Margaret Bertram

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Name:	Margaret Bertram
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Margaret Bertram was a Star Trek: TOS fan from the UK.

She was a fanwriter, con organizer, and helped run G.H.T., a George Takei fan club.

Margaret passed away in 1989.

Memories

Margaret Bertram, the "Grandmother of British Star Trek," died in the early hours of January 18th, 1989. It was the end of an era.

Since the earliest days of Star Trek in Britain Margaret had always been there as an active participant. She attended the get-together at Wigeton Church Hall in February 1971, the aim of which was to discover the amount of support there would be for a Star Trek Convention in Britain. I clearly recall that, as we were looking at the goodies on the sales tables there, Margaret caught her foot in the strap of a shoulder bag someone had left on the floor. As she took a step the shoulder bag moved with her. Instead of complaining about nearly falling over, she laughed and said what an excellent way it was of collecting bags.

from G.H.T. Journal #1 (early 1983), Takei says to Margaret Bertram: "I've always considered you my grandma in England."

from G.H.T. Journal #2 (1983), Margaret and George

It was at one of Dorothy Owen's conventions at the (then) Dragonara Hotel in Leeds in 1976 or 77, that Margaret entered the Fancy Dress Show. "Show" it was, in those days. Participants worked in groups, devised a story line to act out, and chose music to accompany the action. Margaret's group were "ladies of the night' and Margaret was the "Madame" in charge. Although they appeared to be about their dubious business, they were in fact a cover for an inter-galactic spy ring! Not so long ago Margaret told me that she had been absolutely terrified about the whole thing. When she realised that it was their turn next, and she saw the great empty space whore they were to parade yawning out in front of her, she wanted nothing more than to turn and run in the opposite direction. But then their music started and they were "on". (I think they won a prize, too).

Margaret was sixty years plus when she first entered fandom. Last July 14th [1989], she celebrated her eightieth birthday and she was still actively engaged as the secretary for renewal subscriptions for "G.H.T." George Takel's Official Worldwide Fan Club. She loved every moment of her Trek years, and had long since forgotten that she was probably the oldest fan present at conventions. Her outlook was young, and her humour boundless. The last convention she attended was Midcon '88 at Leicester.

George Takei adopted her as his "English Grandma". He sent her a card for her 80th birthday (as did Gene Roddenberry, and other "Crew" members. Richard Arnold also signed a card for her). George often dropped her a line, or phoned her when he was in Britain. She was a very special lady.

Her help, advice, and support, will be greatly missed by "G.H.T". She was always there, and ready to discuss any problem which arose, and she acted an interpreter for German Trek fans and their enquiries. Her place will never be filled.

Not only "G.H.T." members will miss Margaret, but also scores of other Trek friends that she has made over the years. Her passing is a great loss to us all, but her memory, and the laughter, end the good times, will linger on for over. That is the way she would have liked it.

Looking back over the years there are so many memories of Margaret, and almost all of them are closely linked with laughter. She could turn any situation into a smile, even when she was not feeling too happy about it at the time.

At one of the early British ST Cons the hotel lift stuck between floors. The doors opened but the lift was about two feet above floor level, which necessitated a leap to safety. Now Margaret was over sixty when she came into fandom, and leaping was not something that she was in the habit of doing. She had a problem. Guess who was also in the lift! Someone who had no problem at all, and who not only jumped nimbly down, but who also saved." Margaret from spending the rest of the Con. in the elevator and carried her to safety. Thanks George.

[...]

The Wigston Church Hall meeting was arranged by Jenny and Terry Elson to establish the amount of support there would be for a Star Trek Convention in Britain. Margaret had been to America with them a few months before to find out how conventions were run and how they were presented, so she really was in at the very beginning of Trek in Britain. She attended the First Star Trek Convention, held at the Abbey Motor Hotel, Leicester, in Autumn 1974, and many of the others that were to follow it through the '70s and '80s. In 1978 she was one of the organising committee of Intercon, held at Slough. She continued to go to cons. as frequently as her health would allow. As arthritis crept on she found that travelling became more difficult but her interest in Star Trek never flagged. She held small STrek gatherings at her house and was always eager for news of the show, the actors, and her many Trek friends.

Always an enthusiastic supporter of George Takei she was a founder member of "GHT" George Takei's Official Worldwide Fan Club, along with Sheila Cornall, Marian Kennedy, and Ena Glogowska. She was Renewals Secretary of "GHT" and a valued member. She also acted as correspondent and interpreter for the German members of the club, and was always ready whenever needed with help and advice on club matters. George adopted her as his "English Grandma."

At Midcon, 1986 Margaret was the Fan Guest of Honour along with Miri Rana (also a "GHT" member), when De Forest and Carolyn Kelley were the Trek Guests of Honour from the USA.

