Vale Margaret McLean

Eastern Australia hosted a rare lunar eclipse in the wee hours of this morning. As much as you might think this only a spectacular natural phenomenon, it also marked my Mum's departure from Earth.

Watch out Sto'Vo'Kor - and Dad - here comes another proud and confident warrior.

Mum passed away peacefully not long after midnight. How amazing that the heavens gave her a beautiful lunar eclipse as her finale. (My apologies for anyone finding out first via this blog or Facebook. It's still early on a Sunday morning here and I have only just begun to ring people.) And thanks everyone for your responses to my Facebook updates on the Friday night, as I sat with her. The gentle buzzing of my iPhone kept Mum, Jack and me company on Friday night, as your messages of support were coming through.


Jack and ALF keep a vigil.


R.I.P. Margaret McLean

#amjudging

It's the annual school talent quest. I am judging.

As they tweet on Twitter, #amjudging.

Andorian interlopers, 1983

"Return of the Jedi" Australian premiere

Haha, I recall the Andorians got a few nasty glances from the "Star Wars" fans for intruding on their gala premiere! Yay Therin and Tharrah of Andor!

20th Century Fox video of "Return of The Jedi" fans when the film premiered in 1983 in Sydney. Previously, some of this footage accompanied an amusing review by Di Morrisey and Kerri-Anne Kennerley on TV's "Good Morning Australia".


Therin of Andor


Therin & Tharrah

Trekking in 3D?

Paramount's goal with the forthcoming "Star Trek" movie sequel from JJ Abrams is said to be, "... to finally attract more filmgoers overseas since the franchise had never done $100M international before." The US release date is set as May 17, 2013. In 3D!

I have no problem with 3D, and fully expected it for this one. We want ST to be successful and popular, and most recent successful, popular movies are in 3D. I've seen some great 3D movies in recent years - both filmed-in-3D and converted-to-3D - and if that's the way to draw in even more general cinema-goers, then why not? The ST fanbase alone does not buy enough tickets. "Star Trek: Nemesis" proved that.

3D also means there will be a 3D TV Blu-Ray release alongside the regular DVD and Blu-Ray discs.

TOS in syndication prime time reruns had a big, reliable following because it was accessible to the general public over many years. TNG in first-run syndication built a huge audience that ensured that the franchise sold lots of merchandise.

People also forget that "ST III: The Search for Spock" was, at one point, announced as being in 3D. There were plans for funky, collectible, ST 3D Starfleet glasses, too.

Hip hopping into the festive season

Year 4 of an annual tradition.

How does this Smurf smell?

How does this Smurf smell? Terrible!

(Remember the stuffed Smurfs I photographed recently, whose noses were sewn on upside down? Well, on the weekend, I bought a blue plastic toadstool containing a little toy Smurf - and he emerged from the container with NO NOSE.)

Trash Santa

Seen today in Penriff, outside the bottle shop.

"OMG, they trashed Santa!" (He found a Claus in his contract.)



Look familiar?

150

My contribution to Arncliffe Public School's 150th anniversary book:

"My first year at Arncliffe Public School, 1964, was spent in the quaint sandstone building (now the staffroom) that straddled the infants and primary school playgrounds. Sometimes, when it rains, I can almost recall the smell of damp, wooden verandah, plastic raincoats, warm fingerpaint, and school milk in 1/3 pint glass bottles. The infants' Mothers' Club used to turn our school milk allocation into hot cocoa on winter Cocoa Days. All you had to do was remember your plastic mug! Other early, strong memories include child-height blackboards all around the walls (decorated chalk friezes by Miss Jones, our Upper Kindy teacher), little white chairs and tables, and an old wooden highchair, which was our Birthday Chair.


Kinder building, 2011. Now the staffroom.

"For the record, my other teachers were:
1A: Miss Dignan, replaced mid year by Miss Walters
2A: Infants Mistress, Mrs Ruth "Meg" McCarthy
3A: Mrs Robyn James, replaced by Miss Esther "Esie" Witheridge
4A: Mr Milton Mercer
5A: Primary Principal, Mr James Brown
6A: Mr Robert Young.

