HOME MADE TARHEEL TASK FORCE 1 BLISTER CARD

As part of my ongoing project to tidy up my collection, I have had a go at some home made packaging. With a little [ well, a lot really ] help from Bill here is a DIY carded Task Force 1 from Tarheel of the USA. I've had the loose toy for a few years and just fancied housing it on its own blister card. 

Bill created the backing card from scratch based on reference material on the blog and laminated it. I backed this with thicker card, trimmed the lot and formed a triangular blister from some plastic sheet taken from a box of Xmas crackers.

To allow me to get to my toy in the future I've simply attached the blister with velcro fasteners. Not a perfect finish but it'll do for the Moonbase collection! What do you think?

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW LAST SUNDAY

Thanks to Scoop's heads-up I caught The Day After Tomorrow - Into Infinity on TV. I really enjoyed it I must say. Shot in that Seventies style that's more like a play than a film, the great Gerry Anderson captured space travel at warp speed really well.

The ship, Altares, reminded me of the SWORD Booster Rocket. I don't suppose it ever made it into kit form or a toy factory given the rarity of the film's screenings. Or?

Did anyone else see it?

MEMORIES OF THE MOON BASE SET BY ANDY B

Dear Woodsy,

In case you do follow up the SWORD Phase 2 mysteries tackled in your blog entry -

I still think I saw the SWORD Moonbase, probably in the early 1970s. It was when I had moved from toys to making model kits, so by then I had lost interest in space toys. When younger, I had always wanted the Moonbase, so when I saw it, my thoughts were something like "Oh, there's that moonbase I had wanted", but didn't look in detail.

The Moonbase box was in the toy department of a larger shop, probably during a visit to family friends in Swindon. It wasn't in the window, but part of a larger display of toys inside. I assumed it was on sale, not just a display item. 

All I saw was a large cardboard box with lettering and presumably pictures, but I cannot be sure of anything else. As I have mentioned to you before, if you hadn't said how rare this sighting was, I would have thought no more of it! 

Also, I brought the SWORD scouts one or even two years after first finding SWORD toys, I can't really suggest a date. I hadn't seen them before this time. 

I often found SWORD toys on holidays to the seaside, so finding them sticks in my memory, as a part of a happy family holiday.

Please keep on Swordin!

Andy B.

A CONVOCATION OF EAGLES

Finding out that a relative of mine is apparently a fan of Space 1999 and the Eagle , I thought I'd post a quick  photo of one or two from my collection on social media for him to see. It went down well as as quite a few other friends revealed an interest too.  It's funny how you can take lots of time preparing a photo and a post, only to see it disappear without trace, and yet a hastily put together snap can have just the opposite result - go figure!

MY PROJECT SWORD TOY DEFECTS

Having recently got out all my SWORD toys for a good play I had chance to inspect them. As you know I don't mind battle-damage on my toys - its part of the story - but where possible I'd like complete toys. 

During my SWORD MOT I found the following defects and wondered if any readers could send me pictures of what the correct part looks like in the photograph?

1. SPACEX MLP Rocket - my silver rocket at the top is a repro from the 1990's. Bill and Scoop kindly pointed this out. What's does the real silver jet look like?

2. Scramble Bug radar stalk - mine is just a red straw. The real one?

3. Moon Bus radar stalk - that red straw again with a white one inside! What's a genuine one look like?

4. Cape Kennedy Set - rocket base - its missing its silver ends. What should they be?

5. Scout 2 wheel - the black wheel should be like the white one pictured on the Scout 1. I need a spare!

POSTSCRIPT:

Eagle-eyed fellow collector Ferryman has kindly informed me that the toy plane below appears to have the same front wheel as the SWORD Scouts! Its the Swing Wing Royal Navy Strike Fighter by SL if anyone has one spare for a swap!

PLAYING OUT ON SUNDAYS

When I was a kid in the Sixties Sunday morning meant one thing, Church. At 10 'o' Clock I trudged and stomped to Sacred Heart with my family to listen to old language I didn't understand and be intoxicated by strong wafted incense! I spent the whole hour day dreaming about my toys punctuated with the occasional yawn, which would be promptly stifled by my Mum!

At 11 'o' Clock we went home and I could resume the serious business of being a kid again. Invariably my mate Robin would call round and ask my Mum if I was playing out. Depending on how we both felt and of course the British weather, we would either stay in and mess with some Airfix, SWORD, SpaceX, Action Man etc or we would play out.

Playing out meant bikes and Raleigh Choppers were the order of the day. With their long saddles, high handlebars and huge gear stick, it was like sitting on a rocket! We'd jazz up our Choppers with American flags on long bendy aerials and stick metallic badges on the body. We'd add plastic tassles to the handlebars and best of all, we'd peg thick card to the wheel brace so it clicked every time a spoke hit it. A fantastic ratatatat sound erupted as we cruised the streets of Ashton on the coolest bikes that ever existed!

I recently visited those streets again, where my Brother still lives. For a few blissful moments, lost to the world, I was back on my Chopper doing wheelies with Robin in the middle of the road!

What did you do on Sundays as kid readers?

Robin [ left ] and me looking cool circa 1970

- our Choppers must be parked up!

UFO KILL STRAKER AND COURT MARTIAL: MYSTERY TOYS

I've been watching UFO on VHS. Its my fave live action show from Gerry Anderson. The two episodes I saw were Court Martial and Kill Straker. I couldn't help noticing the toys on President Henderson's shelves in both episodes.

Of the three in the screengrabs above I clearly recognise Major Matt Mason's Supernaut Power Limbs [ third clip down ] as pictured below but what are the other two? toys? kits?

Anyone know and has anyone seen any other toys in UFO or any other Anderson shows?

picture: ebay

A MODEL XMAS

Just been down to the local Dobbies.  Looks like Xmas is fast approaching!