Go Frank!

It Came From Outer Scotney!

Far back in the mists of ancient time in the great and glorious days of my late teens, I had an idea.

Not a very good one. But an idea nonetheless.

I sat down and started writing a script. This is no mean feat for a guy that can't plot, has no idea how to imbue his characters with anything even remotely close to personality and...

well.... can't write.

But too hell with it I thought! I would try to write one episode of this opus a week, I would then meet up with some mates of mine, Richard, Peter, Adrian and once or twice Emma, and head for our massively hi-tech recording studio.

Ok... that was a lie. The Studio was half a porta cabin located in a car park at Pembury Hospital. It was mostly a hotch-potch of whatever equipment they could lay their hands on, so the show was recorded, in mono, on a Revox reel to reel machine. The recordings tended to take place between midnight and the early hours because that was the only way we could make sure the studio wasn't occupied.

So over a period of about 2 months we managed to cobble together six episodes of this Sci-Fi comedy.

Supposed comedy anyway.

Bear in mind that we were all in our teens, it was early in the morning and we were all high on caffeine. I think I also got a bout of food poisoning from a sandwich that I bought from a vending machine that we nicknamed "Robbie."

The version that I have set the links up too are not the originals however. After George Lucas released the "Star Wars Special Editions" I thought that I too should revisit my masterpiece. I copied the original reel to reel tapes onto CD and then ripped the CD onto my PC.

I removed pauses, fluffed lines (though not all because some were funny), added new sound effects and music cues and generally tightened the whole thing up.

And in true George Lucas style I refuse to acknowledge the existence of the "Classic" versions, until there is a massive public outcry and I am forced to release them!!

SBJ

Just a quickie today. I'm adding a link to "SBJ's pantechnicon extravaganza" the blog of my good friend Simon Bucher-Jones. Not only is he a "top bloke" he is also a brilliant writer. Lookout for his Doctor Who Novel "Grimm Reality" which he co-wrote with Kelly Hale.

Great stuff!

Getting the hang of it.

I think I'm getting the hang of this now.

I honestly don't know why most people have a blog, for every thought provoking page there are millions of.....

well.....

pages like this!

I'm sure there will be gaps of weeks between my posts, so don't hold your breath!
I also suspect I may end up using it to rant, I seem to be doing that more these days anyway.

I took the picture above at Chanonry Point in Scotland in 2005. It's a wonderful spot to go Dolphin watching in the summer. At high tide fish get caught in currents and the Dolphin's swoop in to feed. A few will swim around the fish and herd them into groups while others dash in and out of the shoals feeding.

A remarkable and uplifting sight.

A Small Start....

Well....
I had to start somewhere. I love this picture of me when I was a nipper, mostly because it is an almost complete misrepresentation of what my childhood was like. It makes me look like I was the son of the Third Earl of Kent.

I was not.

Still, I cherish this photo. The dog was called Prince and was a complete "mutt."
Honestly... He was the stupidest animal imaginable.