On December 16th 1987 Margaret attended the opening night of the pantomime "Aladdin" at the Hexagon Theatre, Reading, to see George Takei play the Genie of the lamp. After the show, she joined George and a group of fans for dinner at the Ramada Hotel, an evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

On July 14th 1988, Margaret reached her 80th birthday. She celebrated it quietly at her home, but had Trek friends over to mark the occasion the following weekend. A large number of fans had signed a card for her at UFP Con. '88, and Richard Arnold, David Gerrold, and Sylvester McCoy willingly joined in with then and signed as well. She also had cards from George, Nichelle, Walter, Grace Lee, and Gene Roddenberry, all of which delighted her more than words can say.

The last convention that she attended was Midcon 1988, in Leicester. She met Robin Curtis, and said "hallo again" to Richard Arnold. She had a wonderful, if rather tiring, weekend. Had she been ten years younger, she said, she would have had a swim in the hotel's swimming pool. As has been our habit for years at cons., a group of us gathered in her roan for a get-together. It was one of the cons, when "GHT" did not have a sales table. Had there been one, Margaret would have been sitting there along with us helping to sell the wares.

Margaret always said that she did not start in fandom until she was 60+ and she did not regret one moment of it. She had a lively mind, a keen sense of humour, and was forever young at heart. She will be greatly missed by so many, and long remembered with love and deep affection.

I first met Margaret in 1973, and she told me how enthusiastic she felt about the TV programme called "Star Trek". It was not just the best series on space travel, but it embraced everything she felt was right. She said that she thought Star Trek was convincing, and those people viio also enjoyed it were like those on board the Enterprise, rather special.

Margaret gave me her address, and asked me to write to her.

"But I don't write to anybody", I replied. It was, for me, the start of a new life. Margaret and I corresponded for 15 years, every single month. We exchanged birthday, Easter, and Christmas cards, view cards, and photos. Sometimes we met at conventions and outings, like the Beyond Antares London get-togethers. My son was young then, and we caught the train for London early in the morning. We used to walk for miles, visit the zoo, etc. Margaret would point out things of interest. She was always a lovely person and she would write or say things that I have never forgotten.

"I don't want people weeping when I die", she told me, "I want than to remember the good times we all had in fandom". This was said early in 1988.

[...]

In November last year, she wrote, "It would be interesting to know how you feel when you're 80, Marian. I won't be around any more, but please give me a thought on your 80th birthday". I wrote back saying that I would.

My close friends, who had known Margaret since the very first Star Trek get-together back in 1973, had spoken highly about this friendly and very pleasant lady. She had been affectionately named "The Grandmother of British Star Trek". Through attending Conventions, I had even heard that

Margaret had been involved in organising a Star Trek Convention herself, extremely hard work which proved how dedicated she was to her interest.

On numerous occasions my friends had asked me to visit Margaret as she would welcome me at her home. However, we were not able to make the journey, and it was not until September 1986 that I had the honour of meeting this lady for the first time, at the Midcon Star Trek Convention held in Leicester Throughout that weekend I had the opportunity to talk to her several times,

I found her to be as I had expected - kind, very interesting to listen to, and she had a wonderful sense of humour. By the time the weekend had elapsed it was as though we had known each other for a long while. I only wish that were the case.

From that point onward we have both exchanged letters, and we recently met again at Midcon 1988, once again held in Leicester.

Margaret will be sadly missed by myself and all her many friends, "The Family", so to speak, in the world that is Star Trek. From a fellow Star Trek fan and friend -- Richard Lowe.

Farewell to Our Margaret.

Close relatives, friends, and friends from Star Trek fandom, gathered at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Kensington, to pay their final respects and to say farewell to a very special lady - Margaret Bertram.

Not a very happy occasion for a Trekkers get-together - under any other circumstances it would have been called a "mini-con", but not this time. But it was nice to see the friends who had gathered that I had not seen for some time.

The service was beautiful. We were each given a taper which we held and kept alight during the service. Most of us kept them as a memento. A few of us "flew the flag". Sheila had something representing Star Trek, and I wore my IDIC. Margaret would understand.

As a final gesture at the end of the service, we all lined up and touched the coffin and whispered "Farewell" to her. Although we were invited to go to the crematorium, I, for one, could not face it having experienced such sadness at the funeral of the late, and much loved Doreen Hines. Anyone from fandom who was unable to attend was represented by those of us who were there, and I'm sure that George was also with us in spirit.

It was nice that, in December 1987, Margaret was able to travel to Reading to see our Honorary President as the Genie of the Lamp in the pantomime "Aladdin".

We remember him introducing her to the rest of the cast as "My English Grandmother" She was also able to attend the convention when De Forest Kelley and his wife Carolyn w*ere Guests, Midcon 1986. She was the Fan Guest of Honour, and I was lucky enough to be the other Fan Guest of Honour along with her.Such memories!

So rest in peace, dear Margaret. We will all miss you very much.