The convention has a stealth theme, one not advertised to attending members in advance. At Spaceport Glasgow, it's launch weekend for the WFSF Armadillo, a spaceship which will, as the plot goes, take all con attendees to Alpha Centauri for its maiden voyage, beginning Monday afternoon. The opening ceremonies covered much-needed introductory material for the plot: safety announcements (Don't Panic), orientation, introducing the ship's captain, and providing all of us with a copy of the lovely in-flight magazine. A Glasgow city councillor gave an inspired speech, before formally naming the spaceship.
With the exception of one largely academic panel on the Middle Ages, I spent most of the rest of the afternoon and evening being social to some degree or other, including meeting enthused first-time Worldcon attendees at the reception, reunioning with
guyelfkin, chatting briefly with the Toronto contingent, and dining with a new friend from last week's BFSA meeting. I walked back to the hotel in stages - first the party hotel, where a cealidh was in progress, then to another en-route hotel were a vivacious fairy-garbed woman was staying, then to Central Station, where my Finnish companion turned off. Then a lost Scottish businessman was abashed at needing to ask an American how to get back to his own hotel; but my convention map knew, and that gave me company for most of the rest of the route. 