PROBING FOR A NEEDLE

Jet Donkey Summer 1958

Needleprobe Stratospheric Reconnaisance Craft [middle right]

Summer 1966

[eventually became the SpaceX Needle Probe toy]

Are there any more vintage 'needle jets' readers?

SCRAMBLE BUG COCKPIT 1959

Spurred on by finding what appear to be the wheels of the Scramble Bug and by the fact that couch research is such a good form of recuperation after illness I thought I would have a crack at the Scramble Bug cockpit.

For some time I have seen a similarity with a much older 'toy'. See what you think in the comparison below [not to scale].

The American Plan It money bank by Astro was released in 1959 and was largely made of metal. Other versions appeared as well incorporating a clear plastic ring. The coloured half-globes are the planets of our system.

Whether Britain's Century 21 Toys saw the Plant It Bank and developed the Scramble Bug cockpit from it I've no idea but they do look similar. Then again in the Fifties and Sixties world of manifold flying saucer toys it could just be down to pure cosmic coincidence.

What do you think?

The golden pilot looks somehow archaic as well. Is he from another toy? I wonder....

SCRAMBLE BUG 1937

Look at this readers! Those wheels look remarkably like the Project SWORD Scramble Bug! This Popular Science cover is from March 1937, a whole thirty years before the Century 21 toy - pictured below - was made! Here's the article inside.

Here's the full article in readable format via Google Books: here

What do you think? 

NIGHTSCREAM, STARSHIP TROOPERS, CHRIS ISAAKS AND THE MYSTERY GRAVEYARD SONG

After a nearly a week in hospital I'm now recuperating at home. The UK Horror Channel is keeping me entertained whilst resting on the sofa. This afternoon I saw a TV mystery movie matinee called Nightscream from 1997. As cheesy as an old fondue set I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

It concerned a young sleuthing girl called Drew [a la Nancy!] who is possessed by a dead girl who is identical to her. Drew sets out to solve the mystery of her doppelganger's killing. It stars a young Casper Van Dien who found fame as Rico in Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers a year later.

I actually tuned in as I thought it was the same flick I have in my VHS big box tape collection Night Screams from ten years earlier in 1987. I've never watched it and it was yet more mistaken identity.

The biggest mystery of Nightscream wasn't anything the young Drew stumbled across but this rather cool Chris Isaaks-style twangy song in the closing graveyard scene, which you can listen too here at the very end of this copy of the film on Popcorn: 

http://www.popcornflix.com/nightscream/72a8607d-b3a0-407c-842a-226963310458

As it's not listed on the film's credits I have searched for this song for ages today and all I could find where other people's search requests on various film forums. Like them I have searched for 'I am haunted by two loves' and similar lines from the song. Alas, nada.

Oddly enough the song with the closest title is Two Hearts by none other than Chris Isaaks but it sure ain't that. Just to make sure, I have searched Chris's back catalogue and he never made the 'I am haunted by two loves' song. I remain like everyone else who has searched for this tune well and truly stumped. It is without any identity whatsoever. A nested mystery!

As a final twist of the identikit the chiseled male lead in Nightscream, Casper Van Dien, looks exactly like Chris Isaaks as you can see here!

Chris right                    Casper left

Its especially so in Chris's mega-hit Wicked Game as you can see in his official and very raunchy video on You Tube. Wicked Game has the same twangy harrowed sound as 'I'm haunted by two loves'!

If anyone can find the identity of the mystery song I would be really grateful to know as it is driving me bonkers. I may even start screaming during the night!

ST.GEORGES SHOPPING CENTRE, PRESTON, LANCASHIRE 1969

This is cool and festive. I found this old amateur footage of Preston, my home town in 1969 on You Tube. The film wanders around one the town's shopping centres, St.Georges, where I'm pretty sure Zodiac Toys was, my second favourite toy shop after Thomas Mears. 

Zodiac came to Preston in 1968. I wuz 7. Checking Zodiac Toys' own archive site it says that 'my' Zodiac was on Fishergate Walk rather than in this Shopping Centre, which is confusing.

My Folks got me all my SWORD toys at Thomas Mears and tons of stuff from Zodiac too like this Jason and the Argonauts book, as you can see on the label!

THUNDERBIRD 3 LAUNCH BAY BY ANDY ROLFE

Been going through some photos from Andercon this year, and I must say this Thunderbird 3 model and launch bay built by Andy Rolfe really impressed me. The whole diorama is only around 3 foot high and built out of plastic drum but the detail is incredible, making a great model to photograph.

UFO ENCOUNTER: SPACE PATROL 1

Here is SP1 having a spot of bother on re-entry! Take care, Kevin

ITS THE FIRST OF DECEMBER FOLKS!

Santa's little helpers are all just clocking on for the busiest month of the Year down the Pole!