GIANT MONSTER PLAYSET: THE MOVIE

Being an Aurora monster fan, I've shown this before but I like it so much that here goes again!

Its by the talented Greg Pope and was originally on You Tube in 2014.

Its only had just over 2000 views since then so I wanted to show it one more time on MC. 

It deserves it.

Enjoy!

SIZZLERS ON TV 1970

I never had any Sizzlers but after watching this US TV ad from 1970 I want one NOW!

Did you sizzle?

VINTAGE TOYS IN HALIFAX

Me and Missus Moonbase came down to Earth yesterday to visit Halifax in West Yorkshire, England and not too far away.

We hadn't been to this old textiles town for many years so it was fun to be there again.

Its most famous feature is its huge Piece Hall, a vast open walled and paved space that was formerly the wool exchange for the region. The cloistered walls are full of small indie shops.

I wanted to see if one was there that I recalled from our last visit years since. It was called Replicar and it always advertised in Model Mart when it was published. I think they advertise in Collectors Gazette still.

I'm pleased to report that its still there and I had a gander. Replicar is choc full of old and new die-cast toy cars and trucks. Among the stacks I noticed one car I adored as a kid, the Batmobile. 

This particular modern boxed model is released by J. Croce and looks like this:

pics: Amazon

I also wanted to check another shop that used to advertise in Model Mart and still does in Collectors Gazette, The Old Toy Shop, just off the town centre. I hadn't been in for years.

Alas, I didn't get chance this time as the parking ticket was running out but I can confirm its still there as we drove past on our way home. 

Here's their website,

http://www.collectorsoldtoyshop.com/index.php4

Have you ever been to Halifax and maybe these shops?

CENTURY 21 NEWSFLASH!

A MAJOR NEW UPDATE ABOUT CENTURY 21 PUBLISHING IS COMING TO MOONBASE NEXT WEEK!

WATCH THIS SPACE!

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO TOYS AT LONDON TOY FAIR

here's a short video shot by Blast Process showing the new range of Thunderbirds are Go toys from Bandai UK.

Some of the figures and vehicles appear to be repackaged versions of the previous Vivid toys.

Amongst the newer line there's a larger Thunderbird 4 which carries a Mole attachment on it's nose, presumably to be seen in one of the held back season 3 episodes, and a larger version of Thunderbird 2, with a grabber attachment.  There's also another version of Tracy Island.

It might come as no surprise that these toys appear to have been given mixed reviews from adult fans, but to be fair they are aimed at youngsters, and I suspect  Bandai  will want to see how the new episodes fare before they invest in larger, newer toys,rather than find them having end up unsold in bargain bins like most of the previous Vivid ones.

POLAR LIGHTS LOST IN SPACE ROBOT BY KEV D

Hi,

Built the Polar Lights kit of the B9 robot from Lost in Space. 

This is what robots should look like!

Take care,

Kevin D

SCHYLLING FUTURE CAR

Hello Woodsy,

Rather than 1974 this one is 2018. Dan Dare is to set the mood but the Yeoman Warder by Britains shows the size.

I've always had a soft spot for tinplate toys, these days they are really for adults not kids.

Regards,

Terranova47
NYC

GOING UP TOWN AGE 10 IN 1970

Its Saturday morning here in the UK.

At one time that meant one thing. Going up town with mates.

In my case it was Preston Town Centre.

I have no real feel anymore for when this started but I must have been able to catch a bus in a group of young lads. Maybe age 10 or 11? That would have made it 1970 or 1971.

First job was to catch a bus at the top of the road. A bus straight into town about a mile away. Later on we walked it in but not at the start.

I'd love to think that it was a double decker we caught where we hopped on at the rear and got a paper ticket from a conductor wearing a chunky metal machine on a strap.

Alas, I have a feeling it was a single decker with doors at the front and in the middle, where we got a ticket from the driver but I could be wrong.

Preston got a swanky new space age Bus Station around that time and I imagine single deckers were part of the overhaul.

The bus station was a bazaar of lost souls, posing teens and fussing mums. It was a right job getting through it.

Once out in the daylight again as a group we wandered to where it mattered most, the record shop. In our case it was Bradys opposite a grand and imposing Museum. 

Brady's had everything we needed, racks of minty new albums, trays of the latest singles, shelves of music cassettes and best of all, listening booths with huge clunky headphones!

It was a real Saturday rite of passage to hear a new rock band for the first time in the booth at Bradys. I remember Rush from Canada blowing me away in that small room full of mates desperate to hear too.

I just can't recall though if the booths had decks or did the sales gals and guys have a master deck, which our chosen album went on? Were we not trusted with mint vinyl and scratchy needles? Probably not!

I wonder if we ever listened to music cassettes in those booths instead of records?

After getting our fill of heavy rock and maybe buying some Emitex it was time for some refreshments. The order of the day was a ham finger roll and a vimto float, which we called a vimto and ice cream. The place to go was Bruciani's near the train station and Tommy Balls shoe shop.

Bruciani's was an Italian coffee house of the old school. Polished wood veneers, formica, round metal trays, steaming hot milk, whirling milk shakes, clinking cups, fresh rolls and boy, was the queue of youngsters eager to get to the goods.

"Vimto and ice cream and a ham bun please!"

I can hear it now and the prospect of that duo of goodness still fills me with happiness.

Just like me, I'm pleased to say that Bruciani's is still around and occasionally the two us meet up again.

Yep, I enjoyed going up town on Saturday mornings.

Did you readers?