"In the 60s, boys' and girls' Infants playgrounds were separated by big trees down the middle (with bench seating around them). The boys had the 'Gully' side, near Avenal Street. If any boy attempted to play with the girls, he would be sent to sit quietly 'in the circle', a painted ring in the middle of the girls' playground. The primary department kept boys' ball games to the grassed area (when it wasn’t a dustbowl for marbles). The Segenhoe Street buildings, including Teluba, used to be the separate Arncliffe Girls' High School (until the girls moved to Tempe Boys' High in the mid 70s). Friday afternoon sport for Years 3-6 was always over the footbridge to the fenced paddock on the other side of Princes Highway. Between lunchtime and sport, there were weekly films, shown on a reel-to-reel projector by the 'film boys' in the assembly hall.

"The canteen was only open for lunch orders on a Monday, run by a parent, Mrs Mullampy. The cream buns and pineapple donuts were impressive! On the other days, a woman from a nearby 'tuck shop' would arrive in the playground with a bundle of paper bags to take our orders. When her shop closed down, the owner of 'Angelo's' Italian milk bar, delivered lunch orders. Eventually, our canteen was available five days per week. I'm old enough to remember when Sunny Boys, Razzes and Glugs - ice blocks in triangular pyramid-shaped Tetrapaks - were just five cents each.

"Coronation Hall was the venue for annual Speech Nights. A highlight of my time in 4A (1968) was when Mr Mercer greatly expanded 'The Mummers' Play of St George', in which I played a pompous doctor who raises up the seemingly-dead evil knight, Bold Slasher, so he can challenge the mighty St George in battle. We were the finale of the evening, and our parents weren't expecting the amazing greasepaint makeup jobs we all received backstage. The next year, 5A performed 'Alfie at the Circus', and I was thrilled to be cast as naughty schoolboy, Alfie. (I've used the script in schools many times since.) The whole class was seated on stage in rows, looking out onto an imaginary circus. I had to run out a side door, supposedly eaten by a huge, angry lion, go into the darkened street, around to the front of the building, and down the main aisle, to announce that I'd let out the snake charmer's pets.


Ian with Mr Chips, Brian, Keith with Mac, 1970

"There was also a visit from 'Skeeter the Paperboy'! In 1970, we had a fancy dress night, also held at Coronation Hall. The surprise judge was James 'Skeeter' Kemsley, whom we all knew as the host of Channel 9’s 'Cartoon Corner'. I was a pirate that night and my brother, Keith, was a skeleton (it took my family several nights to paint white bones onto black material). Actually, we both wanted to dress as characters from “The Wacky Races”, to impress Skeeter, but we couldn't work out how to make life-size, working racing cars out of cardboard. Between his career as Skeeter and his untimely death, James Kemsley was the cartoonist on 'Ginger Meggs' comic strips.


James 'Skeeter' Kemsley

"The school’s own hall, where Mr Mason’s classroom is today, was the venue of weekly primary assemblies, and numerous lunchtime plays. In 1968, 4A’s students adapted a Classics Illustrated comic of Shakespeare’s 'Hamlet'. During 1969, Miss Witheridge organised an operetta of "Snow White". There were two night performances for parents. While most roles were filled by Year 6 students, I was cast as 'Max', the head dwarf. Along with six younger students of small stature, we were told to wear our 'jammies' for dwarf outfits, and to make our own beards.


Miss Witheridge's piano

"I was sick with the flu the week of the 1970 school photos, and missed my big chance - as School Captain - to hold up the little 'Class 6A' sign. I was devastated that boys' Vice Captain, Peter Vandine sat in my place, alongside Jenny Hinton. I still can't believe there were so many of us in that class! How did ever fit into the classroom? Luckily, I guess, in those days the wooden desks were still bolted to the floor!


6A in 1970

"Other memorable staff members during my time at Arncliffe were scary Mr Pearce (who used to serialise an amazing, original science fiction story each week to 3A, when Mrs James took on an interschool netball team), friendly Mr Proudfoot, my Year 5 craft teacher - and my first teacher-librarian, Mrs Janette McKenny (1967-1968), with whom I exchanged Christmas cards and phone calls for several decades. What a surprise when she married Milton Mercer, who had been my Year 4 teacher! In 1990, I retrained as a teacher-librarian, and still consider Mrs McKenny to be my inspiration!

"So many memories - and I didn’t even get to the excitement of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969!"

