While my modelling recently has been non-existant, I have taken a few trips out and about. Sometimes to places not involving trains!
First up - The National Film and Sci-fi museum in Milton Keynes.
Handily, it's in the main shopping centre which includes some very reaonable parking. Admitedly, you do need to note down where you left the car, or spend 20 minutes wandering around trying to find it, but for 50p and hour, I can live with that.
The museum is on the first floor of a unit and costs around £13 to go in. The actual pricing is a bit confusing, but that's what I paid as a walk-up. For that you can browse the collection as long as you like, but photos can only be taken at designated points.
I'm not quite sure why there is this restriction, partly I suspect so people actually get through rather than spending all their time taking pictures. Also, because they need people in the door, and many would be happy not to see the props on display for real, if they can look at a photo for free. No, I don't get it either.
Anyway, we kit off with the Indiana Jones series, after which we see Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr Who, Space 1999 and too many others to mentions. Props are grouped and reasonably well labeled. If Star Trek costumes are your thing, then the display of these is massive.
It always fascinates me just how crude a lot of these things are, and as a modeller, I find the details fascinating. For example, both the Imperial gunners, and rebel troops have the same "radio" pod on the side of their helmets. Obviously a vac-formed lump that was used everywhere by the costume department.
There's also a huge display of Star Wars memorabilia, including some pencil cases that I rememeber from my school days and brought back a blast of nostalgia. They also had some Droid Factories, the only item in the range that ever appealed to me, something else I remembered.
I wandered for a couple of hours, helped by having the place largely to myself, and really enjoyed it. It helps if you remember late 70s and early 80s films and TV. This is a chance for some proper nostalgia, and if you recognise nothing but the Harry Potter stuff, it won't be nearly as fun. For those who know what a puppet from the Dark Crystal looks like though, it's a fun trip.
National Film and Sci-fi museum website.
The reason for no photographs could be copyright. The film company and/or the designers may retain various reproduction rights that include photography and publication. This would not I think be obviated by having put the items on display.
ReplyDeleteGood point, I hadn't thought of that. Pity though as one of the first items is the Holy Grail, and it would have been fun to post that I'd found it on social media!
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