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1974

 

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Early Jan.: ASTRA moves to premises in Brown St., which we had previously turned down, but now we had no choice. Interplanetary Project lectures continue at G.U. Union.

Jan.16. Archie Roy, 'Interplanetary Navigation'.

Feb.20. Ed Buckley, 'Spacecraft and Boosters'.

Mar.20. John Macvey, 'Life in the Solar System'.

May 11. A.T. Lawton, 'Beyond Pluto', Royal Hotel, Hamilton.

May 23. Publication of "Man and the Stars" by Souvenir Press, with guest chapter by Chris Boyce and artwork by Ed Buckley and Gavin Roberts, completing the Interstellar Project after seven years. The book was to go through hardback and paperback in the UK, USA and France, paperback in Spain, serialisation in the Netherlands and Japan, and a pirate edition in Greece. Unfortunately, the latter was the only one after the first to reproduce the artwork.

June 22. "Man and the Planets" seminar at G.U. Faculty of Engineering and College Club, by courtesy of Prof. Nonweiler, then Dean of the Faculty. This session was enormously valuable; 24 attended, a new ASTRA record. Followed by "Man and the Stars" publication party and barbecue in Troon.

Summer 1974. A.T. Lawton with Jack Stoneley of the National Enquirer publishes 'Is Anyone Out There?' in the USA, drawing heavily on the space probe hypothesis although rejecting it. Having had no warning of the book's existence, our US publisher responds by cancelling my US lecture tour and postponing the US hard cover by one year, US paperback by three years and British paperback by four. Nevertheless, as ASTRA was a signatory to the "Man and the Stars" contract, we were now committed to turning the society into a company limited by guarantee, like the BIS. A constitutional committee of Margaret Schwiglhofer, Drummond Mansbridge and Duncan Lunan worked intensively on this under guidance of John Mason, of Waddell & Mackintosh, Troon.

Aug.27. First meeting of proposed ASTRA-London branch.

Sept.23. Extraordinary General Meeting to authorise creation of first London branch, founded by George Hay, meeting at the offices of Environmental Consortium, hosted by Gerry Carter.

Sept.30. ASTRA admitted to IAF membership.

Nov.9. EGM. ASTRA Constitution suspended, Memorandum & Articles of Company Limited by Guarantee adopted, subject to ratification by the Companies Office.

Late Dec - early Jan. Coach trip to 'Gerry's Place' independent hostel, Achnashellach, Wester Ross, for Hogmanay, organised by Duncan Lunan and David Proffitt, with Linda Donnelly, Bill Ramsay, Gavin Roberts, Anne Clark and Julia Baynes from the London branch.

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1973

1975

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Website Author: Nick Portwin (portwin@easynet.co.uk)

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Date Last Modified: 31 07 1999