stamp collecting in the sixties

I was never a trainspotter as a kid but I did collect stamps for a while.

In fact everyone I knew collected something. My brother collected matchboxes and someone collected beer bottle tops.

My stamp collecting wasn't really that serious but I did enjoy the little philately I did during the late Sixties and the early Seventies.

I had a large hardback book on stamp collecting, which I really liked. It was probably published by Stanley Gibbons via Hamlyn or Collins. I'd love a copy of it now.

My actual stamps were all classics of their day from around the globe. I recall the World Cup, Concorde, Christmas but above all I remember dinosaurs. I think they may have have been marked Polska or Magyar something [Hungary?]. I adored those pictures .

They reminded me of my plastic model dinosaurs by Revell I think. the box art was equally as cool as the stamps.

Did you collect stamps as a kid or maybe something else?

project sword and spacex on bear alley

Whilst reading the late Roger Perry's article about Century 21 Publishing's book Animals as Pets I checked out Steve Holland's ace Bear Alley blog for references to Project SWORD and SpaceX. Here they are, enjoy:

Roger Perry, Project SWORD annual and SWORD toys dead stock 

https://bearalley.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/perrys-picture-post-part-13.html  Moonbase Central even gets a mention by Roger!

Tri-ang SpaceX 

https://bearalley.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/comics-merchandise.html

Make A Model Books and Eric Eden 

https://bearalley.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/perrys-picture-post-part-5.html

Eric Eden and project SWORD Make a Model book 

https://bearalley.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/perrys-picture-post-part-20-epilogue.html 

final picture in the article.

abba and the mystery of century 22 publishing

Searching for books released by Gerry Anderson's publishing arm, Century 21 Publishing Ltd, can be a lot of fun.

Occasionally searches cough up a curve-ball ... or should that be a fur-ball?

One such book is this on Abba Intermezzo, a German ABBA book list site:

ABBA: A Lyrical Collection

At some point in the early '80's Century 21 must have picked up a licence to market ABBA joining dozens of other publishers at the time.

For some reason this is the only book I can find that Century 21 published. It's listed as being published by Century 21 Merchandising and not the publishing arm, which may have folded by 1982 [I have previously found an ABBA poster from 1982 as well].

The real mystery are these further four ABBA publications listed on Abba Intermezzo, the Abba books website, including one re-issue and a magazine.

They were released by Century 22 in the early 1990's from the same location as that listed for Century 21 in the 1980's, namely Iver Heath in Bucks!

So just who are Century 22?

Any ideas readers?

animals as pets; century 21 publishing book identified at last!

In 2013 my good friend, blog supporter and space toy enthusiast Arto gave me a Finnish book about pet animals called Eläinystäväni.

It was published by Gerry Anderson's books arm Century 21 Publishing Ltd no less.

For the last four years I have been searching for the British version of this book from which the Finnish book was translated.

As usual whilst not really looking for that particular Century 21 book I find it!

It was called Animals As Pets and was one of a series of four hardback books by Century 21 Publishing about animals, the others being 

Animals of the Countryside 

and Animals of the Farm. 

The fourth one's title remains unknown to me.

I found a picture of them on the brilliant Bear Alley blog https://bearalley.blogspot.com/2016/05/ as part of a long series of articles by the late Roger Perry of Century 21 Publishing.

I cannot find any other reference to these books online. 

If anyone has any I would be grateful of any pictures and further info for the blog.

SHADOGUESTS

Here's some of the guests that will be hopefully attending Shado con next month.

 Director Alan Perry who is always entertaining.

Here he is in full flow at Cosford, with focus puller, Robin MacDonald laughing in the background.

The charming and amiable Shane Rimmer is attending. He's best known to Anderson fans as the voice of Scott Tracy of course, but he does have his UFO connections.

Ayshea Brough  who played Operative Ayshea Johnson throughout  the series will be there. I'm happy to say I've met Ayshea a couple of times now and she's still a lovely lady.

Here she is on stage with fellow UFO actors, Georgina Moon and Jeremy Wilkin.

Keith Alexander, who played Keith Ford in the series will not unfortunately be attending in person but organisers are hoping to set up a live Skype link from his home in Australia. Sounds like something that would happen in UFO!

Photo: ITV Studios 

Susan Jameson and Michael Jayston, who appeared together in the episode 'The Sound of Silence' will be attending.

Photo: ITV Studios

Gary Raymond, who played Col. John Grey in the episode,' The Man Who Came Back' will be there.

He appeared along with cult TV star Derren Nesbitt in that episode.  

Photo: ITV Studios

Plus yet another guest has just been announced  - Alan Harris, who appeared in UFO in several episodes, in particular as the Skydiver sonar operator in the episode, 'Destruction'.

Photo: ITV Studios

Photo: ITV Studios

So, a great UFO line up for whats shaping up to be a great one day event.

Scriptwriter, Ruric Powell who was going to attend, sadly passed away earlier this year. Our condolences to his family. 

century 21 toys project sword badges 6: the nuclear ferry

This short film* rounds off my recent project looking at Project SWORD badges. In it I discuss the Nuclear Ferry's. In my own loaned example its a blue ASTRONAUT badge.

My online review of other Nuclear Ferry toys also revealed these badges:

The common badge among these Ferries is the red COMMANDER.

Obviously not having any reference as to which badge it should be on the toy's box makes this almost academic but the COMMANDER badge seems to me to be a more feasible option for such a large toy.

Whilst writing this I also got excited about the prospect of a PHASE 2 badge with the Nuclear ferry but that's just wishful thinking on my part!

What do you think about the Ferry's badge or indeed the mysterious specification sheet mentioned in the film?

*

This short film is an extract from a much longer video I made about the Nuclear Ferry in 2014 on You Tube.

random toy: fraggle rock cars

I once picked up a set of loose plastic novelty toy cars from the TV kids show Fraggle Rock.

I think Fraggle was a spin-off from the Muppet Show and aimed at younger muppets,

The cars I recall were all vegetables with drivers. A carrot was one of them.

They were nicely detailed with three coloured wheels. I think they were hollow too. They may have been fast food premiums. Not sure.

Anyone have any Fraggle Rock toy cars?

LOOK OUT FOR LOOK - IN

Keeping up the UFO interest, here's a few UFO themed pages from Look -In AKA The Junior TV Times from the very early seventies before it became more of a pop magazine.

The competition page featured a cut up photo of SID wrongly described as Skydiver... oh, how we laughed!

A pin up of the late Mike Billington as Col. Paul Foster.

A two page feature on TV SCI-FI with a nice photo from the UFO episode 'Survival'.