Eastercon Bid for 2001

A bid for the 2001 Eastercon is preparing to launch

We are informed by reliable sources that Paragon, a bid to hold the 2001 Eastercon at the Norbreck Castle hotel in Blackpool, will be launched at Novacon, in Birmingham from 13-15 November.

The existence of the bid was cunningly concealed from fandom by putting a large "Paragon 2001" logo all over the B-side of the 1,000 plastic carrier bags given to members at Intuition, this year's Eastercon. Did you notice? Neither did we. The Paragon committee will be chaired by Alice Lawson and has considerable overlap both with Intuition and with Illumination, the 1992 Eastercon, also held at the Norbreck Castle.

For those not familiar with the Norbreck Castle, we were told in 1992 that the relentlessly grimy facilities were in the process of renovation. We look forward to seeing the result of this work if it is finished in the intervening nine years. However, spies in Blackpool suggest that we shouldn't hold our breath. Never mind, it's a large, affordable hotel in one of the UK's prime holiday spots. What more could we ask for? I mean, apart from heating, carpets, automatic lifts, and a town with decent restaurants, shops and railway links.

We are not yet aware of any other bid, but there is still five months until the site is selected, at Reconvene, the 1999 Eastercon.

-- Mike Scott

05 Nov 1998