Saturday Night Fever

Saturday night again. Blimey, how it comes round quick. The nights are drawing in completely and it's totally dark by 8pm! Depressing! Come back British Summer, all is forgiven - I never meant to say you were duff! We've been to Sheffield today, City of Cutlers and capital of South Yorkshire. I must say we were impressed with the architecture and especially the City Square area with it's fountains, lawns, cafes and huge ferris wheel. We'd caught the tram from MegaHall, sorry, Meadowhall, where I'd tried to find the Sheffield Space Centre but couldn't. I'll check the address next time! Anyway I did have the pleasure of finding Robin Hood Airport [he would have been chuffed with his own Airport after living in a forest] this week. I arrived too early and read a story called 'Dread' by Clive Barker, a sick little vignette if ever there was one. I was pleased to see a coin-operated Thunderbird 2 ride in Arrivals. Well, in the main hall, not actually on arrival! Strange but there was no mention of Thunderbird on it - not even the number 2! I wonder if modern kids recognise it anyway? Derek Meddings' single most enduring design with a doubt. Still a few SWORD coin rides would be good eh! As a prelude to more fabulous Frank May creations to be posted by WOTAN tomoorow I thought it would be cool to drool over a coin-operated fleet of space rides [can you imagine how awkward it would be getting to Mars and back without enough small change!]. To kick us off Reader John C sent in this cool snap of a Greek Lunar Climber a while back so here it is again.......

And here's a few off the net. Top one is an Echo Car deadringer!

And from my own family album here's a budding Space Pilot Woodsy in the mid-1960's in my own Scout 2 co-piloted by cousin Sue probably on Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Trouble is I'm already eyeing up the Hover Tank behind us and dreaming of my own captaincy!

...and so it came to pass! Tank Commander! Glad I never saw the Thunderbird 1 approaching at the rear else I would have climbed in and no doubt fallen out with excitement!