He had a flat tyre. Today of all days; a flat tyre. He stood and looked at the car, hoping that he was mistaken, that it was a trick of the light, or soft ground or anything other than the obvious. But no. A flat tyre is a flat tyre, no matter how you look at it. Paul Foster sighed and gave it a kick. After his two-hour workout along…
Gerry Anderson: a legacy.
This is my personal tribute to a man who moulded my childhood and perhaps even more importantly, the most recent years of my life. There are plenty of detailed and informative accounts of his life and career for fans to read, and I think we are all aware of his background, of his early years and his difficult childhood, the loss of his brother in the war. But one sentence from…
Odd Socks and Unrequited Love
This month Dr Jackson has asked his assistants to help answer some of the questions sent in by concerned readers. Dear Dr Jackson. I recently purchased some new clothing and, in an attempt to lose my reputation of being predictable and unadventurous and other such uncomplimentary names, I bought several pairs of black socks with the latest fashion in striped toes. Very daring I have to say! But they…
A look at the Lunar Module
The Lunar Module could be considered as the ‘workhorse’ of SHADO’s space operations. The only craft capable of transporting supplies, equipment and crew to Moonbase, it features in many of the episodes and is a typical product of the design team with its chunky, yet streamlined frame and large cargo compartment. A modelmaker’s delight, and good fun to draw as well! There are several accounts that purport to give an…
Exposed: the debut of Paul Foster
I don’t intend to delve deeply into the biography of Michael Billington in this issue; that has been done far more effectively in other places. What I would like to attempt however, is to look at how the character of Paul Foster developed over the course of the series. Most UFO fans will already be well aware that the introduction of Paul Foster became necessary after the dismissal of Franco…
Exposed: Drabbles
1. Paul Foster climbed into the jet. Jim, his co-pilot, started the check procedure. “Take off in two minutes.” “Roger”, Foster murmured. He had an uncomfortable feeling while the test plane rolled into her start position. “What’s the matter, Paul?” Jim asked while they waited for the take-off clearance from the tower. “Don’t know, but … last night I had the nightmare of the UFO again.” “Oh that”, his comrade…
