June 11th 1932. Not a particularly notable day, as days go. No great discoveries, no world-breaking news, but there was one particular event that will remain significant to all fans of UFO.
George Victor Bishop was born.
It seems strange that, to serious UFO fans, the man who was the lynch-pin of UFO would have been eighty this year. Although we have seen him in numerous film TV appearances, and listened to his mellifluous voice in adverts and radio broadcasts, most of us still, in our mind’s eye, see a blond-haired, tall and very slender figure in a tight fitting jumpsuit, striding though the Control room of SHADO headquarters.
Thank you Mr. Bishop, for giving us such a wonderful, and lasting, portrayal of Commander Ed Straker.
The Editors of the Herald wish to apologise for the delay in producing this issue. We are a very small group and we all have full time, and very challenging, careers as well as families and other concerns. Sometimes even our much loved Herald has to take second place to other, more pressing, matters.
We would also like to apologise for any typos, and spelling mistakes that may occur. As I stated to one person – who pointed out that we needed a spellchecker – The Herald is, after all, a fanzine produced by, and for, dedicated UFO fans. It is inevitable that mistakes will happen; we are not professional journalists, and to produce these articles and stories on a regular basis takes a considerable amount of time and commitment on the part of all contributors. I hope that the errors do not spoil your enjoyment of this tribute to UFO and the people who created the series, and we would be grateful if you would notify us of any such mistakes that cause you offence.
Please forgive the recent hiatus, and enjoy this issue. As always, your comments are appreciated.
Our biography of Ed Bishop can be found in the Herald Archives, in the June 2011 issue.
I’ve seen typos in professional books, newspapers, etc. That we have one once in a while just puts us in good company!
Please don’t give a second thought to such nitpickers! You all do a fabulous job and I love the Ed Straker Herald.
Hello, Thank you for this anniversary article. I do find it hard to believe that Ed passed away back in 2005. For me it is one of those dates where I know exactly where I was and exactly what I was doing at the time when I learnt that Ed had passed away. UFO has been with me all my life – through good and bad – and there has always been some intangible ‘something’ about it that has captivated me like no other. Ed, and his characterisation of Commander Ed Straker is a big part of that. So, thank you again and an even bigger THANK YOU to ED (George Victor Bishop) For me he lives on ‘as doubtless he would have wanted’ though UFO and his other work. Best wishes, Griff