The Ytterbium Eastercon Convention 2019 Thursday 18th April 2019 Pre Con Registration

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Tourism time largely over I head to the Park Hotel near Heathrow Airport, where the 70th annual Eastercon, run by the Ytterbium Committee this year, was due to officially start on Friday afternoon. I knew that many early arriving guests would be there early, more so than usual as there was disruption to major train services at Euston in the city centre over the Eater break itself. The con registration desk opened early for those of us already present, so I got a copy of my programme and the all important badge that identified me as a paid up attendee. This was to be worn at all con events over the coming weekend. The hotel is very posh and quite expensive, hence my choice to stay in a hostel 30 minutes away by bus. Several airline staff, including pilots were checking in. Planes could be seen taxiing on the runways a few hundred yards away. I met up with various friends over beer, and slipped out for an evening meal at the pub opposite, called The Three Magpie, which was lovely. I stayed with friends at the hotel unto just after midnight when my last bus was due to go. Ytterbium is a rare chemical element (Yb, atomic Number 70) discovered in Ytterby, Switzerland in 1870. It is used in some stainless steel and in gamma radiation / laser projects. The organizers of this year’s Eastercon convention chose the name for the event. Arthur Chappell