Meetings Archive






		Some Meetings before 2009 For details of our more recent past meetings, from the current year and from last year, use the relevant links under the Events link on the left. Autumn Meeting Saturday 4th October 2008 Our Autumn Meeting took place at the Old Star pub at St. James's Park. Dr. Fiona Subotsky, the widow of film producer Milton Subotsky, came to talk to us about her late husband's work, but firstly to discuss the subject of the asylum as a motif in Gothic horror. As an eminent psychiatrist herself, Fiona was an authoritative speaker on this subject. The evening was fascinating, and a lively question and answer session followed Fiona's illustrated talk. Milton Subotsky produced the 1972 "portmanteau" Amicus horror film Asylum, and much of the later discussion centred on that piece of his work. We are very pleased to welcome Fiona as a Society member. Summer Meeting Saturday 14th June 2008 A new departure for our Summer gathering. Instead of Hampstead Heath and the Spaniards inn, as in the last few years, this year we went to a new venue, the "Prospect of Whitby" pub on the River Thames at Wapping. This is an ancient inn, associated with the notorious "hanging judge" Judge Jeffries, and its name of course is associated with our beloved Whitby! The meeting was a free-form event, where members brought readings to entertain us, and we were regaled by excellent contributions from Sue Gedge, Tina Rath, and a special reading of an appropriate passage from "the book" by our special guest, Hammer Dracula actress Janina Faye, who was installed as an Honorary Life Member of the Society at the event. A splendid time was had by all at this historic and beautiful location. Spring Meeting & AGM Saturday 26th April 2008 The Society held its AGM and Spring Meeting at the Ship, in Holborn, which was attended by 27 people. After the official business of the AGM, members settled back to enjoy a talk by actor Ian Fairbairn. Ian is one of several renowned actors who have recently recorded audio versions of a number of stories by M. R. James for Fantom Films Ltd. We were also fortunate to have his producer, Dexter O’Neill present, who gave a brief introduction as to how these new audio books came into being. Ian then recited an abridged version of one of James’ most gripping and creepy tales – The Ash Tree. Following the talk, Ian was interviewed by Media Officer Des Bradley, and fielded questions from the audience, during the course of which we learnt about Mr Fairbairn's prowess at installing central heating systems, and heard details of his wonderful collection of cinema projection equipment. After the meeting members were able to purchase copies of the CDs, which Ian kindly signed. March Meeting Saturday 1st March 2008 "Back To The Book Part Two" A view from a panellist: As one of the panel for the 2008 Back to the Book evening it was comforting to return to the cosy atmosphere of the upstairs room at The Ship Tavern in Holborn. An excellent (but potentially daunting) turnout of members and their guests arrived, and I wondered how I found myself in one of the hot seats for the latest “A Question of Dracula”. The excellent food, coupled with copious alcohol, and the friendly and efficient service put the audience in a good mood. The questions were insightful and erudite and lead to some very interesting dialogue. All too soon the end of questions was announced – hopefully leaving the membership hungry for the next literary event. As I dived into my first glass of wine of the evening so many issues continued to demand further thought! Could Mrs Westenra really be quite as wicked as one panellist maintained? Can ghosts and vampires exist in the same universe? Why did Mina think that the men were so wonderful when to one panellist they fell way short of the mark? Above all, why did no-one ask about the "statutes of mortmain"? New Year Meeting Saturday 12th January 2008 An earlier date for our first meeting of the year than in previous years, more fitting for a "New Year" meeting. We were also at a new venue, "The George in the Strand" in central London, for our traditional film evening. This time we saw the production of Dracula from the classic 1968 Thames Television series Mystery and Imagination, starring Denholm Elliott in the title role. (This performance was eight years before he became our first official Hamilton Deane Award winner in 1976 for To the Devil a Daughter.) We were very privileged to have with us David Marshall, the designer of the production, who engaged in a very entertaining interview with our Media Officer Des Bradley before the screening. A very successful and well attended evening, with much praise for the splendid food provided! Hopefully we will return to this venue in the future, as it will be very suitable for many types of event. Autumn Meeting ‘Back to the Book’ Saturday 29th September 2007 Once in a blue moon, as the saying goes, we return to the reason for our existence and debate Bram Stoker’s book Dracula with an audience and panel made up of the membership. This took place on Saturday 29th September at The Old Star, by St. James's Park tube station, London, and this time we elected for a BBC Question Time format. Instead of the weekly political situation being debated, it was questions about the book you always wanted answering. The panel of 4 selected members, including the chairman, were bombarded with questions and gave their answers in a short 80 minutes. It left at least half of all the planned questions left unanswered, until the next time! The Summer Meeting