A LOOK AT CROMFORD 2023 (PART 7) IT'S AN ASHTON 'NARCISSUS'

 Here's prolific modeller, Richard Ashton's latest creation  - the Narcissus  shuttle as seen in the film,  Alien.

The Great Pretenders

As I've reported before I do like to come away from a Car Boot sale or Charity shop run with at least one Gen1 Transformer, my current must-haves.

Yesterday the Missus and ich had our final car boot ( Flohmarkt, as in flea market) stand at the local Samstag venue. It was huge but arriving at 6am we were given a decent pitch with bags of space, which is a good thing given the fee is steep by British standards at €27, around £25.

Having a wide assortment of my Missus's late parents' belongings - both collectors of sorts - our triple wallpaper table braced itself under all the glass decanters, wooden ornaments, wall plates and a myriad other nick backs, walking sticks and small tools. 

Beside the table we sold clothes on a clothes stand and on the other side larger items were proffered such as a mobility walker, bathroom shelving, plant pots and a sombrero!

The first sale we held two weeks ago with our daughter at the helm we made €250 profit. This second sale came in second at a respectable €160 net.

Money was never important. We needed a way of off-loading all these belongings without having to enlist a house clearance firm or indeed binning stuff. Less desirable tackle has been taken to the local Diakonie charity and hundreds of bits of clothing have gone into clothing banks. As I said my late Parents-in-Law were collectors. Some might even say hoarders.

Anyways, as is traditional when two are staffing the stand, each gets a couple of breaks to mosey round the market and grab a Kaffee.

On one of my haunts I spotted something on my Wants List, a pentagonal Playmobil space Station from the 1970's. Full of accessories and spacemen, it was loose and just €15. Walking on ruminating about it I then spotted something even higher up my Wants List, a Pretender! A GEN1 Transformer no less and not just one but two!

Was soll es Kosten? I enquired.

Zehn Euro die Stuck.

So that would be 10 each, twenty together. About £18

In great shape but without contents they were still at a good price.

Ruminating even more I returned with Kaffee for the Missus and plunged straight into my plea for one final treat for each other. I know what I would like and she should choose something too.

It didn't work!

We have enough stuff to take back and you have already bought loads of toys! I heard her cry!

I knew this argument well and my only recourse was the tried and tested end strategy of wearing the Missus down with constant reminders of how much of a bargain the Pretenders were and that I wasn't pretending! 

I don't know about you but I seldom have any cash on me. The Missus is the Bank Manager and a good thing to. I'd fritter everything we have away for a bag of tat! As such my final appeal struck gold and the Missus went in herself. I'd challenged her to get the two Trannies cheaper! She accepted the Mission and headed out.

Ten minutes later I was the proud owner of two Hasbro Pretenders, the latest and best recruits on my GEN1 shelf back in Blighty and just 15 Euro the pair! The Missus had done it again!

Erfolg! That's success to you and me!

Have you had to cajole the Bank Manager for your treats?

A LOOK AT CROMFORD 2023 (PART 6) ANDERSON MODELS

 Here's some more photos from last weekend's Cromford event, and this time it's just some of  the Anderson related models on display. 

First on the scene is this studio scale SHADO Mobile, built by Mamas Pitsillis.

This UNCL Master Elevator Car was built by Doug Stirling-Stewart.

An original SFX prop of a Cruiser as seen in Space Precinct, courtesy of David Sisson.

A ZEAF from Terrahawks, built by David Sisson.

Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle and Spectrum Helicopter, both built by Mamas Pitsillis,

Thunderbirds UNCL Recovery Vehicle  built by Doug Stirling-Stewart.

Thunderbird 2 built by David Sisson.

Stingray and Skydiver built by Mamas Pitsillis.

Fireball XL5 built by David Sisson.

UNCL Half-Track built by Doug Stirling-Stewart.

Manned Orbiting Laboratory Kit by Hawk

An old MC post on Other Scouts was interesting, including the reply you had some time back from artist Bill Keith, and his mention of a plastic kit from the 1960s.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2023/01/other-scouts.html#comment-form

He thought it might have been a Monogram kit, of a manned orbiting laboratory. The closest thing to that would be the Monogram Space Taxi from 1959 (later re-issued as the Space Buggy), but this does not match his description.

He describes the model as a converted Atlas rocket, with two ferry rockets or escape re-entry gliders attached to the outside. These were triangular in shape, and painted yellow. This sounds much more like the Hawk Manned Orbiting Laboratory, which was based on a Convair design.

The first version of this kit had yellow 'space boats' at the rear, while on the later version they were orange.

Hawk released the Convair Atlas Space Station (Manned Satellite) as kit N.513-98 or No.513-100. The number after the dash is the retail price in US cents at the time. This version has 'Reproduced from Plans Supplied by Convair Astronautics' on the box lid.

It was later re-issued, with a new name, and a new number. The Manned Orbiting Laboratory, No.551-100. No mention of Convair on the lid.

The dates quoted for this kit vary, either 1958 or 1960 for the first version, and 1966 or 1968 for the second. The copyright dates on the boxes themselves are 1958 and 1966, but copyright dates are not always the same as the actual release dates, and may be a year or so earlier.

The kit had a clear forward section, to show off the detailed interior; 4 figures; Space-O-Rama clear plastic display base showing part of the Earth's surface; and two small re-entry vehicles at the rear. Moulded in silver plastic.

Here is a beautiful poster showing both the Atlas Space Station and Lockheed TV2 jet trainer (Navy designation for the Air Force T-33).

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-hawk-model-kit-space-station-2077560840

There may be further information on the kit in the Mat Irvine book Creating Space, which I do not have.

Hope you like this kit.

Two photographs from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

A LOOK AT CROMFORD 2023 (PART 5) STRANGER GHOST BUSTS

 Here's a few photos I took of some of the 3D models created by digital sculptor, Leavon Archer, who trades under the name Spare Oom Studio.

Leavon brought along a couple of impressive sculps based on designs from the Netflix series, Stranger Things..

This is a lifesize bust  of 'Vecna, the fearsome entity that appeared in the fourth season.

This is a lifesize bust of the Demogorgon, the predatory creature that  first appeared in the first season.

Leavon attended the Cromford event in full cosplay mode dressed as Peter Venkman from Ghost Busters, complete with Proton Back Pack, Ecto Goggles, and a Ghost Trap!

The impressive Ghost trap with lighting and smoke effects.

FOLDEE ROLDEE

Another little oddity I loved as a kid was a Foldee like this one. They were small folded cards featuring super heroes and villains, I suppose like a tiny comic with three pages! You could refold them to create new comical faces, a bit like folding the back page of MAD comics to create a crazy scene.

Not seen one in the flesh for years. You?

A LOOK AT CROMFORD 2023 (PART 4) SPACE:1999

 Here's one or two items relating to Space:1999 on show at Cromford,

This beautifully detailed 44" Eagle  with spine booster was scratch- built by Rab Johnstone.

Some photos showing the detail.

The Eagle was surrounded by some various  well made UNCL resin kits .

Here's a trio of photos showing the original prop of the Superswift Pilot Ship from the episode, Bringers of Wonder.

Here's an original medical panel used in the series, and remarkably the electronics still work and lights up after over 40 years.

An original space helmet and collar.