MOONBASE CENTRAL

Sunday, 24 August 2025

Bob's Machine Man and Emma Peel

Woodsy,

In your "Meet me at the Turnpike" post, you asked me which robot I received as a kid as a alternative to the Bandai space vehicles. It was Machine Man. An early Japan tin battery operated robot.

Here's a Pic of replacement robot from my collection. I destroyed the original as a kid!

The robot was seen later in the hands of my childhood crush Diana Rigg aka Emma Peel in "The Avengers".

Anyone else?

Bob Aucutt

USA

Magpie Mine

A recent camping trip saw us visiting the derelict Magpie lead Mine near Monyash in the Peak District.

The site of the local Magpie mine murders in the 19 Century, as soon as I saw the winding gear on the mound I thought of that fabulous scene in Hammer's Plague of the Zombies.

You know the scene, the zombie holds it's latest victim aloft, played by Jacqueline Pearce in front of the mine workings.

The local bobby and investigating dignitaries also explore the impressive zombie mine.

But it's not a mine at all! Amazingly the mine setting for the film was created on the back lot of Bray studios! What a fab job those guys did! But they could have gone to Magpie Mine I reckon!

The Cornish village set was also used simultaneously for filming that other Jacqueline Pearce Hammer horror, The Reptile.

Do you like these Hammer films readers?

The Mr.Tom Test

Which would you prefer? A nice glass of vino or a delicious Mr.Tom peanut bar?

Me? Mr.Tom every time!

Saturday, 23 August 2025

Richard the Third's Castle

We are currently enjoying a short family holiday in Middleham in North Yorkshire, a beautiful large country village with horse and sheep traditions and connections to King Richard III.

As seems always the case we're never too far from a castle and this is no exception with Middleham castle's massive imposing ruined ramparts towering over the township.

English Heritage make sure kids can dress up as Kings and Queens in the grounds and they're well provided for in the gift shop full of toy swords, crossbows, shields and everything a young knight might need.

Just beyond the castle lies a much older mound where once was the original fastness perched high above the settlement. There's nothing there now except a dry moat, rabbits and a sad memorial to a teenager, but the aura of ancient Britain's life prevails.

If that wasn't enough history, Middleham is twinned with Agincourt in France, site of a massive Anglo-French battle, where the English longbow abounded.

Do you like castles or national monuments where you live readers? Did you visit as a kid with your family?

Soon we'll be 17 Years Old!

I founded this blog on September 15th 2008, so on the same date this year it'll be 17 years old.

As always if you would like to contribute a post, a picture, a card, a note for the MoonBase birthday then please just send me an email (the moonbasecentral email at the very bottom of this page) in good time and I'll make sure it appears in the 15th of September.

Thanks in advance and keep on Truckin'

MJ's AI action figure Creations

Hi Woodsy,

Here's a couple more links to shorts I've made.

Would the readers consider using these AI apps for their model work?

Regards

Southcoast Base

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx6ApbGA70CvLKNnpiEsOE8yeRgOMS1rKH?si=_J8_4DEw7grB6LmA

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxFiY4iZEZPfB0lbPWvgbIwnjxv_Oq8HPS?si=mbdrT3mtSbwxzsHn

Bill Ev's Matchbox Bantam Karrier Restoration

I decided to restore my Matchbox 2 Ton Coca Cola Bantam Karrier No 37.

Again, Plastikote did an almost exact match for the yellow paint colour. But it was a bugger to get an absolutely even coverage, as the toy is so small.

Again my trusty laser printer created the transfers which were glazed with some more Johnsons Klear. Although they were very fiddly to get straight and in the exact place the old ones were.

Here is the end result from toybox chipped to back on the display shelf.

Hope you like it.

Bill Everett

Wales