at The Spaniards Inn Saturday 16th June 2007 Our regular summer haunt saw us once again in Turpin's Bar above this historic pub on Hampstead Heath, London, on the 16th June. This year we had a continuity girl who used to work for Hammer Films in the 1960s and 1970s, Renee Glynne, being interviewed by Dracula Society member and broadcaster Donna Dawson. Renee gave us a gossipy insight into the world of temperamental actors and demanding directors. An earlier start time of 5.00 pm meant a more leisurely evening of eating and drinking in this fine hostelry. AGM & Auction Saturday 31st March 2007 Saturday 31st March saw our usual AGM, this year held at the newly refurbished upstairs room at The Barley Mow in Horseferry Road, London. After the usual business necessary to ensure the Society had a committee in place to smoothly run the busy calendar of events and trips for the next year, it was on with our auction. Usually held every 2 or 3 years, this always gets the members reaching for their pockets to buy an (almost) priceless gem for their collection, be that an early edition of Dracula, or rare plastic model kit of the Count himself. The usual buffet was served beforehand, and members left that evening with bags full of successful auction purchases. New Year Meeting Film Evening Saturday 3rd February 2007 Twenty-seven DS members and guests gathered at the Paper Moon in Southwark for an excellent buffet supper and wonderful film evening to mark the release, 50 years ago, of Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein - Britain's first colour horror film and one that helped propel horror stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee to iconic genre status. This film also started the journey that ultimately established Hammer Films as one of the greatest film companies to date. Prior to the screening of Curse of Frankenstein, there were talks on the origins of Exclusive / Hammer and Hammer's cycle of Frankenstein films as well as a screening of some fascinating Exclusive / Hammer trailers ranging from the 1930s to the 1970s. Stephen Volk Evening 7th October 2006 Stephen Volk, screenwriter of supernatural dramas such as Gothic, The Guardian, Ghostwatch, Ghosts, and Afterlife, gave an interview about his career at a well-attended meeting in the cellar bar of the Cittee of Yorke pub in London's Holborn. He also read a short story called The Latin Master from his horror anthology Dark Corners. Bela Lugosi Film Evening 12th August 2006 A splendid buffet supper and film evening in central London was enjoyed by over 20 members, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing of the actor Bela Lugosi. His life and films were discussed, ranging from his early days in his native Hungary through to his final years in Hollywood. Particular analysis was made of his Universal films and his time in the UK. We then had a screening of one of Lugosi's classic films from the 1930s - Murders in the Rue Morgue - followed by a toast to the memory of the most enigmatic and mysterious Dracula ever to grace the silver screen. Summer Meeting: Tales on the Heath June 2006 Our summer meeting this year was a picnic on Hampstead Heath, followed by a open-air talk on London legends by our resident folklore expert, Dr Jacqueline Simpson, co-author of The Lore of the Land (Penguin £30). We sat under the trees, sipped our wine and listened to the stirring legends of Spring Heeled Jack, Sweeney Todd, Jack the Ripper and the Highgate Vampire, amongst others. Another lovely Dracula Society event. An Evening with Christopher Neame 8th April 2006 Christopher Neame entertained and informed us with recollections of his experiences at Hammer in the 1960s and 1970s, where he eventually rose to the position of Production Manager. A capacity crowd asked many questions and gained an insight into what it was like working with 'legends' such as Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher and Bette Davis. New Year Meeting Film Evening 4th February 2006 This year, the February meeting centred around a screening of the Amicus classic From Beyond the Grave, plus some delightful 'extras' including a short on a subject dear to the Society's heart, touring Romania. A successful, enjoyable evening, with the buffet at the Barley Mow was well up to the usual, excellent standard. AGM & Auction Saturday 9th April 2005 A new meeting venue, the Devereaux pub in Holborn, proved to be excellent surroundings for our Annual General Meeting, and a Grand Auction of Society Archive artefacts, and items brought by members. A very profitable night was had by all, and many went home with new treasures, while others had the satisfaction of seeing duplicate or unwanted items in their collections going to new good homes. New Year Meeting Film Evening Saturday 5th February 2005 This year's annual film screening was the much loved 1959 Hammer version of The Mummy starring, of course, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Committee member Adrian Winchester presented the film "on the big screen" from an excellent 16mm print. The Barley Mow pub provided its usual excellent supper for us. Summer Meeting Travelling with the Dracula Society 19th June 2004 Our Summer meeting, held again at the Spaniard's Inn on Hampstead Heath, London. Once again we took over Turpin's Bar, and had a guest speaker, author Marcus Sedgwick. Amongst other stories, Marcus had written The Book of Dead Days which is one of the nominations for this year's Children of the Night Award. He specialises in children's writing. He proved to be a fascinating guest, showing