This issue concentrates of the annual Eagle Dinner, which was held in Cardiff in April, with guests David Roach, Mike Collins and Faye Tanner of the Welsh Tourist Board. An address was given by Steve Winders entitled 'Keep Young and Beautiful', which is printed in full as the lead article here. A mixture of Eagle-related sports strips chatter and Winders' humorous memories of his own sporting misadventures. It makes for a light-hearted and entertaining opening gambit.
Winders also closes this issue with a trio of features: a look at the Dan Dare play performed in London' Half Moon Theatre in 1972; part two of a PC49 story, 'The Case of the Shivering Samaritan', that involves Archie Berkeley-Willoughby meeting Chad Varah, Eagle scriptwriter and founder of the Sarmaritans; he also pens a brief line or two of obituary notices for those that have recently passed on, including Roy Cross, Harry Linfield, Jon Howard and Alastair Crompton.
The Eagle Society's annual gathering is also celebrated by Reg Hoare, who covers the whole weekend in a well-illustrated piece that takes readers from the opening day's talks by Steve Winders, David Gould and Faye Tanner. The following day included visits to BBC Wales and a walk around Cardiff and Cardiff Castle. The evening dinner was followed by a talk by David Roach on British Comic Art.
The next morning saw another talk, this time by Mike Collins who discussed his career and his work storyboarding Doctor Who, and a look back through the Eagle Archives by Darren Evans, including footage from previous Eagle days and weekends. (I think I've only attended one, not a Society weekend, but a smaller, 'comic mart' style event in Margaretting. Blowed if I can remember when it was, but I was there with John Allen-Clark, so it might date back to the 1990s or even the 1980s.)
David Gould provides the magazine with a look at a few of his favourite things, ranging from his favourite Dan Dare yarn to his favourite non-fiction series in Eagle, while David Britton has a couple of features, one looking at the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway, and a second exploring the artwork of Giorgio Bellavitis and Richard Jennings for Storm Nelson.
The quarterly Eagle Times is the journal of the Eagle Society, with membership costing £30 in the UK, £50 (in sterling) overseas. You can send subscriptions to Bob Corn, Mayfield Lodge, Llanbadoc, Usk, Monmouthshire NP15 1SY; subs can also be submitted via PayPal to membership@eagle-society.org.uk. Back issues are available for newcomers to the magazine and they have even issued binders to keep those issues nice and neat.
Thanks for your positive comments Steve. Sadly, we've had to put up the overseas subscription to £50 because of the significantly increased costs, but we've been able to keep the U.K. subscription at £30.
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