Action Man - Part Four: Vintage Action Hero

Action Man British Infantryman (1980s)

2nd British Infantryman with tunic, trousers, webbing, helmet, wtaer bottle, bayonet, scabbard, boots and Carl Gustav anti-tank weapon and tripod.

Action Man German Paratrooper (1979)

From the "Internationals" very basic range of uniforms: German Paratrooper uniform consisted of smock, trousers, helmet and boots. Optional accessories shown are belt jumper and Schmeisser Sub Machine Gun.

Action Man RNLI Sea Rescue (1974)

R.N.L.I Sea Rescue: Oilskin jacket and trousers, trousers, woolen hat, life jacket, breeches buoy, black boots, Flare gun, Flashlight.

Action Man American Marine (Internationals)

The basic US Marine Corps uniform consisted of tunic, trousers, brown tall boots, and helmet. Accessories also shown (available separately) are Carbine, webbing, scarf and bayonet,.

Action Man Long Range Desert Group

Shirt, shorts, boots, puttees, socks, goggles, bandanna, arab headressplastic webbing, commando knife, water bottle, Thompson machine gun, grenades and entrenching tool.

Action Man Royal Hussar (1979)

Early figure shown wearing a 1979 Royal Hussars uniform including tunic, trousers, gold waist belt, sword, decorative cross belt and chain, pouch, cap, shoes and spurs.

Action Man Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (1970)

Scottish regimental uniform included tunic, kilt, sporran, hose, glengarry (cap), spats, bayonet and scabbard, black boots, SLR Rifle and belt.

Action Man Desert Fighter (1978)

Simple unform consisted of Australian bush hat, shorts and Thompson sub machine gun (no boots!)

Tom Stone (Action Man Team)

Tom Stone figure, member of the Action Man Team. With realistic hair, gripping hands, camouflage suit, beret, Black Boots and Heckler & Koch SMG

Booo, Hisss....Enders wins Soap Award!

Altogether now, haters of Enders....Boooo, Hissss! Sad to say, EastEnders has retained its crown as best of British at the soap world's Oscars. The BBC One series, which recently caused controversy with its baby-swap storyline, beat stiff competition to win the Best Soap award for the fourth year in a row at the British Soap Awards.

Despite missing out on the top prize, Coronation Street won nine awards, compared with EastEnders' total of four. The dramatic live show that saw a tram crash on to the Weatherfield cobbles, filmed to mark the ITV soap's 50th anniversary, won awards for Best Single Episode and Spectacular Scene of the Year. It also led to the plot that won Coronation Street this year's Best Storyline - End of the line for the Websters and the Dobbs.

Best Dramatic Performance was won by Jane Danson for her role as Leanne Barlow. Her screen stepson Simon, played by Alexander Bain, won the Best Young Performance award at the ceremony, which took place at Manchester's Granada Studios.

Bill Tarmey, who bowed out of the soap after playing Jack Duckworth for 31 years, won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Exit gong. Patti Clare, who plays eccentric Mary Taylor in Coronation Street, won the prize for Best Comedy Performance.

Michelle Keegan, Tina McIntyre in the soap, won the viewer-voted prize for Sexiest Female, for the third year running. It was also third time lucky for EastEnders' Scott Maslen, who was named Sexiest Male again.

EastEnders picked up Best On-screen Partnership for Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie's portrayal of Kat and Alfie Moon. Jessie was also named Best Actress.

Hollyoaks actor Emmett J Scanlan was voted both Best Newcomer and Villain of the Year for his role as Brendan Brady. Emmerdale actor Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy) was named Best Actor.

Joe 90

Joe 90 is a late-1960s British Science Fiction television series concerning the adventures and exploits of nine-year-old Joe McClaine, who starts a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and then transferring expert knowledge and experience to another human brain. Equipped with the skills of the foremost academic and military minds, Joe enlists in the World Intelligence Network (WIN), becoming its "Most Special Agent", pursuing the ideal of world peace and saving human life. Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed at Century 21 Productions, one 30-episode series followed the earlier Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

First screened in the UK between September 1968 and April 1969 on the ATV network,Joe 90 is the sixth and last of the Anderson productions to have been made exclusively using the form of Marionette Puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation". The final puppet series, The Secret Service, also used this process, but in combination with extensive live-action footage. As in the case of its predecessor, Captain Scarlet, the puppets of Joe 90 are of a more naturally proportioned design as opposed to the more caricatured appearance of the characters from Thunderbirds.

Although not as successful as Century 21's previous puppet efforts, since its inception, Joe 90 has been praised, besides other aspects, for the charectarisation of its smaller Supermarionation cast and the accomplishment of its model sets and special effects. Commentators read into Joe 90's spy-fi theme and the selection of a child as the main protagonist, either proposing a "kids play Bond" connection or an enshrinement of children and the powers of their imagination. Criticism ranges from the violence depicted in a number of episodes to the frequent absence of female characters, which is viewed either as the inevitable result of Joe 90's development as a "boy's own adventure" or bordering on sexism.

