THE STARS OF THE ZODIAC: ZODIAC TOYS

I recently became a member of a wonderful website devoted to Zodiac Toys, the iconic UK 60's and 70's brand and chain of toy shops. Set up by ex-employee Roger Jones, it is a fabulous archive of shop fronts, displays and staff memories. The displays section is well worth sifting through for a glimpse of long-lost toys. I remember vividly going to the Preston Zodiac toy shop with my Mum, along with its rival Thomas Mears, looking for my next star buy. I have just one Zodiac - labelled item from my childhood now, a wonderful oversize picture book called Jason and the Golden Fleece, priced 7/6, by Purnell 1968 illustrated by artists Janet and Anne Graham Johnstone who were prolific back then giving a sort of elf-like quality to all the people in their paintings (who along with Pauline Baynes and Ron Embleton are my favourites childhood book illustrators).

Roger's site is a fine example of what a good company archive by ex-employees could be like. If only similar existed for Tarheel/Empire, T in a Circle, Tri-ang and JR21/Century 21.

Click on the piccy above (the Luton Zodiac shop) and support Roger's site.

COMPETITION TIME!

Okay folks, to add to all the current moongazing excitement, I've got one of the little plastic vintage speedboats below to give away to 4 lucky readers! Just email me the names of ALL the toys on the ground in the above TV21 (#177) reader's photograph and I will send one of the little boats to the first four I get! Email me here. The boats are about an inch long, made in HK and very cool! Closing date 28th July. That's one week. Get to it Swordheads!

WINNERS SO FAR!

1. Arto - 21st July

2. Wotan - 22nd July

3. Sean - 24th July

MOONGAZING

Tranquility Base has been established and Man has finally set foot upon his nearest neighbouring world. Lets hope that it wont be another 40 years before we watch such dramatic events live again. Probably, this time in 2049 we'll all have live feeds to our mobile 'phones' from Martian webcasts! Who knows what the future holds, but lets hope its bright and powerfully attractive just like our Luna. Meanwhile, heres my brief tribute to the bravest of the brave who set out into the unknown reaches and also to those whose courage was sadly spent in vain.

Pictured: Clifford Apollo 11 set, featuring LEM, Apollo Service module and two tiny astronauts - probably about half the size of the Spacex version, but very closely modelled apart from the inclusion of interior detailing on the Service Module, even though the capsule had been glued in place! Also gorgeous box art.
Next, LEM parade! How many do you recognise ? And finally, my own little part of Moon Week, a sketch of Eagle preparing for descent into history. Lets go again, soon....

LEAVING THE MOON BEHIND

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin blast-off in their Spacex Eagle leaving the landing gear behind on the lunar surface, along with the American flag, a plaque and their immortal footprints. They will fly to the orbiting Columbia and rejoin waiting colleague Micheal Collins for the return voyage back to Earth and splashdown on July 24th 1969.

HOUSTON, TRANQUILITY BASE HERE - THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!

It was 40 years ago today. First Neil and then Buzz stepped out onto the alien lunar surface for us for the first time. 'One small step for Man, One giant leap for Mankind' became the most famous phrase in history.

The LEM Eagle, beautifully ugly, in the Sea of Tranquility


And out in space Michael Collins waited patiently in the Lunar Capsule Columbia for the safe return of his friends.

Never before nor since have we witnessed such heroic brilliance on a cosmic scale. It was and is the pinnacle of human achievement and shaped an entire generation. It made us bigger.
God Speed.
Woodsy

6

dedicated to my late great Mum, an Apollo Mother who gave me the World and more

SPACEX APOLLO 11 LUNAR CAPSULE AND LEM ORBIT THE MOON

Above and below -Spacex Apollo LEM - actual toy and box art

Woodsy collection

Apollo 11 Spacex mission log 19th July: Golden Astronauts Collins, Aldrin and Armstrong orbit the lunar surface in preparation for LEM release and landing tomorrow, 20th July 1969.

CENTURY 21 TASK FORCE 3 RED AND WHITE VARIATION

Recently seen on Ebay is this unusual white based C21 T3. It has the conventional red upper-body with which usually appears a red base. This can be added to the growing catalogue of T3 variants.

ICELANDIC TOYS AND SWEETIES

I didn't find any space toys in Reykjavik but I did find a few goodies. I spotted these small plastic speedboats in the Arbaer Open Air museum's children's area scattered about and carded (pictured below) for kids to actually open up and play with! Sacrilege! I then stumbled across a whole pile of loose ones in the brilliant FRIDA FRAENKA antique shop and proceeded to purchase five. The shop was stuffed to the rafters with Sixties retro stuff and plastic toys all 'Made in England', particularly COMBEX (which I knew from Famous Monsters of Legend figures fame) bagged and boxed toys including trade boxes! Sadly no space toys but lots of plastic cats and Noddy soap-dish boats. The little catamaran is a deadringer for a larger plastic Sixties battery-operated one I have somewhere - to be continued!

Above - carded 'Miniature Motorboats' Made in Hong Kong

We'd heard that the KOLAPORTID weekend fleamarket was good so we tootled off to have a gander. I found this great old 'Hell Master' coin bank - above- to add to my monster toys collection, which actually originates from SMIFFYS of Gainsborough in the UK! The blue and yellow digger was bought in the remote fishing town of STYKKISHOLMUR - it sort of reminded me of a SPACEX SURVEYOR - a summer modelling project maybe!

And finally some Icelandic sweeties! the very topical 'Appolo' liquorice (OK, its spelt differently!), Dracula liquorice pills and the sticky Ris Buf marshmallow cakes. Mmmmmm! Mmmore on Icelandic sweets here.