GIPLAM 2: CARGO SHIP

 

A thing of beauty, I'd have loved this cargo ship as a young 'un.

I saw this online.

I bet you can still get these.

SPECTRUM HOBBIT

 

On one of my many missions into the depths of my our attic I found this I'd stashed away.

Its an old video cassette game for the 48K Spectrum. I picked it up years and years ago for the Hobbit connection and the artwork, which I really like.

Sadly the video game side of it completely goes over my head as the craze just passed me by. I've never played a Spectrum or any other computer game.

Have you ever played the Hobbit readers?

Cabin Fever

Just got back from a much needed week in a forest cabin on the Yorkshire Moors. Cropton Forest is Forestry Commission managed land and there is a small enclave of rentable cabins in the middle. After the chaos of lockdown, working from home and then return to University life, I was about to have a bout of piblokto madness, so getting away into the calm and serenity of the trees was very welcome. Each wooden chalet style cabin is warm and airy, plenty of room for the dogs to spread out and even has a hot tub on the porch to chill out in under the setting sun.

Situated about 40 minutes outside of York, it was ideal for a quick trip into the town and see some of the fabulous medieval architecture and the majestic Minster Cathedral. The Shambles street, which dates back to plague time has unfortunately been given over to Harry Potter themed shops, all of which were 'socially distanced' and in a such a cramped setting anyway, precluded casual browsing. Given that York is designated a high risk area, the town was quite quiet with few tourists, so I had good opportunity to take a few snaps.

The area around the North Yorkshire Moors is littered with ruins and fabulous castles and York itself still retains a lot of the original wooden decoration on the buildings. My two favourites have to be the rather distressed looking angel and mischievious looking devil peering down from the eaves.

The forest was sprawling and quite eerie at twilight, with deer roaming free and a profusion of colourful fungi beneath the trees. While I was sat in the morning sun having breakfast, the play of shadow through the chairs at the table put me in mind of the imagery from Quatermass with hideous dwarfs in attendance.

Even the trip to and from Yorkshire was spectacular, passing RAF Fylingdales with its cluster of radomes and BAE Salmesbury with the English Electric Lightning fighter stationed outside.

But for walking in the deep forest with a pack of hounds and a camera, it really can't be beaten. Shame i'll have to wait till next summer for the next holiday!

 

MORE TOKYO GHOSTS

Hi Woodsy 

Next pair of Hot Wheels Tokyo 2020 models. 

Seventh model is Sky Dome, which has the copyright date 2016 on its base, even though it was part of the 2017 range. Various shades of purple, with red and pink stripes. Smoke grey windows. White printing. Silver wheels. Basketball. 

Ninth model is Velocita, dated 2014. The Hot Wheels Wiki entry for this model incorrectly gives the main colour as black, but I have the model in front of me as I write, and it is metallic dark blue, with blue stripes, and blue tinted windows. White and blue printing. Silver wheels. Swimming. 

As you can see, there are some rather odd colour choices in the series, with lots of pink and purple. I will send further photographs if I find any more models in the set. 

Paul Adams

New Zealand

GIPLAM PLASTIC 1

 

The Giplam car ferry. Plastic fantastic!

I bought one of these in Germany about 8 years ago.

Do you like this Italian gem?

WHAT COVID LEVEL ARE YOU IN READERS?

What's the Covid situation where you are?

Are you in Lockdown?

Here in England me and the Missus and our daughter's family are all in what's called Tier 2. That means high risk. The highest risk level is Tier 3, which Liverpool and Lancashire are in. The lowest risk level, Tier 1, includes Cornwall and the Isle of Wight.

Infections are rising nearly everywhere in the UK and the sense of the virus simply stalking the streets unchallenged is growing. At least it is for me.

What's going on in your country?

AOSHIMA ROCKET CAR: MOBILE DRONE

Hey Woodsy!

Here is a real weird SF contraption for you. It’s an Aoshima model kit from the early 1970s, and I have no idea what’s it’s really called, but as you can see it’s basically a sports car with a rocket launcher on top. 

One of the oddest kits I’ve ever run across. The last picture shows the drone separately, as it’s hard to see on top of the car. As with many of these junk SF kits of the time, nothing fit together correctly! Enjoy!

Rob C

USA

HARVEST HOME

I was reading my guide to horror novels the other day, Paperbacks from Hell. It mentioned a novel I'd never heard of but said it was an important Seventies story. I was amazed I'd never heard of it at all. Its The Other by Thomas Tryon from 1971. 

This American author followed this with another horror novel called Harvest Home in 1973, again, a story I'd never heard of until I read my guide book.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Wiki focuses more on Tryon's acting career but he appears to have turned his back on it in 1969 and picked up his pen.

I shall have to keep my eyes peeled foe these old book but vintage horror paperbacks can be dear. They'd fit well in my collection so I shall have a look see.

Do you know The Other or Harvest Home readers?