As had been the case for its precursors, Century 21 based merchandising campaigns on Joe 90, including toy cars and comic strips dedicated to the continuing missions of Joe McClaine. Syndicated on its arrival in the United States in 1969, re-broadcast in the UK during the 1990s and released on DVD in most regions in the 2000s, the concept of a live-action motion picture adaptation of Joe 90 has been considered more than once since the 1960s, but without further development. A comparable format exists in the similarly titled Ben 10. While Joe 90 gains the abilities of scientists and pilots while wearing his glasses, Ben 10 gains the powers of aliens while wearing a watch.

Joe 90 is set either in 2012-3 or at another point in the early 21st century, or 1998, according to the official Writer's Guide. Nine-year-old British schoolboy Joe McClaine is the adopted son of Professor Ian "Mac" McClaine, a renowned computer expert. On the outside, the McClaines are an ordinary father-and-son pair who live in an antiquated Elizabethan-style cottage overlooking Culver Bay, Dorset, tended by their housekeeper, Mrs Harris. However, residing in a secret underground laboratory is Mac's latest invention, the "BIG RAT"

(Brain Impulse Galvonoscope Record And Transfer), a machine capable of recording knowledge and experience from leading experts in various fields and transferring it to another human brain. The central aspect of the design is the "Rat Trap", a rotating, spherical cage in which a subject is seated during the transfer of the expert "brain pattern". Sam Loover, a secret agent for the World Intelligence Network, persuades Mac, his friend, to dedicate the BIG RAT to WIN's pursuit of world peace by permitting Joe to assume such knowledge and experience and become a WIN agent. After the requisite skill is transferred, and provided that Joe is wearing special spectacles containing hidden electrodes storing the expertise, he is able to execute such missions as operating fighter aircrraft blasting off into space and performing advanced nuerosurgery, all the while appearing to be an innocent schoolboy to the enemies of WIN. Since no one would usually suspect a child of espionage, Joe is WIN's "Most Special Agent". Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief of WIN's London Headquarters, Shane Weston, he is also provided with a special briefcase, which on superficial inspection appears to be a simple school case but in fact conceals an adapted handgun and WIN tranceiver. There is some inconsistency as to why Joe assumes the codename "90". Promotional information states that, in the pilot, Joe joins another 89 WIN agents based in London, becoming the 90th WIN agent. However, the BIG RAT project is referred to as WIN's "File 90" in the episode "Project 90", and here (according to dialogue from Professor McClaine) Joe's designation originates from this.

In a manner similar to other Gerry Anderson series, Joe 90 features gadgets, rescue operations, secret organisations, and criminal and terrorist threats to the safety of the world. One example of advanced technology demonstrated is the "Jet Air Car", a land, sea and air vehicle invented by Professor McClaine prior to the events of the series. The pun of the "WIN" acronym for the World Intelligence Network is similar to that of WASP, the abbreviated name of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol that appears in Stingray. The Cold W ar, significant in 1968 due to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia that August has ended in the futuristic universe of Joe 90. Although, in the pilot, Joe is depicted stealing a new Russian fighter plane to expose its revolutionary design to the West, the story is later revealed to be a speculative scenario imagined by Shane Weston to demonstrate the kinds of espionage in which Joe may be involved if Mac consents to his son starting a second life as a secret agent.

Nevertheless, the Joe 90 universe still sees the Earth's landmasses politically divided into Western and Eastern regions. A recurring antagonist for WIN is the "Eastern Alliance", which dominates Asia and appears in the episodes "Attack of the Tiger" and "Mission -X41". Meanwhile, "International Concerto", "Business Holiday", "Arctic Adventure" and "The Professional" include villains who speak with Slavic accents. "Attack of the Tiger" combines the Eastern Alliance threat with the hazards of nuclear technology. In this episode, Joe must prevent an Eastern nuclear device from being launched into Earth orbit. However, an episode showcasing the benefits of such technology is "Big Fish", in which Joe struggles to remove a crippled nuclear submarine from the ocean floor when it strays into the territorial waters of a hostile Latin American Police state. The series ends on a clip show episode, "The Birthday", in which a number of Joe's missions are recalled as flashbacks when the protagonist reaches the age of ten.

David's Silver Lady!

"Silver Lady" was a popular single by David Soul. Written by Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens and produced by Macaulay, Silver Lady was the second and final number one single in the UK for David Soul spending three weeks at the top in October 1977. The single fared less well in his homeland peaking at No 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. It can be found on his second album Playing To An Audience of One.

