AKIRA

Seeing this ace Bandai Akira motorcycle on auction .....

... Reminded that I have this film on VHS and also a film artist's cel - from Akira the 1989 movie.

It was one of a large set I bought 25 years ago at the NEC Memorabilia. I sold them all except this one a few years later when I had a vintage toy fair stall. It's the one that got away.

 It's a bit of a tentacle writhing off Akira's cryo-chamber in the ocean off Tokyo Bay as seen in this GIF. You can almost spot the exact bit! 

 Did you or do like Akira?

Have you any film cells?

Will's Tin Boat

Hi Woodsy

Following Ed's pictures of his Hess lithoe'd tin battleship, here's the sail version.

Enjoy.

Will O.

Kev's Corgi Commer Fleet

 It's Vantastic! 

A REMINDER OF THE UFO LOCATION TOUR: PROJECT FORD

 Another reminder of the UFO Location tour, or to give it it's full title, PROJECT: FORD and UFOria 3: ALIENS ATTACK – Part 1. This is the big one for fans of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s UFO, which takes place on 31^st October to 2^nd November, 2025 at  Moor Hall, Cookham village situated in the county of Berkshire

Following in the footsteps of  last year’s successful Secret Service Location Tour this tour has very limited spaces, and as I write this it's now down to just 12 places .

Like Space: 1999, I know there's a lot of fans of UFO who stop by here.

Apart from the tour of locations in the Pinewood area seen in UFO, and one or two other Anderson puppet TV series, there’s also special guests, including Puppeteer Mary Turner and Ayshea Brough, who played Ayshea Johnson in the series, plus the extra special guest who’s flying in from Australia to attend is Keith Alexander who played SHADO Operative Keith Ford, hence the convention title.

Keith Alexander-Buckley as Lt. Keith Ford

There’s a full weekend of great nostalgic entertainment including talks, autographs, model displays which feature original props, and the odd bit of vintage merchandise, so anyone going should take some cash. Plus there’s a limited opportunity to have your photo taken in one of the original SHADO Jeeps with one of the original UFO cast!

Ayshea Brough who played SHADO Operative Ayshea Johnson.

SHADO Jeep restored by James Winch.

More info here: https://fanderson.org.uk/project-ford-and-uforia-3-aliens-attack/

Batteries and Coffee

 This morning I've been attempting to repair some old toys. 

Yep, coffee and screwdrivers. 

First up was this front truck cab motor. It took six brand new batteries but nada. The wheels won't turn. And then I saw the problem, the drive cog is split and not gripping the driveshaft.

I couldn't get it off so I placed a drop of super glue in the split and left it to dry.

Watch this space.

The cab is from a nice big Radio Shack remote control boxed container truck courtesy of a Holmfirth charity shop. For some reason it reminds me of Gerry Anderson TV shows.

There's a sort of Johnny Speed vibe to the cab and the truck too.

Next in line was Snuggles.

An animatronic pet, Snuggles, like most battery toys, had been discarded with batteries left in.

A little elbow grease, some contact cleaning and Snuggles lives again!

Ernie - or Bert?  - had the same trouble. 

The bane of collectors.

Leaking batteries.

Thankfully, despite the grisly condition, after a little tinkering, Ernie was singing Old McDonald Had a Farm once more. 

Not so Elmo. 

Another old kids character - Sesame Street too? - the leakage was so severe that vinegar, WD 40 and Baco-foil just couldn't revive this silent critter's voice box.

Right, now to store them properly. I must remember to take all the batteries out! 

How do you handle leakage?

Action Man Moving Scene with Patient and Medic

 Here's my old photo

Hope you like my new clip

Sunshine Family's Alien Friend

 I've always like toy recycling. Both my own and especially by toy companies.

One obscure bit of recycling you can see online in places like Plaid Stallions is the Sunshine/ Zython body.

Zython is this little-known and even less-seen green alien plastic figure, which Mattel released as part of their Space: 1999 range.

The Sunshine Family was an early generic wholesome doll line, also by Mattel, in the early to late Seventies.

It was a whole new world of sunshine! 

When Mattel came to garnish their TV line-up of Space: 1999 action dolls with another alien they thought, hmmm, what about the Sunshine Family! 

Here's the basic body they had.

And from behind.

Nothing alien about that, unless of course, we colour it green! Bob a strange head on and voila! Sunshine super being!

I give you Zython!

Have you any good recycling examples readers? 

Time to Go Home Moonbasers!

That's all folks!

Hope you enjoyed our 

17th 

bloggiversary!

Thanks for stopping by!

Next year we'll be 18 and ready to leave home! 

😴