The Red Rose Convention

Red Rose is a slash convention.

24-26 July 1998, Telford Moat House Hotel, Telford, Shropshire.

Filk about the Convention by Judith

Introduction

The Red Rose Convention is planned to be an unashamed multi-media 'slash' convention. For anyone who doesn't know, slash is the branch of fanfiction which proposes a sexual - homosexual - relationship between two media heroes. For instance Star Trek and Kirk and Spock, Blake's 7, Blake and Avon (or Avon and Vila) Man from Uncle's Solo and Kuryakin or The Professionals and Bodie and Doyle. The convention has not been advertised directly in the fannish press, and we ask you to pass this flyer only to like-minded friends. If you have a problem with slash, please don't register!

That warning out of the way, we think we can offer you a pleasant, peaceful weekend in the company of some of the friendliest people you are ever likely to meet.

Venue

The hotel is a beautiful modern building, (wheelchair friendly) with excellent leisure facilities including a swimming pool and a sauna. All the bedrooms are en-suite, with TV, direct dial telephone, hairdryer and tea and coffee making facilities in every room.

The package costs £140 for the weekend, this includes accommodation on Friday and Saturday nights, afternoon tea on Friday, the evening meal (vegetarian and Kosher options available) from the self-service restaurant, full English breakfast on Saturday, morning coffee, lunch which again is self service, afternoon tea, another evening meal and breakfast on Sunday, morning coffee and lunch. All accommodation is in single rooms, we can arrange for people to share, but there's no reduction for this.

Registration

Registration for the convention is £20.00, making the cost of the weekend exactly £160. All of the registration fee goes in expenses in running the convention, and any profits will go to our charity.

You can pay in instalments, though unlike most conventions you pay all of the cost to the convention and it must be paid in full by Wednesday 1 July 1998. This is because as the convention is 'full board' we have to pay the hotel in advance - and we don't want to have to carry cash. If this is likely to cause you a serious problem please contact us. Your initial payment should be at least the convention registration of £20.00. Please make cheques payable to "Red Rose".

Programme and guests

We've planned some fun items for the programme. These include, "Just a (slashy) minute," loosely based on the radio panel game, where the panel try to speak for -

one minute without repetition, deviation (!) or hesitation on a subject set by the chair, and "Dream slash," a light-hearted game/discussion, where we decide on an ideal couple, or possibly talk all the way around it without making a decision. We've also planned more serious discussions for instance: "Does your mother know?" - just what are you going to tell your family and friends about where you are? - and "It's pornography - go on, admit it!" which is intentionally contentious.

We've a wide-ranging video programme with old, new, borrowed (thanks!) and blue. -

Well, blue-ish. This will include Trek (all variations), Sentinel, Due South, Blake's 7, MUNCLE and Rat Patrol to name just a few. If there's any show or any -

particular episode you'd like to see, do contact us. Particularly welcome will be ideas where you can also bring the episode/show concerned, and it would be lovely if we could include in the programme a couple of lines to say why you recommend this show/episode in particular. We would like to show an episode or two of Homicide - Life on the Streets which has been discussed on the internet recently. If anyone can help, we'd love to hear from you.

We will also be having several illustrated talks from people who will be outlining their favourite fandom, explaining why it appeals to them and showing video clips to illustrate what they mean. If you'd like to do this, please let me know. You will have to prepare your own "clip tape" - this is something we can't do for you! Talks planned so far include Sentinel and Due South.

Competitions will include a "funny T shirt" competition, a caption competition and a quiz. The quiz will be broken up into several sections - "Identify the pairing from this obscure item of fiction" and "Who lives where?" to name but two.

Confirmed (subject to work commitments) guest is M. Fae Glasgow, the well known California-resident Scot. She's really looking forward to coming over and meeting everyone.

If you have any ideas for other activities we would love to hear from you - that - includes competitions, spot or otherwise.

Auction

There will also be an auction, with some charity items. We have a volunteer to run it and we will need something to sell. I'll need a list of the items people want to sell, with reserve prices, if appropriate before the convention. If you have expressed interest in the auction there should be some details and a form enclosed with this PR. Please bring auction items to the convention rather than - sending them to me, and first refusal will be given to people bringing items we already know about before the event.

Convention book

"Slash Snakes and Ladders" and "40 Ways to be a Slash Hero" will be in the con book, as will the programme and the usual stuff. We're also interested in short - items of fiction, and items slobbering over your particular heroes. The deadline - is 1 July 1998 so that we have time to get the book laid out and printed.

We're also open for advertising, if there's anything you want to sell do let me know. A whole page (A4) is £5.00, a half page £2.50. Other adverts are 10p a word. Please supply adverts camera-ready and in plenty of time.

Stewards

We need some kind people to volunteer to be stewards, particularly for the library and video rooms late at night - none of the committee are really night birds! This will involve opening rooms, closing them and taking care of the conventions property - within reason. I have designed a form, which is enclosed - we're sending it to everyone.

Dealers

We will have a dealers room, tables are £10 each. If you need any further information about dealing at the convention, do write to me.

The bloodcurdling warning

The Red Rose Convention is planned to be an unashamed multi-media 'slash' convention. For anyone who doesn't know, slash is the branch of fanfiction which proposes a sexual - homosexual - relationship between two media heroes. For instance Star Trek and Kirk and Spock, Blake's 7, Blake and Avon (or Avon and Vila) Man from Uncle's Solo and Kuryakin or The Professionals and Bodie and Doyle. The convention has not been advertised directly in the fannish press, and we ask you to pass this flyer only to like-minded friends. If you have a problem with slash, please don't register!

That warning out of the way, we think we can offer you a pleasant, peaceful weekend in the company of some of the friendliest people you are ever likely to meet.

Contact

The convention address is: Red Rose, 10 Loxley Hall, 48 Kingswood Road, Leytonstone, London. E11 1SG England. If you have any questions please do write to me or email me on lexin@cix.compulink.co.uk.

Registration form

Name Address

Badge name

Special dietary needs (Kosher, vegetarian)

Other special needs

I would like share a room with:

Near:

Favourite slash pairing

Favourite zine

Information needed:

Dealer

I have read and understood the introduction in the flyer, I understand that this is a slash convention and I understand the nature of some of the material available. I am over 18.

Signed:.............................................................
Date:..............................................
Note: we can't accept a registration without a signature, and you can't register for anyone else - everyone who is coming has to know what this convention is about!

Ruth S. lexin@cix.compulink.co.uk Back to Conventions

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