It's funny how the mind goes all Mr. Whippy when you're remembering stuff.
The Artemis II splashdown reminded me of eating ice cream as a kid from a plastic capsule.
After further mind splashing I realised I was recalling a plastic ball and not a capsule.
It was the Tonibell and I remember it being a yellow or beige plastic football with a lid.
Here's a couple floating around the web along with a mag ad at the time.
So what's the plastic capsule ice cream connection I'm thinking of?
It can't be Dinky's Sea King Helicopter capsule. You'd not get much I've cream out of one of those!
No, I know now I've been misremembering something from the very early days of the blog.
Wotan Bill posted a fabulous post in 2009 about an ice cream brand called Askeys which he had as a nipper. The brand had an offer for a fantastic Lone Star Gemini space capsule, pictured here from Bills original post.
It didn't get filled with ice cream but if you are enough Askeys you'd get one.
There can't have been many sent out I don't think. Or?
Do you remember it or an ice cream connection to NASA splashdown capsules?
Further googling brings you pictures of auctioned boxed examples like this (with a yellow astronaut this time).
How cool is that!
It is fun to mine the brain for these really obscure early memories - sometimes they turn up amazing things! I have these "old memories" occasionally, and when I'm smart, I write them down for future research. SFZ
ReplyDeleteGood idea SF. Almost a butterfly effect that.
DeleteI remember those Tonibell footys, I think they were brought out for the 1973 Mexico World Cup - or I could be misremembering that too! I deffo had two of them in green, the caps were a nightmare to get off! Are you thinking of Screwballs ? The plastic cone with a bubble gum at the bottom? Bill
ReplyDeleteI remember screwballs that stood in as daleks. No, I think I was remembering your Askeys post from 2009 complete with comic ad Bill.
DeleteWoodsy, of all the food premiums offered back in the day, the only space-related toy I vaguely remember was a small missile launcher offered by Kellogg's.
ReplyDeleteI remember those plastic balls being available in New Zealand, probably in the 1970s. I do not recall the name Tonibell ? I think the ones in NZ would have had Walls ice-cream in them ? But I would not swear to that. They also came in different colours, and you could switch the tops around.
ReplyDeleteA yellow Astronaut is almost like a Golden Astronaut! The only items I was really aware of was the Dinky Sea King.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen that Lone Star capsule before. I LOVE those 60's package graphics!
They are wonderful I agree Looey.
Delete...although the whole point of the Gemini capsule, was it came with TWO astronauts! I do wonder if that polythene parachute would have been any help for a die-cast toy!
ReplyDeleteI think the Lone Star capsule is plastic, but I've never seen one in the flesh Looey.
DeleteThe Lone Star capsule is all plastic, which is unusual for LS. The astronaut is a shade larger than a Spacex, but similar in style. The capsule comes down on a chute and a lever on the back activates a release - the window opens and the poor astronaut is unceremoniously launched out! Bill
DeleteHa ha, unceremoniously launched out - that made me chuckle Bill!
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