Stop Karpan on!

 More Japanese goodies I spotted.

Space Fighters By Karpan.

It's a strange looking vehicle, a canon of sorts. Not my favourite. Anyone recognize it?

Keep off the Grass!

 Spring fun with Big Hero and Ben 10 critter.

Time for a Cuppa Day! Yorkshire Tea Model Cars

Hi Woodsy

At an Auckland fair I spotted this Lledo model – a Yorkshire Tea van in a special box. Knowing how Woodsy loves his Yorkshire Tea, I just had to buy it.

The model is a standard 1950 Bedford 30 cwt Van, with Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea on the sides, and Family Tea Merchants Est. 1886 on the doors.

It is cream with black mudguards. The cab interior is black plastic, and clear windows are fitted.

The box is especially nice, and the front flap opens up like a book. This was a style Lledo used for a number of their models.

The box is illustrated with scenes of Yorkshire, and the back of the box even identifies the artist – Mick Ashpool. The bottom of the box carries a copyright date of 2000, and says Made in China.

Given that two vehicles are shown on the box top, I wondered if this was part of a set ? A little digging indeed turned up a companion piece, the 1953 Morris Z Van in Police markings.

This is dark blue, with Police markings on the sides, and North Riding Police Force on the doors in white. The wheel hubs are black plastic.

This has a slightly different box, with a link to the Heartbeat TV series, which was set in Yorkshire in the 1960s. The artwork being the same for both models.

It seems there was also an orange Morris Minor Van and an orange and white Volkswagen Camper Van in similar packaging. Some of these models having different copyright dates on the boxes.

In addition, Lledo produced other Yorkshire Tea models in regular Days Gone packaging. Plenty for the Yorkshire Tea fan to look out for.

Six photos, those of the Yorkshire Tea van are of my model, the Police Van models are from Worthpoint.

Anyone got any tea memorabilia?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

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Time for a Cuppa Day

promoting dementia awareness

SOMETHING YELLOW - Contemporary Glass Society

When I saw this I thought it was the kind of cute plastic toy I collect.

It's made of glass!

Check out the Contemporary Glass Society.

https://cgs.org.uk/onlineexhibition/something-yellow/

Do you like glass?

It's a Barbie Swirl

Spent a happy hour cleaning two old car boot cars.

The little merc got an overnight Dettol bath to remove a layer of red repaint (thanks Bill) and a vigorous swirl in a jam jar of soapy water. It's taken most of the original blue off as well, but that's OK. I like the look it's got now.

The big Barbie roadster is a pinanan ... A Ferrari, which has cleaned up really well with a damp scouring pad. 

Are you cleaning stuff?

Rockets in my Pockets

 Whilst my VHS project has had to be put on the back burner for financial and technical reasons, my new obsession are Corgi Rockets, largely because I've found so many so cheaply this month!

A complete Rockets novice, I do remember adoring them as a kid, easily as much as my redlines. 

Currently, for me, it's much easier finding Rockets than redlines, so it makes more sense to collect them.

It's a steep learning curve and I've been picking Bill's brains.

Apart from the usual Rockets there are some unusual sets out there containing some strange vehicles, so as I'm just discovering them, I thought I'd share them here too.

First up is Jerry's Banger, seen here with the little canon.

It's a Corgi Junior Whizzwheels but rather confusingly was included in the Corgi Rockets Tom and Jerry Crazy Chase Set.

Strange that they didn't use proper Rockets but as I say, I'm still learning!

The other car was Tom's Go Cat.

Seen here in the flesh and one I've yet to to find.

Next up is the equally odd Rockets Wall of Death Special set. Again this Rockets box contained two Corgi Juniors.

Here are the two vehicles. Is that a standard Whizzwheels Ford Capri? Which bike is that? Anyone know? Oddly, the Capri illustrated on the set box top is fully liveried.

Last but not least, the Rockets Alpine Ski Set.

Like the other two sets I certainly never saw this when I was a kid.

Looking at it I find it an odd choice for a Rockets.

The skiier is the main event. Again, I've never seen this in all the years I've been car booting.

Have you?

All fascinating stuff but I think I'll stick to the regular Rockets I think. I may have a chance of finding them!

Steve Tanner Launches Project SWORD Kickstarter

Best of luck Steve!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/timebomb/gerry-andersons-project-sword

Cast Asides

 It's Walpurgis Nacht, a time of witchery, so I'm rifling through my obscure Horror VHS pile.

 I can see that a few young film makers and actors cut their teeth in cheapo 1980's horror films. 

For instance I found Night Beast, a typical 80's schlocker, which I understand had a music score by one JJ.Abrams, aged just 16! 

I haven't seen it. Have you?

Parasite, another 80's creeper, was an early vehicle for the talents of a young Demi Moore.

And rumour has it that the model on the cover of the notorious I Spit on Your Grave was also one Demi Moore! 

And last but not least, Dario Argento's Phenomena (which I'm sure has another name) gave starlet Jennifer Connelly a chance to shine.

I've not seen any of these. Have you?