a voting deadline of, probably, December 31st 1988. Watch a space similar to this for new news, c/o Lilian and Christina. Who know what the future will bring.

BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?

..........but what about me..outposts rolled up..relentless flamethrowing tanks at the door..ammunition exhausted..all men down..answer in morse if you can't talk back...digging in..no place to go..paratroops needed now...the flag is yours...I HEAR SOME BLUES DOWNSTAIRS


A REPORT FROM THE BUNKER. GREG PICKERSGILL, 7a LAWRENCE ROAD, SOUTH EALING, LONDON W5 4XJ (01-568-8174)

OVER AND OUT