Monday 8 July 2013

My Motorsport and other interests...

Now some of you might think that Motorsport is my only interest...hobby...or Obsession???

Well I also happen to like other stuff as well and I thought a quick post in the close season for Touring Cars might be in order to show I'm not just a single minded individual who studies motorsport wishing he was driving one of those cars or at least commentating on them.

(Yes I know... the DTM is racing at the Norisring on 14th July... I meant the close season for the BTCC and WTCC.)

I happen to be a big Scifi fan, ever since I was a young boy and this was due to the wonderful work of 2 men: George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry. With the horrible childhood I had, these 2 men allowed my imagination to expand with ease. While other kids were out playing outside with their friends, I was happily indoors staying away from the bullies watching Men and Women exploring the stars and defending planets.

Basically Star Wars was the first big film I watched on TV and understood. From then I was hooked. Every Christmas/New Year Period ITV would show the original trilogy films over those few days and I loved every minute.

One of the few things I can thank my father for is the favour he pulled at Fenny Stratford Video Store. He managed to convince the owner to allow him to "borrow" a copy of The Empire Strikes Back on VHS before its official release on the monday. I recall that he had to promise to have the VHS tape back before 6pm on the Sunday Evening. I was heartbroken when we took it back...

Only to find the sneaky old bugger had reserved it on Monday when it was released...

Oh, VHS? Thats Video Home System for those of you who are too young to know...

Oh just to add to the debate, I love the Original Trilogy Films but I also like the Prequel Trilogy Films as well. I'll watch the Originals more mind you but you see each film tells a story and I love a good story. I loved Greek Mythology at school and enjoyed all the hero/villain tragedy stuff. As for the new trilogy to come from the House of Mouse, aka Disney, I welcome them because there will be at least 3 more stories added to the saga, introducing yet more imagination and mileage to the ever expanding Star Wars Universe.

It also allows me a 3rd oppurtunity to see a Star Wars film at the cinema. An amazing experience. I've also had the amazing experience of seeing a concert where all the pieces of music were played to a huge audience at the O2.

Truly awesome.

As well as Lucas providing the Hero/Villain balance in SciFi for me (I'm a Han Solo fan btw), Roddenberry introduced the Scientific Exploration into the mix for me in the form of Star Trek. Whilst the Star Wars Films were on at Christmas, every Wednesday Night on BBC2 at 6pm, I sat on the front room floor with my dinner on my lap watching Captain James Tiberius Kirk lead the Starship Enterprise on its 5 year mission into deep space, facing off against Klingons and Romulans and wooing green skinned Orion Slave Girls.

I loved the Classic Series and it led to me deciding from a young age that I wanted to be an Astronaut. Back in the 1980's, Space Shuttle launches were big news and the BBC always showed the launches live or delayed. It was awesome stuff for me as a kid with all this space stuff on TV.

It enhanced my love of Star Trek further watching those brave men and women going boldly where no one has gone before and its quite funny that most of the gadgets or ideas that they used in the series have ended up becoming reality decades later: Communicators have become Mobile Phones, Portable Tablets are a reality and so on and so forth.

Now I can happily say it brings joy to my heart seeing either a Star Trek or Star Wars film advertised on TV as I find myself in my happy place that normally is reserved for motorsport. Hell I have the DVD's and have read many of the books but seeing the films in action is awesome to me.

I've watched Star Trek The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager and I love them to. My favourite is DS9 to be honest.

Again, my own opinion on the two new Star Trek films made by JJ Abrams is that I love them. They blend action with emotion extremely well and I still get the same tingle watching those at the cinema as I did watching the original films on DVD.

I have other interests including being a fan of a certain Dark Knight but thats a blog for another day in the close season.

Anyway its a sunny hot weekend and the Vauxhall, Bedford and Opel Association has its annual Rally on Billing Aquadrome...

So if you need me, I'll be there...

Cheers!!

Phil.

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