THE FLAME OF THE WEST

I first got to know Bill in the mid to late 1990's. I had published a Project SWORD checklist online and Bill got in touch. I was collecting Project SWORD and Bill was collecting SpaceX. We lived on opposite sides of Northern England, Bill in the West and me the East, separated by the dark lofty Pennine hills.

We hit it off straight away and began to share photographs, info and stories. I remember we swapped a lot of stuff and Bill sent me some jet pictures from Quaker Oats and some cool rubber body parts and a monster ring! I think I sent him a pink Roxy moon traffic car.

For some reason we lost touch for a while but then I'd bid on something on Ebay and Bill recognised my handle and made contact again. Then a Century 21 Moon Climber popped up on the Bay. I bid, lost and Bill uttered the immortal words 'You should have put the ton on it!"

In 2008 Bill helped me establish the blog and several years later he was the driving force behind our role on the radio.

Bill is now a University undergraduate and is I'm sure helping his fellow students also find their individual voices like he did for me.

So here's to you Billster,

Live long and prosper!