BEDROOM LABS AND CHEMISTRY SETS

I was applying some bathroom sealant to my daughter's bath the other day. The small of ammonia was an immediate blast from the past. It took me straight back to my chemistry set when I was a kid!

I remember it so well, a wooden rack of glass test tubes, litmus paper, tweezers, glass flasks and how can I ever forget the bottles of chemicals like iron filings and the green [or blue?] copper sulphate!

 

 

I think my set was by Merit here in the UK and it will have been around 1970 maybe. It all come in a huge flat box. Happy days and great reactions! ha ha!

 

 

Did you have a chemistry set readers?

The Most Popular Posts on the Blog 2008 - 2014

 

I thought it might interest readers to see this list of the  most popular posts of all time on the Blog since we started in 2008. 'Stingray Submarine Aircraft Carrier' is an old one and has knocked up thousands of hits, as has 'Childhood's End'. Scoop's 'TV21 All is Revealed Part 2' has proven very popular too. A recent entry from September 2013 is Bill's excellent 'Beyond Our Ken'.

 

 

As we rapidly approach a million hits it's interesting for me to see stats like these.

CAPITAN MARTE BY MANGOS

 

I saw this recently online, an Argentinian paper money note or card by Mangos from 1972 showing Steve Zodiac from Fireball Xl5. It was known as Capitan Marte in Argentina.

 

 

Anyone got any Capitan Marte collectables?

MARS ONE

 

I've just been listening on the News to two of the British people chosen to live on Mars in 2025 through Mars One. Four people in total will go to the red planet through the Mars One initiative from Holland.

 

 

The two young people were around twenty years old I would say and do not plan to enter long term relationships, get married or have children in the 11 years before they leave Earth.

 

 

It will be a one way trip to Mars for the four.

 

 

For more info read about Mars One here. What do you think readers? Would you go?

Kevs Anderson Dioramas

Kev Davies has been busy perfecting his diorama technique!

OLD AND VISOR

In the 1990's I sort of fell in love with action figures. I blame car boot sales/ They were full of them. Some figures, though never, turned up. Here are three visored ones I've never actually seen in the flesh. Two are called Captain Lazer/ Laser [not the famous Mattel one either].

Tootsietoy Captain Lazer

 

Mattel Big Jim Captain Laser

 

and here's a poor drawing I've done of the head of one I just cannot remember the name of and hence I can't find a piccy of it. Its American, from the 70's I think and and about 12 inches tall. He has a sort of radar disc on his forehead and I think he's green or possibly red. Maybe Sonic Man or Voltron or something. Anyone have any idea?

 

 

POSTSCRIPT:

Reader Brian has nailed this one. My mystery action figure is Electroman made by IDEAL in 1979. His nemesis was Zogg the Terrible, who looks like a mad doctor leech. Electroman has a distinct Captain Action look about him. Cool yoys for sure and two I've never seen in the flesh. Thanks for the ID Brian!

DRACULA: THE ORIGINAL CAPTAIN SCARLET

I was watching this great behind the scenes footage on You Tube from the 1966 film Dracula Prince of Darkness. It's one of my favourite Hammer Horror Dracula movies. It featured such icons of British horror and sci-fi as Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir and of course, the immensely tall Christopher Lee, as the scarlet prince himself.

 

 

But the film also contains actors who graced the TV shows of Gerry Anderson. At least their voices did. Charles Tingwell voiced the role of Dr. Tony Grant in Thunderbirds Are Go and Dr. Fawn in Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons.

 

 

But its the voice of fellow Yorkshireman Francis Matthews, which is instantly recognisable as that of Captain Scarlet, which he did, along with Charles, after Dracula Prince of Darkness. I'm surprised they didn't get Chris Lee, Barbara Shelley and Andrew Keir in there as well. Shelley and Keir went on to appear together in one of my favourite sci-fi flicks of all time, Quatermass and the Pit, in 1967.

 

 

Do you think Francis Matthews was well cast as Captain Scarlet?

Dive, Dive,Dive!

Loving submarines, divers and frogmen I found these Playmobil divers irresistable. The deep diving suits are essentially shells, which clip onto the standard figure. The diving bell is missing a couple of small parts, but is a great little model, weighted with metal and designed to hold a figure.