SKY NET?

I've just had a double take! Driving through our village I saw van with the words SKY NET emblazoned on the sides!

Holy Moly! It's coming true! Next I'll see big Arnie strolling down the street on his way to Cyberdine Systems!

Have you seen any Sci-Fi names in real life readers?

SANCHIS GOLD F-104

 This Sanchis F104 plastic plane caught my eye on Spain's Todocolleccion sale site so I saved a pic or two.

I quite like the box art.

There's a black version of the plane ...

...... but its this gold version that's a real cracker.

How about one of these in your collection?

More Airfix What If Art

Hi

More make-believe Airfix box art weirdness, this time from deviantart.com. A selection of Dogfight Doubles.

Hawker Hound Mk IVb & Junkers 885-Z

Airfix Hawker Hound + JU885 late 2000s box style by yereverluvinuncleber on DeviantArt

Supermarine Spirit Mk I & Haunebu VtlfKft II flying saucer

Airfix Dogfight Double Haunebu and Spirit MkI by yereverluvinuncleber on DeviantArt

Paul Adams from New Zealand

WAND COMPANY STAR TREK COMMUNICATOR

Hi,

Here are some pictures of the Wand company replica communicator.

Stand by to beam up,

Kevin

UK

TV DEVILS: A GOOGLE CHALLENGE

As a sort of test of the interweb I googled a toy of something unusual. 

I thought of an old black and white episode of the Twilight Zone I loved about the Devil imprisoned in a castle. It was called The Howling Man.

Lo and behold, a toy there was! 

An action figure of the Devil no less! From the very same episode! I was amazed!

With little confidence that I can out-google the net I then tried another bit of TV toy devilry, namely The Satan Pit from Dr. Who. 

Not much of a challenge I feared. Dr. Who fans would want this as a toy for sure!

Yep, I was right! 

Its a boxed set with a capsule and a Tennant! No devil though I don't think. Anyone got one?

My final google devil challenge worked though!

Is there a model or toy of the alien Satan-like figure from the book Childhood's End? 

Result! Nope. There isn't. At least I couldn't find one. You?

Which google toy challenge would you set?

Find a ........?

CRAFT FAIR DALEK

I'm not too keen on craft fairs but Missus Moonbase is so I do visit them with her. 

I usually get round  the stalls quite quickly and then stand at the entrance rather awkwardly. I've nothing against crafts. They're just not my cup of tea although I do appreciate the time and effort put into them.

At one such fair in Helmsley on Saturday, stopping off whilst en-route home from the Moors, I saw perhaps the strangest crafted item I'd seen, at least at first sight: a rather nice metal Dalek zip fastener.

I first thought they were for trouser flies and wondered who would want a dalek dangling down there, but then I normalised and realised they were for zips on hold-alls, rucksacks and sweatshirts etc.

At a pound each I should have got one but my craft fair legs were already taking me out of the room.

My Missus was telling me she has similar twitchy legs when I drag her to toy fairs!

Do you like craft fairs and would you wear a dangling dalek?

AT THE NEW JERSEY SHORE

Hi Woodsy. Weather-wise Summer is far from over here in New Jersey so I took advantage of the heatwave and headed to Ocean City last week.

Here's some pics of the boardwalk amusements all lit up.

When I returned home I decided to hit the pool for a Midnight swim!

BrianF 

NJ USA

IMAI UFO MOONBASE TWITTERED

 

I've always admired the Imai UFO Moonbase reissued kit

Although I'm not a subscriber, this one on Twitter includes a lovely red Moon Crawler from the Project SWORD range.

Above you can see the Scramble Bug and Moon Prospector from SWORD too.

The whole Moonbase fleet, SWORD and UFO together,  looks great, like ducks in a row!

Have you got this kit?

A GLIMPSE OF MOORLAND

 Just a few snaps of our family hols in the glorious North Yorkshire Moors National Park last week.

We said goodbye to Smonkey.

and said hello to our new home for the next 7 days in the magnificent Westerdale.

Our nearest neighbours far off in the white house on the distant hill

The 'Byre' was a just right for 6 people. Here's the kitchen and rear of the living room.

As usual we visited Staithes on the coast. Such a picturesque fishing village, there were a few boats in at low tide.

The Crab and Lobster to the left provided some fine local crab butties.

Staithes always appears to be a jumble of tiled rooves from the high path.

We also visited the ancient Lion Inn on the mighty Blakey Ridge looking out over Rosedale. It has quite a musical past with copies of signed 1970's LP's by then resident jazz band Back Door.

In the adjecent field to the house we befriended three of the local woolly jumpers, named Milo, Kate and Rosy by Moonbase Junior.

The week had to include a stop in it's most famous seaside town, Whitby, the home of fish and chips and favourite haunt of one Bram Stoker, author of Dracula in which Whitby featured quite a bit.

You can even stay in the building. Its called Brams Lair!

We're back home now thinking back on our brilliant week in the lonely Moors.

Have you been away readers?

TRI-ANG MOON ROCKET PEDAL CAR!

This was on East Bristol Auctions online offer in 2019. Its an amazing thing and I was knocked out when I saw it. What do you think readers?