Ian McLean,
School Captain, 1970
(now teacher-librarian at Penrith PS)


Jim, Peter, Ian, 2011

Loyalty and truth

My old school, Arncliffe Public School, is turning 150 on Saturday. I'm Class of 1970, and was school captain - and very excited to be going back to check it out. I've tempted two of my former teachers to go, and hoping to catch up with old classmates. Was also asked to contribute a double page of memoir for the souvenir book.

The pic is me in 1966, standing in front of "The Gully" that ran through the then-Infants playground.

Blueppers

A Smurf nose all. Is it just me, or did someone at the toy factory sew those Smurf noses on upside down?



I know the central figure is supposed to be Astrogirl, but the packaging logo reads "Astroboy". Presumably, there are other figures in the series of "Astroboy" toys and they all have the one series logo. But he looks so cute in the pink skirt.

Happy Halloween

Australia doesn't really embrace Halloween all that much, but it always pays to have a stash of candy at the front door on Halloween night, just in case any trick or treaters pass by. Most years, I don't get any visitors - so I have to eat the evidence.

Shucks.


Twisties' Bag of Ghosts!

Just in time for Halloween 2011, these crunchy and "spookily flavoured" snacks (above), from the makers of regular Twisties, are spiced with paprika. Yum! It's unusual for Australian food companies to bother with Halloween-themed foods.

Seahorse on the wall!

After many, many months, the seahorse mural is finally completed and grouted to the wall of the shower recess.

Originally traced from a 3D carved wooden seahorse my parents once brought back for me from a Pacific Island cruise, the eyes and bubbles are glass hemispherical "stones". When the white background started looking too stark, seaweed strands and a school of fish were added.

For a time, I was flummoxed about the grout. With white tiles for the background, white grout would have looked wrong. I considered adding a grey coloured oxide, but how much would be needed? Then I found green ready-made grout in a squeeze bottle (now a deleted item, sadly) from Riot Art & Craft in Penrith. They also had vibrant pink.

Winnahs!

My table went jungle theme for the second annual trivia night!


Pith on or pith off?


Recycled materials maketh the hat.



Our team managed to retain our crown as trivia champs. We did tie with another table, but they had poached our sport and music expert from last year. A fun night!

Not-so-Magic Art Reproducer

Mmmm, after seeing these ads in US comics over many, many years, it finally turned up in our local Magnamail mail order catalogue. My mother agreed to order me one for my birthday (I was about 14 - 1972?), and the result was very underwhelming, especially the tiny box it arrived in! While it appears to be a large, commercial overhead projector (only just starting to become popular in schools in the 70s), it was extremely tiny and required no power source to operate.

The ad misleadingly shows the artists using the device from a distance, but the barely-visible superimposed image you are supposed to trace can only be seen on the paper if you press your eye to the viewer. (Then you can't really control your pencil very well.) Mine had a hairline crack in the base, where the upright pole was supposed to connect, so there was enough wobble to be annoying. When copying a 2D artwork, the source material had to be pinned upside down on a wall. It was hopeless trying to get enough light to fall on a 3D object. The trickiest thing was directing light across the source material to illuminate the image clearly - I spent a long time trying to direct a goosenecked desk lamp at the right angle (that I had to return to to my Dad's desk as soon as possible).

I used the device once, then hid it in a drawer. My old pantograph was definitely more fun.

Jack in Nowra

Speed limit = walking pace only, Shared roadway, Don't forget your hat. ;)

Rapture replay?

Who woulda thought I'd be able to reuse this pic (first posted: 21st May, 2011).


Post-Rapture poster

Should I pre-empt myself and repost this one as well?

Here comes an aeroplane... er, starship!

"Star Trek" Enterprise Light-Up Feeding System from ThinkGeek

Nostalgia news!

1969 Halloween toy advertisement in Tri City Herald, Oct 20, p85.

This daily newspaper, based in Kennewick, Washington, USA, carried a very cool Halloween promotion way back in 1969. Notice the discounted listings for several glow-in-the-dark phenomena: a Green Ghost Game for $US 6.66, Daddy Booregard representing the Kooky Spookys finger puppets at 87 cents, and Glo-Juice varnish for 77 cents a bottle! "Things for Halloween to make the night 'spooktacular'!"