us the book he kept all his thoughts and ideas in: full of scribblings. Questions for him kept coming from members, including the would-be and existing authors in the audience. Spring Meeting & AGM Book Launch 3rd April 2004 The Society hosted the launch of the new Second Edition of the Mammoth Book of Vampires at our AGM. The collection's editor Steve Jones was in attendance, along with contributors Tina Rath, Sidney J. Bounds, Christopher Fowler, Brian Stableford, and Kim Newman. New Year Meeting Film Evening 7th February 2004 The Barley Mow in Victoria, London, provided us with our venue for a film screening. This year it was a 16mm showing of the classic Hammer film Brides of Dracula, supplied and shown by member Adrian Winchester. A good turnout ensured a successful night, along with the good food and wine! Our annual film evenings provide an ideal event for new members to come along. Summer Meeting Mummies at the Victoria Pub, Paddington 21st June 2003 This is rapidly becoming the headquarters of the Dracula Society! This time we gathered to mark the Centenary of Bram Stoker's The Jewel of Seven Stars. Dracula Society member Katherine Haynes gave a brief summary of the book and introduced the film chosen for the occasion Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy. A modern version of the story, yet quite faithful to the book. We had a cold buffet and enjoyed the convivial atmosphere of both the Theatre Bar and the Library Bar above our favourite pub! Spring Meeting & AGM Jill Morley 12th April 2003 Held at The Theatre Bar - now our regular venue, in the Victoria pub in Paddington - we had our AGM. A hot buffet was provided - wholesome Sausages and Mash and a vegetarian alternative, which took a little time to arrive - but met with great approval by all. After a brief run-through of the business, including the fact that there will be a small increase in subscriptions next year, we welcomed our guest for the evening: Jill Morley. Jill, as well as being my landlady in the 1980s, used to do film doubling and stand-in work. We invited her along mainly because of her work in Hammer films. She has stood in for the likes of Ingrid Pitt, Judy Geeson, and Martine Beswick. Not being a subject most people know a lot about, she fielded a number of questions from the audience. The kind of things Jill would be asked to do would vary from close up work of make-up being applied, some actresses' complexions did not stand up to close-up scrutiny, or valuable time and money could be saved if they got Jill in to do the work. Standing by a bedroom window as a shadowy figure getting undressed as the killer prowled around the house outside was a regular occurrence for Jill. Lighting tests, making cups of tea, speaking parts as a hat-check girl, a street prostitute in Hammers Hands of the Ripper, driving fast cars, horse-riding, close-up shots of pulling a garter up her leg, were just some of the things Jill got called upon to do in the few years she was in the business. She worked on Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, Horror of Frankenstein, and Fear in the Night, as well as many others. She worked on "Carry On" movies, TV spin-offs such as On the Buses and lots of TV shows such as The Protectors. She has worked for Ken Russell on the notorious film The Devils, and shared a bit of gossip about that one! "What gossip?" I hear you say, ah, well, you needed to have been there! Autumn Meeting 5th October 2002 This was our first visit to a pub in Paddington called "The Fountains Abbey". We hired the large upstairs room for our film screening of City of the Dead - a new copy on DVD. We also had a special guest writer, Jonathan Southcot, who was interviewed by our Chairman, Julia Kruk. Jonathan has written a book called The Cult Films of Christopher Lee, and brought copies of this out-of-print book, which he signed for members, and spoke of his experience of collaborating with Christopher Lee on this book, as well as telling us about some of the documentaries he has made about Hammer horror films. He has also done some commentaries for DVD releases of classic horror films. Alan Jones at the "Spaniards" Inn 2nd June 2002 This was our Summer Meeting, which we now hold regularly at this fine pub on Hampstead Heath. Our guest was Alan Jones, who is a film reviewer for magazines such as Shivers, and regularly organises the Frightfest festival held at the Prince Charles Cinema in London every year. Alan has a good insight into the film business and has unique access to stars and casts of many of the latest genre films. He was "in conversation" with our Chairman, Julia Kruk, who also happened to be a school chum when they were younger! Alan had great gossip about the stars, much of which he shared with us, and many members asked questions about the people whom Alan has met, as well as how to get a job like his! We had a full house for this event, and Alan was well-received by our membership. Spring Meeting and AGM Tanith Lee at the "Cittie of Yorke" 6th April 2002 The Society's very own Tina Rath was "in conversation" with writer Tanith Lee at the Cittie Of Yorke pub, near Chancery Lane tube station. Tanith is an established writer who has contributed greatly to the genre with titles like Silver Metal Lover, for which the film rights had recently been sold, the Lionwolf Trilogy and her new book A Bed of Earth. Tanith has also written for television in the past, including episodes of the BBC production Blake's 7. Again, a hot buffet was provided, which is always particularly good at the Cittie of Yorke.