No space toys again but hopefully you don't mind my ongoing travelogue.
Our farthest point driving north along the Scottish coast was Findhorn Bay, just a hop, skip and a jump from Elgin.
It was a special moment for me and the Missus really. We had dreamed of Findhorn since the late Seventies, when first encountering it's evocative name in a magazine for hippies called Undercurrents, the serious alternative to Fat Freddy's Cat.
We couldn't quite believe we'd made it!
Findhorn Bay!
It has a small boat yard
[reminded me of a Project SWORD Moon Ranger vehicle].
Cute beach huts.
Sweeping dunes.
Beachcombers of course, the most romantic of all collectors?
The devil's hoof perhaps?
Sat outside in the evening we ate the local fish chowder Cullen Skink as the sun set on day one in the bay.
Day two took us just outside the village to the Findhorn community.
This is what all the hippy fuss was about back in the Seventies and here's its very beginnings, the original caravan of the three free-thinking founders when they set up camp in 1962.
It was awe-inspiring for us to be here as we have dreamt of this place for 40 years and could have very nearly ended up here back in '79, twenty somethings looking for the answer.
Now the community comprises of hundreds of homes, caravans, eco-houses, streets, restaurants and a large venue, the Universal Hall, for gigs. An eco-village famous the world over now and like Totnes, Machynlleth, Hebden Bridge and Glastonbury, it just has that green vibe.
For those of you not familiar with Undercurrents here's an example copy I saw on the net and typical of the mag back in the heady Seventies. I wish I still had all my mags! They might be collectable now!
Have you ever read Undercurrents?
Have you been to Findhorn?
I know this site is largely about space toys,but I find the human pieces you guys contribute to be interesting as well.I would love to take a highland tour of the Loch and maybe see The Beasties with my own eyes!
ReplyDeleteNot everyone likes stuff about life in general being on Moonbase but I like it a lot and I'm glad you do Brian. |We are human after all! I would have liked to have toured the shores of Loch Ness too but we ran out of time. Nessie will wait I'm sure!
DeleteWhile I certainly enjoy the excellent space, sci fi and nostalgic topics which appear on the blog, I also enjoy human interest pieces, like this, Woodsy. They're unique, diverse, interesting, and more importantly, for me at least, they're fun :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it Tone. After 11 years its hard to just to talk solely about space toys let alone Project SWORD, which is how the blog started. Inevitably there is less to say about SWORD and SpaceX as many things are now known which weren't in 2008. As for Gerry Anderson stuff in general there are loads of well-informed places to go online. I'm happy we feature what we can when we can like Scoop's ace and innovative Space 1999 toy photo's and news. Wotan's stuff is always interesting too I feel, off the beaten track. Besides, we've all grown older and our interests change and morph. I don't collect toys like I used to either, just the odd thing and I for one don't do social media. The blog is my contact with a similar-minded world! Thanks for stopping by again Tone. Your support is always greatly appreciated on the base!
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