I seem to recall that, in Australia, Green Ghost retailed at $12.99 at Christmas; I can almost picture the price sign at Coles in Rockdale. (I received it that year as a birthday present.) I think the Kooky Spookys retailed here for $1.69 each. I just checked and the US exchange rate was 0.90008 in 1969. That would be about right, with freight charges added.

My PhotoPeach slideshow about Kooky Spookys is HERE!

Who am I?

I went to the Dept of Main Roads today, armed with my birth certificate, several utility bills, Medicare and VISA cards - and forked over $50 - so I can finally prove who I am for the next five years, especially when sending parcels overseas at the post office.

Unless you drive in Australia, you're a non entity. Even a passport isn't "valid ID" because it has no street address on it. So now I have an embarrassing pic on a laminated card just like all the drivers out there.

I tried to get a "Proof of Age" card a few years ago, and the woman at the DMR laughed at me. "Proof of Age" photo ID cards were only available to non drivers between the ages of 18-26. Later, they changed the scheme to a more general identification card. The had sent me to the office of Births, Deaths & Marriages for a "Birth Card", but there was a 14-day waiting period to receive it, and a "Birth Card" really did the same as a passport, without the option for traveling overseas.

Mind you, I was one who voted in favour of the Australia Card a couple of decades ago. Even after that proposal was resoundly defeated, the government instigated the wider use of personal tax file numbers to do things like open a bank account, or apply for a job, so they achieved what they wanted anyway. Except I still couldn't prove who I was, unless I was willing to study a manual of road rules, pass a computerised test, and obtain a learner driver's permit I had no intention of using for that purpose.

What possum?

Hush from "Possum magic" (left); and Hush turns invisible (right).

Hush the baby possum from "Possum magic", a children's picture book by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas. He stays visible only by regular intake of "people food" such as Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova and lamingtons.

Obsessed, Vault, Rules: three new Star Trek book purchases

A big haul of Star Trek books this week, thanks to Galaxy Bookshop:

The "Star Trek Vault: 40 Years from the Archives" (Abrams) is by Scott Tipton, and follows the trend set by previous Marvel, DC and Star Wars vault collections. I've only had a chance to skim the fairly meaty, 126pp, contents (will Tipton throw up any factoids I don't already know?) but if you're interested to learn what collectibles have been replicated, they are: mini version of the "Planet Ecnal's Dilemma" TOS coloring book, three b/w Leaf trading cards, iron-on transfer of the Enterprise (on a cel), a sheet of four TMP gum card stickers, ST II Spock pennant, Japanese ST IV poster, Locutus's Borg arm diagram, page of "Generations" storyboard, "First Contact" captain's chair schematic, page of "Insurrection" script, invitation to DS9 Season 5 wrap party, b/w page from IDW's "TNG: Intelligence Gathering" comic, and two Rescue Emergency Evac set stickers from ENT. These items slide into little pockets, or are fastened at one edge to the pages.


ERTL's "Star Trek III" prototype action figures!

Page 45 has a colour version of a pic (above) I've always wanted: the ERTL 3.75" ST III action figure prototypes, with a Terran collie dog filling in for Kruge's Klingon pet (below)! Prior to this, I'd only had a small b/w version in an old Star Tech mail order catalog.


ERTL's Kruge and Klingon pet from "Star Trek III"

You want to take on 2500 ST trivia questions? The new trivia book, "Obsessed With Star Trek" (Chronicle Books) by Chip Carter, comes with an attached, electronic randomizer device that keeps score as you answer questions, and can be configured for two-players. Every double page spread also has a b/w photo from one of the many ST productions, with some interesting, obscure factoids and a question based on the event illustrated.

Also out this week: simultaneous hardcover and trade paperback editions of "Shatner Rules: Your Guide to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large" (Dutton) by William Shatner with Chris Regan. If you can survive the chapter where Shatner slags off on TOS actors for slagging off at him over recent years, it has some fun stuff in it.

Geeks and magnets stick together!

A parcel van turned up this morning with my brand new "Star Trek" Mix 'n' Match Magnetic Adventure Set from Ata-Boy Inc, via the ThinkGeek mail order website.

Similar to the old Colorforms sets of the 60s, only using magnetic material, the reversible background allows Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Kor the Klingon ("Errand of Mercy") or the Gorn Captain ("Arena") to play out scenes on the Enterprise bridge or the iconic Vasquez Rocks!



