GET SMART SPY PEN

This is another of those bits of memorbilia that would have been about in the sixties - a pen that is really an A M radio.

This is the Get Smart version although I suspect there would have probably been variations promoting other sixties spy shows.

It's obviously a simple crystal set and  needs no batteries. It uses a clip to attach to any  metal object in the room to provide the arieal,  but I'd imagine the reception would be a little hit and miss, although the novelty value is what it's about.

I remember an early episode of The Man from UNCLE using a radio transmitter disguised as a cigarette packet using the similar method of attaching the antenna wire to a metal object in the room. That was before UNCLE agents got pen radios!
  

VIVID THUNDERBIRD 5

A few photos of my latest Vivid Thunderbirds Are Go purchase - the Thunderbird 5 toy

While youngsters might think this toy doesn't  have the play value or the sleek lines of the other Thunderbird craft, I reckon its a toy that's gonna be pretty popular with us older fans.

While, the other four rebooted Thunderbird vehicles all resemble their 60's counterparts, the new Thunderbird 5 has it's own distinctive and credible design, perhaps taking part of it's inspiration from the International Space Station.

I certainly like it, and reckon it's my second favourite rebooted Thunderbird, after Thunderbird 2. 

The front of the packaging. The Toy's features are a retractable 'Space Claw', and 'Vehicle and Communication Sounds'.

The rear of the packaging.

THAT MONDAY MORNING FEELING

Roll on the weekend!

SATURDAY MORNING BUGGY RIDES

THE RISE OF THE BAKERY

Some of you Dan Dare fans out there might recall a post I did last August regarding the sad state of The Bakery in Churchtown, Southport, the building that was used as a studio in 1950 by Frank Hampson and his team of artists to produce the first fourteen or so issues of the fondly remembered Eagle comic before they moved to Epsom.

http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/churchtown-where-eagle-landed.html

These were some photos I took in May 2015 of the old lean-to building looking extremely dilapidated.

It pretty much looked like it was ready to fall down at that point. However, what a difference a year makes.

This is the old bakery now, totally refurbished and looking better than what it did in 1950.

I imagine the space-faring Son of Southport would give the thumbs up to this.

Shoot to Thrill

Its a little off topic for Moonbase, but I know there are several shutterbugs amongst our readership and editorial team, so I just thought I would pop this little note out there, to see if anyone might be interested in submitting...  Black Market Re-View is a digital arts magazine, run via Edge Hill University, by a team of alumni and students. Now in its second successful issue, BMR is looking for submissions of fiction, criticism, poetry, art and photography. We have seen some outstanding work featured on the blog over the years from readers across many genres and myself and Woodsy have dabbled in the science fiction epic stories, so hopefully we may have inspired our readership to pick up the pen or press the shutter! Check out the submission guidelines and send in your work, here:

http://blackmarketre-view.weebly.com/submissions.html

SUMMER SUN

As the UK is having the odd day of reasonable sunshine, the lazy robots at Moonbase Central are catching some rays, but don't worry normal service will be resumed soon once the rain's back (which in Britain is never far away )

IDEAL BOATERIFIC 'BARRACUDA'

Some photos of my latest Boaterific find, a 'Barracuda' Sport Fisherman boat in fine condition with no bits missing as far as I can tell.

Like the other boats in the range there's plenty of detail filling the deck, in particular the two long outriggers, which  are designed to aid stability to the boat in rough seas., Not being a fisherman myself, I made the mistake of thinking they were just heavy duty fishing poles. Thanks to an anonymous comment I'm a bit more savvy on that point.

 

The bow has a tiny 'Ideal' flag which I kinda think is a nice touch.

The Union Flag flies at the stern.

A view of the top of the deck.

The painted backdrop.