Tired of drifting, searching, shifting
From town to town
Every time I slip and slide
A little further down
I can't blame you if you won't take me back
After everything I put you through
But Honey you're my last hope
And who else can I turn to

Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again
Believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one long fight, without you
Here I am a million miles from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver Lady

Double talkers, backstreet walkers
At every turn
Seedy motels and no star hotels
Still I had to learn
That the one shining thing in my life
Was the sweet love I had with you
And Honey, you're my last hope
And who else can I turn to

Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again
Believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one long fight, without you
Here I am a million miles from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver Lady

Can't you find it in you to forgive me

Coz here I am a million miles from home
The Indiana wind and rain cut through me
I'm lost and alone
Chilled to the bone
Silver Lady

Come on Silver Lady take my word
I won't run out on you again
Believe me
Oh I've seen the light
It's just one long fight, without you

Preceded by "Way Down" by Elvis Presley

UK Number One single October 8 - October 29, 1977 (3 weeks)

Succeeded by "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" by Baccara

Arrrh, yes. The Ladybird books. These books bring back so many good and happy memories for me. Being at Primary School in the early 1970s these books were the staple diet when it came to helping young kids learn to read and write. My school library I remember was kitted out from one side to the other, beginning with 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.

Sid Vicious dies in drugs drama: 1979

On the morning of 12 October 1978, Sid Vicious claimed to have awoken from a drugged stupor to find Nancy Spungen dead on the bathroom floor of their room in the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan, New York. She had suffered a single stab wound to her abdomen and appeared to have bled to death. The knife used had been bought by Vicious on 42nd Street and was identical to a collector's knife given to punk rock vocalist Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys by Dee Dee Ramone. According to Dee Dee's wife at the time, Vera King Ramone, Sid had bought the knife after seeing Stiv's.

Vicious was arrested and charged with her murder. He said they had fought that night but gave conflicting versions of what happened next, saying, "I stabbed her, but I didn't mean to kill her. I loved her, but she treated me like shit", then saying that he did not remember and at one point arguing Spungen had fallen onto the knife.

On October 22, ten days after Spungen's death, Vicious attempted suicide by slitting his wrist and subsequently became a patient at Bellevue Hospital. He was charged with assault after an altercation with Todd Smith (singer Patti Smith's brother) at a Skafish concert. Vicious was arrested December 9, 1978 and sent to Rikers Island prison for 55 days. He was released on bail on February 1, 1979.

Bail was originally set at $50,000. However, after court hearings and work from his lawyer, it was lowered. Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols' manager, worked to raise money, and the bond was eventually covered by Virgin Records.One theory regarding the murder is that Spungen was killed in a robbery or drug deal gone wrong, in which one of those involved was Rockets Redglare, later to become known as a stand-up comedian and actor. Redglare, who died in 2001, always denied any part in her death. He stated that the other dealer known to have been there that evening had left before him to obtain more heroin, and was due back after he had left the building. He said he believed that the other dealer returned, found Vicious out cold, and attempted to steal the remaining drugs, leading to a confrontation with Spungen.

Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Background information
Birth name	John Simon Ritchie
Also known as	Sid Vicious Spikey John John Simon Beverley
Born	10 May 1957 Lewisham, England
Died	2 February 1979 (aged 21) New York City, New York, United States
Genre	Punk Rock
Occupations	Bassist
Instruments	Bass guitar, Vocals, Drums
Years active	1976–1979
Labels	Virgin, EMI
Associated acts	Sex Pistols Siouxsie and the Banshees Vicious White Kids
Notable instruments
Fender Precision Bass (American Classic)

On the evening of 1 February 1979, a small gathering to celebrate Sid's having made bail was held at the 63 Bank St. New York Apartment of his new girlfriend, Michelle Robinson, whom he had started dating the day he got out of Bellevue Hospital the previous October. Vicious was clean, having been on a detoxification methadone program detoxed from heroin during his time at Rikers Island. However, at the dinner gathering, his mother (who was once a registered addict herself) had some heroin delivered, against the wishes of Sid's girlfriend. The person who delivered it, Peter Kodick, came and stayed for a while. Vicious overdosed at midnight that night but everyone who was there that night worked together to get him up and walking around in order to revive him. At 3am Sid and Michelle Robinson went to bed together. Vicious was discovered dead late the next morning. An autopsy confirmed that Vicious died from an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that was consistent with heroin overdose. A syringe, spoon, and heroin residue were discovered near the body. It was theorized that he had injected himself with an excess of the nearly 80%-pure heroin. A few days after Vicious' cremation, his mother found a suicide note in the pocket of his jacket:

"We had a death pact, and I have to keep my half of the bargain. Please bury me next to my baby in my leather jacket, jeans and Motorcycle Boots. Goodbye."