THE PROPER MOON BUS: NASA'S FLXBLE STARLINER

This is brilliant! What a coach!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pMAgz1fj74

Have any of you travelled on a NASA coach readers?

RAY LIOTTA RIP

I was saddened to learn of  Ray Liotta's death at the age of 67. Far too young these days.

For me Ray will forever be Henry Hill, the young mobster in the Scorsese scorcher Goodfellas made in 1990. Ray's portrayal of a young Italian-American mafioso in the Fifties was and is simply electric and his amazing acting holds together the sweeping saga of De Niro, Pesci and Bracco as Henry Hill weaves his way through the storyline.

Easily the best Mafia movie since the Godfather and that's largely down to Ray Liotta's fabulous talent.

Sleep well Ray.

RIP.

THE BIULDERS ARE COMING!

Its the start of the half term Jubilee week's holiday here in the UK and the sun is shining. The blue skies of early summer are overhead and long hazy days are in the air. Fabulous car boot weather for rummaging for Hot Wheels and Action Man.

No car boots for us today. We're looking at sofas [do you say sofa, settee or couch?] and having a late breakfast somewhere. Then back to Moonbase to continue boxing up our entire existence in lieu of builders descending in early June.

Not much time for collecting toys at the moment although I'm looking forward to re-stocking my two toy cabinets again in July with my collection that's currently boxed up and sad.

Have you had builders in the home? How did it go?

Tarheel SST Concorde

Arto spotted this cool SST toy.

Appearing only once before on MC it's a fine airliner and by Tarheel too!

There is another plane with a similar kind of name on our Tarheel checklist

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2009/10/bloggiversary-extra-tarheel-and-johnny.html

Have you anything like this?

ITS BUGGIN' ME: THE RENWAL INSECT SCIENCE KIT

I thought this interesting set in this post deserved a closer look.

MOONBASE CENTRAL: PYRO MONSTERS BY MAIL ORDER (projectswordtoys.blogspot.com)

The kit was made at a time when the educational value of plastic modelling was being heavily promoted by model companies. Doubtless in an effort to convince parents that modelling was not a waste of time and pocket money.

Renwal was a US company, based in Mineola, New York. This set contained six plastic model insects, mounted on a display stand that stood an impressive 16 inches high. There was a large cut-away model of a Field Cricket, showing the internal organs of the creature, and smaller models of the Blue Bottle Fly, Malaria Mosquito, Red Admiral Butterfly, Giant Water Bug, and Polistes Wasp.

 The set came with an illustrated Handbook on insects. The set was Created in Consultation with, John C. Pallister, Entomologist, Dept. of Insects and Spiders, The American Museum of Natural History, New York City. The kit was moulded in several colours, including brown, turquoise, and clear plastic for the insect wings. Kit number 801:298; the suffix means it had a US retail price of $2.98. Scalemates give the release date as 1960.

Other firms have also done insect kits. Due to the small size of insects, most of these have been several times life size. Given the rarity of these kits, and the lack of re-issues, I would assume they were not big sellers.

Here is a detailed look at an assembled set, and its box. From a site called Time Passages Nostalgia.

Large Boxed Educational 1960 Renwal Insect Science Plastic Model Assembly Kit - TPNC (timepassagesnostalgia.com)

An entry on Old Model Kits.

Renwal Insect Science - Cut Away Field Cricket-Blue Bottle Fly-Malaria Mosquito-Red Admiral Butterfly-Giant Water Bug-Polistes Wasp, 801 (oldmodelkits.com)

The entry on this kit from the Scalemates site.

Insect Science, Renwal 801:298 (1960) (scalemates.com)

From Sturgis Antiques and Collectables, a look at the kit parts in their box.

(11) Sturgis Antiques & Collectables – Posts | Facebook

From Max at maxsmodels, a history of the Renwal company.

Renwal: a quick history (re-upload) - YouTube

Two photos, both from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

STRUCK BY JOHNNY LIGHTNING

I really am.

I never had any as a kid and only really discovered how cool they are this month!

Like classic Hot Wheels redlines, the greatest Johnnies from Topper are from the late Sixties/ early Seventies and perhaps THE greatest Lightning design is the Stiletto.

What do you think?

I am sorely tempted to start collecting Johnny Lightnings but heavy weather is brewing in my piggy bank. 

Have you got any?

WERE YOU EVER A CLERK?

Have you ever been a clerk in an office?

You know, like Bob Cratchit.

I have.

It was 1978. I wuz 17. I'd just dropped out of college and I got a job with General Accident as a clerk in the claims department. I had hair down to my elbows and was fundamentally opposed to work but I needed the money for a Kawasaki 250 in order to impress a girl. The things we do for love!

I had one cheap suit, which I wore to death. I think my shoes were blue or maybe even desert boots. I had the book Lord of the Rings hidden in my desk's top drawer and read it in there whenever I could pretending to fill in the claims ledger. They called me Inri because of my long black hair and beard. On Saturdays I could wear what I wanted because it was overtime and the public counter was shut. Out came the denim flairs and cheescloth shirts and lashings of patchouli oil. I think there were beads too. Lots of beads.

I stayed for two years. I think I was paid £70 a week. I bought the Kawasaki, was promptly knocked off it, broke my ankle, bought an amplifier, formed a rock band, did some gigs, gave up being a clerk, split and became a bird reserve warden!

I wasn't much of a clerk!

Were you?

SCOOBY AND THE PUSSYCATS

Someone recently mentioned that Scooby Doo made a guest appearance in an episode of Josie and the Pussycats! Is this a fact known to you readers?