MOONBASE CENTRAL

Tuesday, 5 December 2017

biggles scrapbook by terranova47

Hello Woodsy,

Yes I have my Biggles scrap book with TV Times and TV Express cuttings [see pics below]

I recently bought the fan published reprints of the Biggles Strips from Dez Shaw the publisher of Spaceship Away Magazine, so as to have the complete run as I stopped buying it when Ron Embleton stopped illustrating it.

I don't think the stories were written by W.E. Johns and they seemed to combine the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's together which was rather confusing.

While Biggles was big in his day, though fading when you were the target audience, Johns did write a series of space adventures.

They simply didn't capture the popular imagination compared to Dan Dare, Jet Ace Logan etc that relied on their illustrations to carry the story.

Of course the comic versions of the Anderson series was just right for your influential years.

Keep up the good work.

Terranova47

USA

back in the saturday romper room

I've been thinking about a huge boxed early years plastic bridge car ferry set I once bought at a car boot sale.

I've blogged about it before - click the label below.

http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/random-toy-romper-room-ferry-set.html

Assuming it was Romper Room I've been looking again at that early years toy brand.

Here's a catalogue from 1970 on You Tube.

These were all on a relatively small scale.

How about toys in this TV advert - anything large scale?

Romper Room began as a US TV programme that eventually aired round the world. Long-time contributor and vintage toy fan Arto did some research into Romper Room TV in his native Finland. Arto takes up the story -

"I dug a bit deeper into the Finnish version and came across this full episode of Tenavatuokio or "Kiddies' Hour", hosted by Arja-täti (Aunt Arja). As you can see, the title card mentions also the original American format.

http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2006/09/08/kiltti-porri-ja-tuhma-morri

Furthermore, this particular episode, aired in December 5th, 1968 held a special surprise for me! As Arja-täti holds up her Magic Mirror (13.30 on), the third name called is - Arto!

And seeing this again, I suddenly remembered watching this episode back in 1968 and felt again the shock of being addressed in person by Aunt Arja. That must have been a devastating moment for a four-year-old boy that I was - the TV people, they were real!"

Having considered all of this I'm now having second thoughts as to whether my large plastic ferry bridge car play set was actually Romper Room. Perhaps it was made by another Seventies early learning toy brand like Galt, Playskool, Big Fun or Chicco [if that was around then].

Until I find a picture of the toy I found at a car boot sale in the early 90's I'll never know the make and its driving me bonkers!

Did you watch Romper Room on TV?