SPLITTING INFINITY: OF FISSION, FUSION AND NUCLEAR FERRIES

It's been a funny old Summer. We're just back back from North Wales and the school holidays are once more nearly over here in the UK. After record-breaking sunshine, Autumn is faintly whispering through the warm trees once again.

 

 

The summer was a milestone too. Unbelievably NASA's Curiosity Rover has its first year under its belt as it trundles across Mars. It seems like only yesterday when it retro-rocketed to the surface. For some reason I find it comforting to know it's up there toiling away on our behalf WALL-E style. It's only covered a mile but Mount Sharp beckons now. Although it's not programmed to reach the summit I don't think, I chuckle at the thought that it'll do it anyway, climbing the three miles to the peak, where it greets it's aerial pal MAVEN due to fly out in Winter.

 

 

Renewed interest in space has shot up apparently. I'm not so sure, but one British kid in the Newspaper has passed his Astronomy GCSE at age 11 or 12, 5 years before he normally would. Blimey! He says he wants to work for NASA or be the next Prof. Cox, the current rock star of the British space scene. Its what childhood dreams are made of!

 

 

Science took another leap forward as the ITER project got underway in France, the biggest nuclear-fusion plant in the world. One particular quote caught my eye: "It is the largest scientific collaboration in the world. In fact, the project is so complex we even had to invent our own currency – known as the Iter Unit of Account – to decide how each country pays its share,” says Carlos Alejaldre, Iter’s deputy director responsible for safety.

 

 

Despite my passion for burgeoning space travel, it seems counter-intuitive that we continually bombard our own planet with ever more difficult energy. Fracking is causing social ructions in the UK and Fukushima is leaking like a fissile sieve. All of this reminds me of the ominous Eighties eco-drama with Bob Peck, The Edge of Darkness, especially when regarding ITER I read "Nothing is left to chance in a project that has defied potential Babel-like misunderstandings between the collaborating nations." Well that's alright then. As we drove past the square hulk of Trawsfynydd Magnox Fission Power Station in North Wales I brooded on the year 2027 when "Iter “goes nuclear” with the injection of tritium" and can't help thinking of Pandora's own curiosity and a certain box.

 

 

Which brings me to perhaps the Summer's nuclear high point, its own atomic core - the auction of another Century 21 Project SWORD Nuclear Ferry! Blogged about already, it began and ended before I went on holiday and like many of you, I saw it all, including the final seconds when the price went critical and brushed passed £1,000. That's One Thousand Pounds, which is an incredible amount not just for Project SWORD but for a vintage toy in general. It's surely a record amount for a SWORD toy and may even be for a Century 21/ JR21 toy?

 

 

So why such a fabulously high price? A bidding frenzy? an investment? collectors' passion or what has already been mentioned, Bill's so-called 'blog effect'? For me personally, rarity is the key. The Moonbase Playset aside, the Nuclear Ferry is the rarest Project SWORD toy of all and as such will always engender high emotions and command even high prices. If the 'blog effect' has got something to do with it then I suppose its the high price we ourselves pay for sharing our knowledge and passion online with fellow toy fans and although I am unlikely ever to own a Nuclear Ferry myself, I think it is a price worth paying - in both senses! Good luck to the new Nuclear Ferry owner and enjoy!

 

 

To the best of my knowledge this particular Ferry is the fourth one known to exist, the other three surfacing in the last five years, two from Hong Kong and one from Japan. Their oriental origins are intriguing and we will all have our own theories about this: warehouse finds, dead stock, retained shipments or the marooned remains of Century 21 Toys' Hong Kong operation.

 

 

I asked the seller Nassau San, who kindly told me that: "This ferry is my own collection & got it from old Hong Kong toys manfacture factory a warehouse about 20 years ago.I think that place was help 21st toys company to additional some assembly in that space series & other HKG toys co., between 50's - 70's. This old factory district was change to living estate & develope by Hong Kong Goverment. Now when I go to visit again here just building a modern shopping centre.;-(" [sic]

 

 

So, as the nuclear Summer remains hot here in Europe and I sip my cold Becks, try to keep a cool head and don't have a meltdown!