I'm realising there's some potential for some cross-pollination with other magnets on my fridge...


"Mmmm, pointed ears, but the tricorder readings don't register him as Vulcan."

Youtube flashback! Number 96 in Best of Aussie Dramas

Another Ian-chatting-about-"Number 96" Youtube find:


Ian inserted into the famous "Number 96" bomb episode's split-screen shot.

THE BEST OF AUSSIE DRAMAS (November 2002)
Presented by Kate Ritchie of Home and Away. Contained numerous clips of Number 96, with sound byte comments from John Orcsik, Elaine Lee, Jeff Kevin, Lorrae Desmond, Vince Sorrenti and Number 96 historian, Ian McLean. Seven Network.

Youtube flashback! Tonight Live salutes Number 96

Another "Number 96" Youtube find:


Photo © 1993 Artist Services. Thanks Fiona Vizard.

TONIGHT LIVE WITH STEVE VIZARD. (20/7/1993)
Hosted by Steve Vizard. Featured flashback footage and live interviews with Elaine Lee, Jeff Kevin, Steve Bedwell and Number 96 historian, Ian McLean. Comedian Vince Sorrenti conducted a tour of Moncur Flats, at 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra, the actual location of the Number 96 building seen in the show's credits. Seven Network.
Part 1 (Elaine Lee)

Part 2 (Jeff Kevin, Steve Bedwell)

Part 3 (featuring yours truly).

Darren Gray interviews Andrew Mercado & Ian McLean

"Darren Gray Down Under" on CTV1, 1995.

Wow, what a surprise to find this interview about Aussie TV soap opera, Number 96, on Youtube today! CTV1 was a community access television station out of Redfern, in inner-suburban Sydney. The producer at CTV1 was Joy Hruby. I've never had my own copy of this interview on video (thanks to Australia Post x two attempts), and yet here it is on Youtube! While my book proposal continued to hit brick walls, Andrew successfully launched "Super Aussie Soaps" a few years later. Thanks for uploading the interview, Darren Gray!


Frame grab features Darren Gray, Ian McLean and Andrew Mercado.

Ah, by the way, the trivia question I missed in the interview:

Louise Howitt portrayed Pamela Marshall, the estranged wife of Andy (Peter Adams), who has kept the birth of his child a secret - until Tanya Schnolskevitska (Natalie Mosco) interferes. Pam overdosed with pills in a desperate attempt to take Andy away from Tanya, but her life was saved.

Finally, more Number 96 DVDs are coming!

Thanks to my ol' pal, Andrew Mercado, there is news of another boxed set of 32 "Number 96" episodes to celebrate the upcoming 40th anniversary of the show next year. Thanks Umbrella Entertainment and Andrew!

Due to space constraints on the DVD, Andrew has hand-picked the most important sixteen episodes from the 21 episodes from the b/w era that remain in existence. He promises nothing important will be omitted. As Andrew says on his website, "many of you asked for, and will now get, the first ever episodes. Every colour episode (from 585 – 1218) has been saved by the National Film and Sound Archive but tragically, nearly every black and white episode before then was lost, taped over or destroyed. Just 21 episodes remain from 1972-1974 which means most of the gritty groundbreaking stuff seems lost forever."

Disk 1 will commence with the first three episodes, that were originally broadcast together in Sydney on premiere night.

EPISODES 1, 2, 3. (First aired in Sydney: 13/3/1972) Mark Eastwood (Martin Harris) and his eight-month pregnant wife, Helen (Briony Behets), move into Flat 4 of Number 96. Dorrie and Herb Evans (Pat McDonald & Ron Shand) introduce themselves to the new neighbours. When Helen rejects her frustrated husband's sexual advances, Mark turns to young Rose Godolfus (Vivienne Garrett) for consolation. In Flat 6, actress Janie Somers (Robyn Gurney) worries about her meeting with an American producer, Alex Lederer (Harry Harris). Mark rescues Rose from a sleazy bikie, Cliff Stevens (Vincent Gil). Helen's condition after her tragic fall causes concern and the building's residents are generous in their offers of support. Flat 5's Bruce Taylor (Paul Weingott) plans his latest wild party. Episode #3 was a new version of the November 1971 pilot, reshot to blend with the other instalments. In Melbourne, the first two episodes were aired back-to-back on 14/3/72. Channel 0 elected to black out the lower half of the screen during Mark's attempted seduction of his wife. When repeated in a daytime timeslot, commencing 4/2/74 at 1.30 pm in Sydney, the episodes were aired in 30-minute segments. The "Janie/Alex" plotline was novelised for the 1972 Arkon paperback, Janie Stagestruck, while the "Mark/Helen/Rose" plotline was novelised in 1973 as The Wayward Husband.

