History

In 1977, I got involved in Star Trek conventions. I was asked to transport a Smash Martian from London to Liverpool. As seen from the picture, it wasn't the kind of thing that was going to go unnoticed. So I sat it in the passenger seat and drove up the M1 & M6. When I stopped for a rest break, I came back to find the car surrounded by burly truckers. Fearing the worst, I was greeted by several impressions of "they smash them all to pieces" and so on. The rest of the journey was carried out in a similar vein.

In 1978, I was approached to help organise a convention in Slough. Using my legendary skills at 'obtaining' things, I spent a lot of time (when I should have been working) phoning various ad agencies to beg, borrow or steal sci-fi stuff, including loads of stuff on the recently released Star Wars film. This came to the attention of the LTR Courier, a paper for BT people in the City area, who sent a reporter and photographer along to record things, as shown below.

I managed to wangle my way into a stormtrooper costume that someone involved in the film had brought (on the right in the first picture), providing an escort for Dave "Darth Vader" Prowse as he entered and left the hall for his talk (second from the left in the second picture). Not one to miss an opportunity, I stayed in the costume for a walk around Slough, including a trip into Burtons & McDonalds, and attempting to flag down a bus. I also provided the illustrations for the convention book and advertising posters.

  

Often asked what I saw in sci-fi, one answer is possibly seen in this picture.

                                                       

After the event, I managed to be around when Dave Prowse's car broke down, and gave the great man and his kids a lift back to Croydon in the back of the conventions VW minibus. Mr. Prowse blocked the rear window, he is a big man.

 

At one point (date uncertain) I got access to a Star Wars exhibit at a museum in London. The man in charge let a friend from work and I have free rein while he went for breakfast. Unfortunately, only 2 pictures survive. Or so I thought. See more here.

 

      "This is not the idiot you're looking for !"                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, when the second film (ep5 The Empire Strikes Back) was launched, Selfridges had a large display of props for some reason. Using that silver tongue again, I got access again. only one pic from this, and it's during the black & white phase. The negs must be somewhere in the loft......