Ten Years On

Convention
Name:	Ten Years On
Dates:	October 12, 1985
Frequency:
Location:	London, UK
Type:	fan convention
Focus:	Starsky & Hutch
Organization:
Founder:	Sara S
Founding Date:
URL:
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Ten Years On was a relaxacon hosted by Sara S in London in October 1985 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Starsky & Hutch.

Additional mini-gatherings were planned for the spring of the following year, one of them on May 17, 1986. There were also three scheduled in London in 1987 for April, July, and October.

This fan meet-up/mini-con originated with Huggy's-in-the-Strand (May 1985) and was one action that some fans took when the sixth DobeyCon was cancelled. There is much discussion about this in the letterzine APB.

These gatherings became the Starsky & Hutch London Fandays.

The DobeyCon Non-Connection

In May 1985, one of the organizers of DobeyCon (Lyndy Harding) wrote about plans for a different ten-year celebration, one called |Bullet: From Harding in Between Friends #9:

We intend to organise an anniversary celebration of 10 years of S5H—the characters, the show and fandom itself. We have lots of exciting plans for this event, and those who attended D3 will know from experience my partner and I won't let you down. However, to make this work we need your full support! Join us in October and together we'll put British fandom back where it belongs. Our American 'cousins' are celebrating with style and we wish them every success with the venture (we also wish we could join them). Let's emulate their loyalty to S§H fandom and support our own celebratory convention. We look forward to hearing from you.

That con never took place, and "Ten Years On" did instead.

Fan Comments

32 of us were able to get together at "Ten Years On," a one-day meeting arranged by Sara Slinn, which took place on October 12th in London. Thanks to all who were there for helping to make it such a happy day.

I was going to write a con report on TEN YEARS ON, but since the organiser kept insisting that "it isn't a Con," I feel I'd be putting my foot in it, rather. Okay, it wasn't a Con. It was a get-together, in a London hotel, on October 12th, from 10:30 a.m. to 7p.m. I think there were about thirty of us all told. From the decibel level, you might have thought there were three times the number.. I also had a grin on my face that threatened to swallow my ears -- we'd just been told about [winning] the ENCORE Awards [for Between Friends ]... After lunch, things were quieter, and we had time to chat to old friends and some new ones. Always enjoyable. For whoever it may concern -- I'd still like a weekend Con...

We British fans had our own celebration on a smaller scale . This consisted of a one-day get-together at a London hotel on 12th October. We did have a cake and there were items to buy, but it was mainly for an informal chat. It was good to meet people again and there were also new fans who had never attended any sort of get-together before. There were 36 attendees in a room which could hold 40 people.

I enjoyed meeting you at 10 YEARS ON Freda, Jerri, Carla, Linda, Sandi, Tabby and everyone else. The proceedings were made perfect for me quite early in the day by Carla presenting me with a huge bundle of zines], and, of course, APB 37. 1 nearly made a bee-line for the door, and home, immediately, but restrained myself, feeling it would be a trifle impolite.

I had a fantastic journey home though - read all the way and quite lost track of time. I would have ended up in the siding when the train got to Amersham if it hadn't been for a somewhat sarcastic porter. "Staying here all night are we, love?" - I probably would have done if he hadn't kicked me off the train, metaphorically speaking of course.

I'll be interested to read what other people thought of the occasion as I haven't anything to compare it with and would love to know whether there will be another in six or twelve months, as was suggested at one point.

A word of thanks - and congratulations - to Sara Slinn for arranging the successful and very enjoyable TEN YEARS ON get-together in London on October 12th. It was lovely to see so many of you, and I'm sure everyone had a great time. Informality was the keynote, and I, personally, enjoyed that. Hope we can do it again before too long.

On Saturday, October 12th, thirty two S&H fans from various parts of the country came together at the Cora Hotel, near London's Euston station, for a 'celebration get-together' - TEN YEARS ON.

The day was organised by Sara Slinn, and gave us all an opportunity to get together, to share, to talk and remember. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, and it was for me, a chance to see again friends who I hadn't seen for some time, to meet for the first time a couple of friends I've been writing to and got to know through the l-zines, and also a chance just to get together with a bunch of like-minded people...which is always a good way to spend a day!

Sara even had an 'Anniversary Cake' made specially for the day, which seemed to go down well with all, and which I'm sure that S&H themselves would have enjoyed! As always, the day was much too short to talk to everyone as I would have like to - my apologies to those people I only had time to say a few words to (I'll catch up with you again next time!) - and it was all over much too soon. But it was a very happy and enjoyable day from beginning to end: and it was good to see some new faces amongst those who were able to attend. It was encouraging too, to find out that those who were there were keen to have similar meetings again in the near future. Hopefully we will be together again in the New Year... I for one will look forward to that.

My thanks to Sara for all her efforts on our behalf and for bringing us all together, and thanks too to all who were able to be there, for helping to make it such an enjoyable day.

Here's to the next time!