Here's the old auction description:

An original rare vintage 1960's Tri-ang / Triang made ' Moon Rocket EXP-5 ' child's pedal car.

The only known example to exist. Plastic body in red and blue, with integral moulded seat. Based on a tricycle chassis, the steering operated via two levers.

The dash fitted with various leavers, buttons and faux-dials.

Tri-ang label to interior still remains. Wonderful example of a space-age pedal car. Measures approx. 114cm long. From a private collection of vintage pedal cars.

Aircraft Box Art Colours

Hi

Here is an item from YouTube on model aircraft kit box art, specifically on the colours used, including green and yellow skies.  Most interesting, and it would really apply to any type of artwork designed to sell models or toys.

(2) COLOR IN MODEL BOX ART - The use of color psychology in designing model box tops. - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Star Trek Communicator

Hi,

Here is an old TV ad for a working Star Trek communicator, with a range of 1300 feet. The aerial is a new feature.

What do readers think?

Early 1970's Star Trek Toy TV Commercial Mego - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

TRIANGULAR TRAIN!

Hello Woodsy

Further to Toblerone, this faked image has been floating around the internet for years.

One day I may take a crack at making a working model of it it.

Stay well,

Terranova47
USA

POPS IN SPACE LP: THE JOHN WILLIAMS?

I picked this LP up in a charidee shop whilst on my hols, one I'd not seen before: Pops in Space.

Its by John Williams and the Boston Pops and was released by Philips in 1980. I assume its THE John Williams - is that him in the picture?

Here's the LP track listing:

1. Superman

2. March 4:23

3. Love Theme 4:47

4. The Empire Strikes Back

5. The Asteroid Field 4:11

6. Yoda's Theme 3:19

7. The Imperial March 3:03

8. Star Wars

9. Main Theme 5:35

10. Princess Leia 4:03

11. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

12. Suite 10:03

Is this an LP you have readers? Do you have any other space film theme compilations like this?

VALUABLE VIDEOS

For the VHS collector in you! Maybe you have one of these at the back of the cupboard!

There's a lot of Disney in here uncomfortably juxtaposed with American video nasties so be warned.

https://www.buzzfuse.net/100-1/50-most-valuable-vhs-tapes-that-you-could-sell-for-a-fortune/

Old Haunts

Do you ever return to past places where you found some collectables in the hope of similar bounty?

I do. I did this holiday in the Yorkshire Moors but to no avail. Last year I found quite a lot of old toys. Gormiti boxed sets in a Teeside Charity shop in Stokesly springs to mind. Returning to the same shop like a wasp I was dissapointed to find nada, nichts, nowt.

In fact I've found not a single old die-cast car in thirty charity shops in the region. I can officially declare it a vintage die-cast desert, at least for now!

I did visit one of the two collectables haunts I have, one a shop and one a famous kiosk, in Whitby but the shop was .... shut! The kiosk in the old town was just too far to walk as Ive got a stinker of a cold and required hot tea and the sofa.

Here's part of the collectable's shop window.

SUPERMAN HAS GOT A FAN

Its the last day of our holidays on the lonely hills of the Yorkshire Moors, a place we really adore, and since 1989 when our daughter was 5, our spiritual home from home. Now her own 5 year old son Junior is here with us all too, along with her own 2 year old daughter. Hopefully one day they'll also bring their own grandchildren to the beautiful Moors by the sea.

We also shared our rented moorland house with Superman - or to be more precise - a Superfan. Junior loved this toy gadget and his joy reminded me of the happiness that holiday toys bring to kids. I was no different half a century ago when my Mum and Dad took me to Butlins. I'm sure you felt the same about getting toys - and comics - on your holidays. Is that right?

Here's Junior fanning the garden tree with his Superfan! 

No Pedals!

Junior has a balance bike. Here it is at dusk. It hasn't got pedals so you can push yourself around and lift your legs up at speed. He gets quite a trot on this thing especially down slopes.

Is a balance bike a new thing? I don't recall having one. I had a bike with balloonish tyes and one with rock hard rubber tyres that killed when you went over a bump!

What little bikes do you remember?

SOMA 12x12 CLIMBER

 

This Soma vehicle looks ace and really recalls the design of the Explorer 12 fleet we have covered many times.

Did you have anything like this?

DAVID SISSON MODELS AT CROMFORD MILLS

 Another set of photos I took at the recent Cromford Mills  model display, and this time I'm showcasing just some of the models of David Sisson, who incidentally was one those people instrumental in organising the event.

                                   Thunderbird 2 is always popular with me.

                      Fab 1 model which was used a Swinton Insurance advert.

                                         David brought along several Thunderbird models.

                                                 Thunderbird 5 minus its lower pylon.

The indestructible and very popular, Captain Scarlet.

          I think I'm right in thinking David is a big Terrahawks fan, certainly of the vehicles at least. 

I suspect David is also fond of Space Precinct. He brought along a great looking screen used prop of  the Demeter Police Cruiser, 

                                  An original Cruiser from the pilot film, Space Police.

And finally, as the event featured a selection of Sci -Fi models, here's David's Starbug 1.

                                                          See you at the next one!