4. (14/3) Dorrie, the self-proclaimed "conserge" of Number 96, continues her relentless interference into the lives of the building's tenants. Bruce's flatmate, Don Finlayson (Joe Hasham) admits that he sabotaged their latest party in order to pacify Dorrie. Flat 8's Lucy Sutcliffe (Elisabeth Kirkby) begins her job as manager at the new laundrette, but her day is cut short by electrical problems. Alf Sutcliffe (James Elliott) isn’t too happy that Lucy has got herself a job. Bev Houghton (Abigail) is thrilled with her nude shoot. Meanwhile, in Flat 7, Vera Collins (Elaine Lee) is being plagued by phantom phone calls.

5. (15/3) Vera hosts a party to celebrate Mark's good news about Helen and their baby daughter. Meanwhile, Janie and her flatmate, Bev, do their own celebrating: a double date with Alex and Charles (Max Osbiston). Delicatessen owner Aldo Godolfus (Johnny Lockwood) is unable to keep his daughter at home. In desperation, he tries to arrange a suitable match for Rose "just as they did in the old country", but she is unimpressed with his selection, Dr Julian Myers (Lew Luton). Vera advises Peter Harvey (Peter Guest) about future business ventures through a card-reading.

6. (16/3) How will Mark break the shocking news about the baby to Helen? Dorrie is eager to spread the gossip. Alf is bickering with Lucy again; he wants to return home to England, but his wife is determined to stay. Bev flirts with both Don and Alex and each responds in quite different ways. Helen is suffering from catatonic withdrawal. Rose expresses her true feelings for Mark, but Aldo overhears.

7. (17/3) Maggie Cameron (Bettina Welch) drops by her love nest as lover Bruce tries to hide his boyfriend Don. Dorrie makes it her special project to discover who is occupying the vacant shop in front of Flat 1.

8. (20/3) Maggie and Bruce find their time well occupied when they return to Number 96, but Maggie has to be home by eleven o'clock to avoid arousing the suspicions of her husband, Victor (Owen Weingott). Bev flirts with Don but can’t figure out why he becomes so uncomfortable. This plotline was novelised for the 1973 Arkon paperback, Bev & Bruce & Maggie & Don. Note that the actors who played Maggie's husband and lover were, in reality, father and son.



Disk 2:

9. (21/3/1972) Dorrie discovers a chemist is opening in the building. Ethel Brinkman (Jenny Lee), the daughter of Alf and Lucy, returns from Newcastle in a desperate plea for help.

10. (22/3) The mysterious caller finally reveals his identity to Vera. It is her estranged husband, Harry (Norman Yemm), and he's not very friendly.

13. (27/3) Dorrie condescends to patronise Lucy's laundrette, at least on a trial basis, to give Lucy a boost. However, two young hippies (Chard Hayward and Cathy Jones) have no inhibitions about using the laundrette at all.

31. (21/4) Sonia feels that Gordon is using her and she forces the issue with him. Herb's solicitor, Mr Calthrop (Ken Fraser), oversees the contractual agreement that makes Herb and Harry partners. Maggie invites Cliff up to Flat 5 for a modelling audition. Vera and Harry try to conceal an intoxicated Herb from Dorrie.

33. (25/4) Chad Farrell (Ronne Arnold) and Sonia share an evening out and he confesses his true feelings for her. However, Sonia tries to convince him that she has been in love with Gordon for two years. Aldo leaves Julian and Rose alone, but will he find out that they actually played Monopoly? Alf and Lucy's 30th wedding anniversary is threatened by an impromptu drinking session with George Baker (Barry Donnelly) and Harry. Harry's bigotry reaches breaking point when he encounters Chad on the stairs.

34. (26/4) Bev tries unsuccessfully to face reality; Don is no longer the man with whom she first fell in love; ie. she reacts badly when Don tells her that he is a homosexual.

