Starcon (UK convention)

You may be looking for a similar convention, see Starcon.

Convention
Name:	Starcon
Dates:	1981, 1982, 1997
Frequency:
Location:	Dragonara Hotel in the UK
Type:
Focus:	media, TV and Film Fantasy
Organization:
Founder:	Mike Wild, Sue Toth, Steve Hatton, Keith Cook, Chris Chivers, and Rog Peyton
Founding Date:
URL:
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Starcon was a British science fiction and media con that was held at the Dragonara Hotel.

From a 1981 ad: "Starcon is a visual science-fiction convention dedicated to the products of the television and film industry with particular emphasis on Star Trek, Blake's 7, and Star Wars. Programme includes films and TV episodes, guest speakers, fancy dress and disco, arts and crafts competition, creative writing competition, auction."

A Change of Focus Early On

This con morphed from a Star Trek con to a more general media con.

A problem had arisen whereby the Elsons were planning AUCON 81 and Mike Wild was planning STARCON - both intending to be the 'official' Autumn STAR TREK convention - and only two weeks separating the two events. It was obvious to everyone that this wouldn't work - if both went ahead one or both would lose financially. So in the good old spirit of fannish friendship Mike Wild stood down as a STAR TREK convention and changed the accent to general media in order to attract a different set of attendees thereby ensuring that AUCON 81 would have no competition as a STAR TREK convention.

1981

It took place September 19-20, 1981 at the Dragonara Hotel in Leeds.

1982

Guests of Honor were Paul Darrow and Gary Kurtz.

• 

  1982 program, click to read

• 

  1982, front and back of the program book

1997

November 30, 1997

1997 Con Reports

Sunday morning saw me getting up at the earliest time ever — 7am. [Bert-Olaf Lundin and I] wanted to get to Basildon as soon after the doors opened and to do that meant us having to get up early. We had a quick breakfast which proved to be the last food we had until mid-afternoon in my case and later for Bert.

The two of us left home just after Sam to catch a bus to Barking and then a train to Basildon, spotting the queue to get in from the train. We were standing in the queue from 9.20 until 10.20. We were the lucky ones. I think we only managed to get in then because I had booked the tickets in my name and they started to filter people through according to surname. A-J filtered through on the right hand side, the rest on the left and by that time there was no one else with those initials.

To keep us entertained, a couple of people came outside and walked around dressed in costume. One was Boba Fett, the other a Biker Scout. There were also a couple of children dressed up as well. One was a jawa who could not see where he, or she, was going. The other was a young version of Boba Fett. Other children were running about pretending to be rebels and imperials, shooting each other with pretend weapons. At least they were keeping warm running around. We did not have that luxury seeing that we did not want to lose our places.

Anyway once we were inside we were sent to sit in the theatre and watch 30 mins of mindless drivel of entertainment. The first act was the best - a guy playing SW music with a synthesiser. Next up was this blonde guy who was trying to be camp. He was showing a lot of cheek, shall we say of the lower half variety, and was strutting his stuff, singing this awful song which was only related to SW because he threw in the odd name or two. He then admitted that he knew absolutely zilch about SW but had attended Dr Who conventions and launched into a Dr Who song. Finally we had Caroline Munro (ex-Bond girl) and partner doing a cover before the guests were allowed on stage.

Someone in the queue outside had already discovered that Anthony Daniels was not there but the guests who had arrived were Jeremy Bulloch, Dave Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Mike Edmonds, Mike Carter, Michael Sheard and Tony Dyson (the guy who made the robotic R2-D2 work). They had time to answer just a few questions before they were herded out to sign more autographs. They were all on stage for an hour and that was it, apart from Kenny and Jeremy who went back on for 30 mins later on. I don't think anyone else had a session back on the stage but I could be wrong about that

The guy who I guess was running the con (and what a con it was! I) came onto the stage and thanked us for coming. That was it It was almost as if he expected us to get up and leave there and then.

We had no idea where the autographs would take place, let alone know what else was on in the hall. In the letter I received after I had booked, it stated that we would receive a programme of events when we were admitted. We never saw one and nothing was signposted either.

Bert and I saw the guests head off to what turned out to be the signing room and Joined the queue. We were in it for 2 hours before we saw the room - so not too bad compared to the length of time Emma Garland had to wait (5 hours I believe). By then Janet Ellicott (who is a dealer, helps out at conventions and who is a Highlander fan) was sorting out the queue telling people that if they only wanted certain actors autographs just go to that person. If they wanted everyone then they were to join the main queue which meant a bit of bedlam around particular actors but at least I managed to get Michael Sheard and Peter Mayhew's autographs. I wanted Mike Carter's autograph as well but he had run out of photos (someone else said that he had only brought 75 with him?!) so I didn't bother.

[...]

Bert had been looking forward to going round the dealers tables and seeing if he could find the missing cards from his collection but only managed to find a few before they made a public announcement saying that the convention would close at 5pm despite a poster outside showing closing time as being 6pm. The three of us ended up going into Basildon and getting a meal from McDonalds and having a talk before catching the train home.

In all I thought that it was a disappointing day. Despite the ease for Bert and I to get to Basildon, the convention was poorly run. There was no details as to what was going on when or where and people were still queuing to get in at 3pm when Jason managed to get in. The organisers knew how many people the place could accommodate (1,200) but still sold tickets over this number. If they had a ceiling number of people they could allow in, they should have stuck to that, telling people that the events was sold out and there would be no tickets on the door. They continued to sell tickets at the door and I don't think that the guests were even given a lunch break so we were signing from noon until after 5.30.

It was advertised as the largest SW convention in the world but it has to go down in history as the worst one I have been to. I think it makes Wolf 359: the Alliance look good and that is saying something from what I have read from Leona's review of that convention. For £10 I expected a lot more and it just was not value for money in my view.

The highlight of the weekend has to be meeting Bert and seeing Jason and Kerry-Anne again but I won*t be attending one of this group's conventions again.