dinky gerry anderson toy recycling

I was looking at Dinky space vehicles.

I noticed the white press button on this Moon Buggy.

I thought, hmm, I've seen it before.

Is it the same one Dinky used on the top of their iconic Gerry Anderson SPV?

Anyone know?

Here's another bit of Gerry-cycling.

Whilst in a junk shop in Sheffield I saw this

I recognised the red astronauts immediately as those in this Zygon War Chariot.

The red engine nacelles look familiar too. Space 199 Eagle Freighter?

Here's the white version of the astronauts on the Galactic War Chariot

and that missile launcher is straight off SHADO2!

and well known to collectors, the recycled silver turbines  which first appeared on Joe's Flying car as photographed below by Scoop.

They re-appeared on the Lunar Bug! [I love that moonscape in the box. Is that polystyrene?]

There are probably sites that detail the exact chronology of these re-uses but this is just my basic take on it.

Can you think of any more Dinky Gerry Anderson/ space die-casts recycling?

mystery thunderbirds cap gun clone

I saw this last month on Ebay US.

Its a dead ringer for a JR21 Thunderbirds toy cap gun wouldn't you say?

I can't see the make I'm afraid but it it joins a growing gaggle of clones I've posted on the blog over the years.

Anyone got a cap gun like this, JR21 or any of the copies?

Here's the JR21 original cap gun and water pistols

are you struggling to get up?

I'm struggling to get up this month!

The alarm sounds at 6.30am giving me 30 minutes snoozing but even so I really don't want to leave my warm pit!

I literally dragged myself out this morning at 7.20 and I'm now running late!

I think its the darkness outside, the cold landing and a strong desire to not go to work which are making it hard to get up.

What do you do to rise and shine in Winter?

did you hunt down your hidden christmas presents?

Did you look for your Chrissy presents when you were a kid?

I mean did you search for them before the Big Day?

I did. I'd look in all the standard places now and then like under my folks' bed and in their wardrobe! 

Mum got wind of my subterfuge and hid my stuff in less obvious places.

I always though the best place to have hidden prezzies would have been to wrap them and put them under the tree weeks before but temptation would no doubt have got the better of me. I would have shaken and shook and maybe unwrapped!

A pointless act really. The presents were mine anyway. Why spoil the surprise?

Did you engage in gift jitsu like this?

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?

powers: my new folk horror starring blue

This is my fourth folk horror short film. 

Its entitled Powers.

Owing to popular demand it stars Blue the family mutt again.

He's a natural!

Filmed on my phone on our local wintry hill this short is all live action, has very little editing and no stills.

Slightly longer than my others too I hope that you still enjoy it!

Warning: the final scene is loud!

kev's clangers: Froglets

Hi,

I've made some froglets from the Clangers! Sometimes you just have to.

Take care,

Kevin