Bob Nicholls reports on the 1995 Convention in Issue 62 (December 1995 / January 1996) of Silver Screen Magazine.
Blackpool Film Collectors Convention
by Robert Nicholls
Back to Blackpool, and The Savoy Hotel, for another weekend of excess in the company of Derek Simmonds and other nere-do-wells. Read on……..
I arrived on the Saturday at 3.00pm. Just in time to do a bit of of sunbathing on the beach. Sadly it was wet and windy and so I abandoned this idea in favour of some serious drinking. I soon settled in to a very pleasant room before making my way down to the bar for a pint. I had a long conversation with Barry Attwood, of Independent 8, suggesting a few possible releases for 1996. Then we were blinded by the afore-mentioned Derek Simmonds and David Erskine, both wearing waistcoats that were louder than their personalities. After this, proceedings could only get better!!
The dinner was OK, the quality was good, although it could have done with being shared out a bit more equally. The cabaret was good and loud and an organ sing-along at the end went down very well. It was about midnight when we got to the film show which was followed by some serious drinking into the small hours.
A few minutes sleep and it was breakfast. In this aspect The Savoy won, hands down, on The Cliffs. For the first time in several years we were able to enjoy breakfast without an icy sea breeze as the dealers brought in their wares.
By 9.20 crowds were beginning to build up and, at 9.45 the doors opened and the day commenced. If only I could have won the lottery the previous day, it would have been perfect. I didn’t so I had to just settle for superb! The usual dealers were present, 21 in all, and collectors came from Ireland and Germany. The big release of the day was, of course, The Fox and the Hound.
Love it or hate it, the auction was another major event, lasting 2 hours 40 minutes. The 40 minutes was devoted to 16mm. The usual stuff was in evidence with a collector of sci-fi, mainly TV titles, having a reserve of £90 on his six-reelers – I think he found his way back to Earth by the end of the proceedings.
Another splendid weekend, thoroughly enjoyed by all. Next year the event will be on Nov 23 and 24th and the dinner will be in the big hall, making more places available.
Blackpool Film Collectors' Convention 