Charming Hollow Rockets

 I like these little playing pieces in a vintage German space board game.

The small hollow clear-tipped rockets remind me of vending machine charms especially the lovely one with Robby Robot in.

The board game has beautiful box art. 

To English ears the name will be humorous - Fahrt ins All - pronounced fart ins al.

Auf Dem Mond: Familiar to SpaceX Fans

 I was intrigued by the surface instrument on the cover of this old German Board game. The device will be known to fans of Apollo Moon Exploring space toys.

Inside appear to be more great illustrations!

I can see a gorgeous moon base, a beautiful moon buggy and even a MEV2, all familiar to SpaceX toy collectors.

I like the astronaut playing pieces too.

Here's that Moon Buggy.

And a bit of the MEV2.

There's a sister game, Flieg Mit Zum Mond, but I've yet to find the contents of it.

Do you like these games? 

The Vorpal Blade

 Something spooky happened today. I was having my morning coffee, when I switched off the ever-depressing news and flicked onto Tales from the Unexpected.

In my mind I hoped it would be an episode I watched decades ago called the Vorpal Blade.

I couldn't believe it. It was!

There are 112 episodes of Tales of the Unexpected, so I guess the chances of me simply stumbling across this episode on TV are pretty slim.

But there it was just as I remembered it.

Starring Peter Cushing in his last ITV role, this 1983 slice of unpleasantness centres around Heidelberg University around 1930, where rival fraternities are battling it out in the traditional duelling sport of Schläger or Mensur.

The aim of this stiff-looking fencing style is to cut the opponents face with the sword. In upper-class Germany these scars were marks of honour back then.

Needless to say, the particular bout in the show goes horribly wrong with blood spilt and reputations ruined.

The final scene of Cushing and his friend chatting as old men was a neat twist and yes, unexpected.

The title the Vorpal Blade was borrowed from tne Lewis Carol poem the Jabberwocky.

I wonder when I'll see this episode again? 

Do you have a favourite or recurring episode?

Flight at the Museum

There is an interesting old board 

game called Sputnik I saw on a Museum's superb site about German space board games. I love its plastic rockets! They remind me of a project SWORD Probe Force 3! 

Is it a game you know readers?

You can check out the games site here

 https://www.wirtschaftswundermuseum.de/weltraumspiele.html

What do you think?

Wow! International Airways By Technofix!

This tinplate treasure looks a bit special. I mean, Javol!

By Technofix of West Germany it's a real avionic wonder. The finish and box art are superb.

Anyone got one?

East German Rocket Truck

 This East German rocket truck caught my eye.

The rocket has a Spacex-Nova-like look to it and appears to be decorated with the zodiac or constellations.

The bed of the truck carries illustrations of Soviet probes.

The long box suggests the truck had containers on its back too.

An impressive toy from the old DDR.

Do you agree?

Space Board Games from Germany

 I've always loved board games.

It's the box art and contents that do it for me. Not the playing. I get bored!

Here's a fantastischen gallery of German space themed board games I've found. 

You may have your own versions of these games. 

Here's the link to the Brettspiel Museum

 https://share.google/pUpwQB891aTeM0UXK

See anything you have or like? 

Perry Rhodan Thunderbirds Covers

 I picked these up last year in Germany, old Perry Rhodan comics. Interestingly the cover artists have included Thunderbirds 1 and 3 in the artwork. They really do get everywhere!

I imagine Thunderbirds 2 and 4 are out there somewhere on Perry Rhodan covers too.

I know there's a Project SWORD Nuclear Ferry on one. I've seen it. 

Again, of interest, this comic is the longest running sci-fi comic in the world!

Have you got any readers?

Catch a Tram

I picked these up last month: plastic trams by German companies Wiking and SIKU.

There's something very endearing about these Straßenbahn and trams in general.

Our local big City, Leeds, doesn't have any. They once did decades ago but ripped them out!

Do you like toy trams? Has your city got a tram system?

Rob's Heimat Holiday

Woodsy,

Just for fun, here are pix of a few German HO scale houses I've decided to take to Goodwill. 

I've had them for years, and frankly, I need the space! No train layout anymore, so I have to be discerning on what I keep.

 All of these hail from the 1960's, although some of the builds are more recent.

Rob C

USA

Zwei Dinge: Litfass and Die Haard

A little off-piste, a couple of late reflections of our trip to Germany last Autumn.

Borrowed from the web, an old still in black and white, this recalls all the Litfaßsäule [pronounced Lit fass zoiler] I saw on many German street corners.

The tall tubular advertising columns were everywhere and posters and flyers to be seen on all sides. They were invented by Ernst Litfass in 1854.

Personally I think they're really cool and a delightful element in the German street-scene. Some even have secret doors!

Exported to other countries, I don't think they made it here the UK, where fly-posting on walls still prevails.

One famous example is the Litfass column on the 1929 Walter Trier cover art for Erich Kaestner's book Emil and the Detectives.

Another memory of our trip is this picture and map showing the local forest near Recklinghausen. I had to chuckle. 

Die Haard! [pronounced Dee Hard]

It's like a extended version of the film title Die Hard. As in, don't just Die Hard, Die Haard! ha ha. Maybe its just me!

Have you any strange observations from the world around you readers?

Das Oldtimer Show, Ewald Mine

 Whilst staying in Recklinghausen, Germany, last Autumn, the Missus and me visited a fabulous vintage car show at an old coal mine.

Here's a few snaps, which I hope you enjoy.

Which is your favourite car?