The HG Toys ALIEN Target Set is one of those legendary toys that hardly ever cross mortal hands.
The first time I became aware of it was in Andy Foley's TV Toy Zone catalogue around 1990. That was just a picture.
I then saw the real thing on the toy fair stall of the late Mr. Star Wars Jim Stevenson, a legend himself.
This example was on Worthpoint so I saved the pics.
Has anyone got an alien target?
I saw a minibus this week with the name A NEW HOPE emblazoned along the sides. It was an old people's home minibus but I couldn't help think of the Star Wars connection! ha ha.
Where do you think A NEW HOPE minibus would take old folks readers?
Have you seen any Sci-Fi or Fantasy related company names?
There's loads of lenticular cards online. Lots on auctions. Here's a typical space one involving a LEM and a capsule.
These are obviously models but how have the makers achieved the fabulous glowing exhaust effect?
This card is part of the MOON LANDING series of 3D cards. Some other lenticular lines are associated with Major Matt Mason no less!
Well the unseasonably fine weather held out again today, which meant that a scheduled road trip for a relatives birthday went rather well. We took a drive into the Lake District, in Cumbria and spent the day near Windermere, the largest of the 16 eponymous lakes and not far fro Coniston Water, where Donald Campbell broke the water speed record before losing his life in the tragic crash of the Bluebird K7.
The Lake District is tremendously popular with tourists and walkers due to its dramatic and picturesque scenery, with mountainous terrain and huge expanses of water. We didn’t attempt anything especially radical today, but pottering about town and the area gave me a chance to indulge myself with a little photography - specifically with my modified digital camera. I had a camera body modified some time ago, to be sensitised to full spectrum light, so that it can record infra red imagery. Infra red light is especially prevalent in sunny conditions and the radiation absorbed by foliage means that it will appear to glow almost white and blues such as water and sky will naturally darken, so the Lake District seemed the ideal venue. To get the best from IR photography, an additional glass filter should be used over the lens to restrict the wavelengths hitting the sensor, but for convenience I just used the camera as is and made a few corrections in Adobe Lightroom when I got home.
Here are a few shots of the day, including a couple of iPhone snaps of an haunted pub and a shot of the iconic Pennine Tower near Lancaster, looking like a holdover from Thunderbirds! https://motorwayservices.uk/The_Pennine_Tower
When I was young I had a best mate called Pete. We went through 11 years of school together culminating with a fistful of O Levels each.
In our teens we shared a love of rock music - we both cried when most of Lynyrd Skynyrd died - We loved the Lakes - Pete went climbing and I played guitar outside the Old Dungeon Ghyll - we played music in his magnificent shed like Neil Young, Sad Cafe and Pink Floyd - and Pete was there for me when my Mum died. We were 15.
In the late Seventies we went to Germany on his motorbike. I was in his sidecar. I was meant to be reading the map but I kept falling asleep!
In the early 80's Pete was doing well and had his own house which he shared with his brother. Me and my future wife went round for home-made chips and we all watched the Kenny Everett Television Show.
In 1984 Pete was a witness at the Missus' and I's marriage and because we were penniless he graciously let us join him and his girlfriend on Sky for our honeymoon!
By the mid 1980's I'd moved away permanently from our home town, was married and a had a baby daughter. I began to lose touch with Pete.
Always a restless soul, he emigrated to Oz sometime around 1985.
I saw Pete again at his own wedding reception in the early 90's. I'll never forget his new Australian accent.
Pete visited us at Moonbase in the early Noughties on his month long trip home.
After that I became lazy and completely lost touch sadly.
Pete died in 2022, aged 61 I guess, like me. I only found out recently from his younger brother who had also emigrated.
I can see Pete now climbing the fells of Heaven singing his favourite Dire Straits tune, his infectious smile lighting the dark.
I only have a few pictures of Pete. This is my favourite, sharing a pose on our German bike trip in 1979. Pete's on the left.
RIP mate. Keep Ridin'
Today's Arch outdoor boot sale gave up a small clutch of old toys.
See what you think.