35. (27/4) Don is surprisingly sympathetic towards Bev when she apologises for her previous outburst. Maggie has a surprise for Don and Bev, as does Bev's mother, Claire Houghton (Thelma Scott). Sonia meets Gordon’s wife, Sylvia Vansard (Shirley Cameron). A development of this plotline was novelised for the 1973 Arkon paperback, Who Killed Sylvia Vansard?

450. (1/2/1974) Don's Aunt Amanda, the Baroness von Pappenburg (Carol Raye), takes Flo Patterson (Bunney Brooke), plus Dorrie and Herb, to her fancy dress farewell party, but Herb gets himself arrested. Claire vows to have her revenge over her daughter's death. Amanda resolves Herb's court ordeal. Lucy is uneasy about Mr Poreski (Tim Eliott) and his men, but Alf is determined to tell all on the "Names in the News" television show. Harry wants Vera to have an abortion. This is only surviving episode from 1974; and it's hilarious!



Disk 3:

832. (27/8/1975) Jaja Gibson (Anya Seleky), and her latest escapades, infuriate Grace "Prim" Primrose (Pamela Gibbons). Norma Whittaker (Sheila Kennelly) can't understand the new mystery.

833. (28/8) Dudley Butterfield (Chard Hayward) has plans that amaze the Sutcliffes. Maggie confronts Jaja.

834. (29/8) Reg and Edie MacDonald (Mike Dorsey & Wendy Blacklock) receive a nasty shock. Roma Godolfus (Philippa Baker) loses her patience with Aldo.

835. (1/9) Roma speaks harshly to Aldo. Flo's behaviour baffles Dorrie.

836. (2/9) Reg and Edie are unsure how to handle a situation. Maggie has strong advice for Vera.

837. (3/9) Flo is desperately unhappy, while it seems that Vera has overplayed her hand.

838. (4/9) Maggie has infuriated Warwick Thompson (Kit Talor). Some unlikely visitors call on Reg at one o'clock in the morning. A bomb is hidden in a box of olives.

839. (5/9) The new Flo raises Dorrie's suspicions that her friend is shoplifting. Lucy and Alf think they have solved their house-hunting troubles: they decide to swap flats with Don. Prim sends Miles Cooper (Scott Lambert) on an errand downstairs. Les finds a note about a bomb in Number 96 and sounds a warning to all the residents, but will he have enough time?

Disk 4:

840, 841. (8/9/1975) The explosion in the deli has claimed the lives of four Number 96 residents. Alf is worried about Lucy and the baby, while Vera turns to Warwick for comfort. Norma is in a critical condition. Nigel Morgan (John Allen) takes over and Maggie is determined to solve a new mystery. Two episodes were screened back-to-back to create a sixty-minute presentation. Episode #840 was later incorporated into an episode of The Golden Years of Television entitled "Salute to Australian Soaps".

842. (9/9) Arnold Feather (Jeff Kevin) is shocked by a visit from Aldo's daughter, Rose Myers (Vivienne Garrett). Don has some plans afoot.

843. (10/9) Dudley runs into trouble, while Reg has some explaining to do to Edie. Lucy discovers the truth about the tragic bomb blast.

844. (11/9) Alf blames himself for his awful mistake. Dorrie has a mystery to solve.

845. (12/9) Mystery continues to surround Maggie. Jack Sellars (Tom Oliver) lends a hand to trap the bomber. What is the truth behind Flo's strange secret? Lucy learns the truth about the blast.

846. (15/9) Dudley's reaction to Jaja's adventures thrill her. Arnold makes a noble sacrifice. Jack sets a trap for the killer.

847. (16/9) Dorrie is not sure if she approves of the changes in Flo. Some news brings out a strange reaction in Liz Chalmers (Margaret Laurence).

Be watching for this boxed set in March 2012!


"Bomb? What bomb?"

Famous Faces mug

I missed my chance to pick up the dog calendar for 2011 that featured the Spock caricature on its cover last year (I held out for a reduced price as the year raced towards December, but they quickly sold out). There were twelve hilarious images but only the "Star Trek" one excited me. Today, in a Berry gift store, I found several of the canine calendar images... as ceramic mugs - and cheaper than the original calendar. From Takkoda (UK).