"...Until we meet again, Sarah” – Sarah-Jane Smith’s Owl by Alresford Crafts

In episode four of The Hand of Fear, Sarah-Jane Smith and the Doctor (in his fourth incarnation) are forced to part company after the Doctor is summoned to Gallifrey. Unable to take her with him, he takes her back home to South Croydon, in Surrey, England; or at least he thinks he does. (The TARDIS actually lands in a residential street in Aberdeen, Scotland!) They then part company.

Sarah-Jane carried with her some possessions, which included a cuddly toy owl. This cuddly toy owl has been identified as having been made and sold in the 1970s by Alresford Crafts of Hampshire, England.

These owls occasionally appear on eBay and I recently bought one to add to my Doctor Who pocket props collection.

(Apparently, the same make of cuddly toy owl appeared in the 1982 film, “ET – The Extra Terrestrial”. It is said to be amongst the cuddly toys in Elliot’s wardrobe, amongst which ET is hiding. Coincidentally, as a child in 1982, my grandparents took me to see ET at the cinema. They would later buy me a cuddly toy ET, which became my favourite childhood toy and I still own it to this very day.)

* * * * *

Back to Sarah-Jane Smith…

Sarah-Jane Smith, played by the late Elizabeth Sladen, is one of the most popular, most loved and most fondly remembered of all the Doctor’s many companions.

Elizabeth Sladen, who sadly died a few years ago from cancer, was pivotal in the success of Sarah-Jane. It was her portrayal of the character, and her excellent rapport with actors Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Ian Marter, et al, both on screen and off, that made the character so special. Elizabeth Sladen’s good looks and wide grin also helped win over the hearts of many a fan!

Elizabeth would remain friends with all three of her leading co-stars.

In the 1970s, Tom Baker and Ian Marter wrote a Doctor Who story called “Doctor Who meets The Scratchman”. It was intended to be made for the cinema and would have featured Tom, Elizabeth, and Ian reprising their characters. However, due to a lack of funding, as well as competition from high-budget, special effects-laden movies like Star Wars, the film was never made and the idea abandoned.

Sarah-Jane Smith returned to Doctor Who in 1983, in the 20th anniversary story “The Five Doctors”. She also had a starring role in the spin-off TV programme pilot “K9 and Company”, but this was not commissioned as a series.

In the 1990s, Elizabeth recorded two new Doctor Who stories for BBC Radio, alongside her former co-stars Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney, entitled “The Paradise of Death” and “The Ghosts of E-Space”.

In the 2000s, she would record some original Sarah-Jane Smith audio stories for Big Finish Productions.

In 2006, Elizabeth Sladen would return to play Sarah-Jane Smith in Doctor Who on television, appearing alongside the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). She would later return for the 2008 season finale, and had a cameo appearance in David Tennant’s swansong.

Due to the successful return of both Doctor Who and Sarah-Jane Smith, a spin-off BBC children’s television series was produced, entitled “The Sarah-Jane Adventures”. It ran for several successful series and only ended when Elizabeth Sladen died. Doctor Who characters, the Tenth Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), Jo Grant (Katy Manning) and the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) all guest starred.

When she was terminally ill, Tom Baker regularly sent little greetings cards with kind messages written inside, which she appreciated enormously.

After Elizabeth Sladen died, her daughter Sadie Miller described how comforting it felt to know that her mother was loved and admired by so many, including by people she hardly knew and had not even met!

Youtube user and Doctor Who fan, Babelcolour produced a lovely tribute video to Sarah-Jane / Elizabeth Sladen. (He also produced an equally moving tribute to Nicholas Courtney, after he too lost his own battle against cancer.)

Some newer fans suggested that the BBC could simply recast Sarah-Jane Smith. But myself and many other fans from the 1970s and 1980s would have none of it! There was only one Sarah-Jane Smith and only one Elizabeth Sladen. So when Elizabeth died, so too did her character in the metaphorical sense.

“Goodbye, my Sarah-Jane!”

Little Time Lords - Big Chief Studios

In 2012, Big Chief Studios Ltd (UK) announced the start of a new line of 1:6 scale collectable action figures of The Doctor. These would be high quality replicas, akin to Hot Toys and Sideshow.  

The first to be released was the 11th Doctor. This was followed shortly after by his companion, Amy Pond. The next to be released was the 10th Doctor and the 4th Doctor. There was also a 10th Doctor variant on sale at the official Doctor Who anniversary convention in London, sporting his Day of the Doctor attire. The latter is the most exceptionally rare.  

Big Chief Studios have recently started taking pre-orders for Sherlock and Watson, as played in the 21st century BBC 1 reworking of Sherlock Holmes by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.  

All have been released as 300 quantity signed editions and 1000 quantity unsigned editions. They are identical, with the only difference being one comes with an autographed plaque and the other does not. The 10th Doctor signed edition sold out in 30 minutes of the pre-order webpage going live! Both the 11th Doctor and 4th Doctor signed editions have now sold out, although at the time of typing, Big Chief Studios still had some signed Amy Pond figures in stock.  

Additionally, Big Chief Studios have released a more cartoony-looking statue of the 10th Doctor, and a series of 50th anniversary prints.

(In pre-production are a replica of the 1st Doctor, a replica of a Weeping Angel, and accessories packs.)  

Although I do not own one of the 11th Doctor figures (although I may at some point purchase one from a seller in Germany who still has some in stock), I did purchase the signed edition of the 4th Doctor and the unsigned edition of the 10th Doctor. And mighty fine they look too! So good are they that I do not want to take them out of their packaging and display them; instead preferring to keep them in their packaging as collectables.  

Both come with some of the props that were synonymous with their eras. For instance, the 4th Doctor comes with his hat and scarf, his Sonic Screwdriver, his bag of Jelly Babies, his yellow Lumar Championship Yo-Yo, the Hand of Fear/Eldrad, the Key to Time locator, and the Key to Time itself. The 10th Doctor comes with his signature long coat, his spectacles, his 3-D spectacles, two versions of his Sonic Screwdriver, his Psychic Paper, and his water pistol. Each comes with a light-up base to stand the figures on, alternative hands, spare hand and foot joints, and a hardback cardboard TARDIS console room backdrop.  

If there is any justice in this world, I hope they release the 7th Doctor, Ace, Captain Jack Harkness, The War Doctor, the Kandy Man…

* * * * * * 

A few years ago, toy company Character Options released a range of 1:6 action figures of the 10th Doctor, the 10th Doctor in his orange spacesuit, Martha Jones, Sister Hame, Dalek Sec (in human-dalek hybrid form), Cybermen, a Clockwork android, and a Judoon. These were within the £20 range. Although cheaper than Big Chief Studios, most were very good for their price! Sadly, the 10th Doctor did not come with his trademark long coat (despite being advertised with it in pre-release publicity photographs), although I did later purchase a couple second-hand that came with high-quality fan-made replica long coats.  

Also a few years ago, a collectable dolls company in the USA (whose name I have completely forgotten) released 18 inch tall dolls of the 10th Doctor, Martha Jones, Gwen Cooper, and Captain Jack Harkness. Unfortunately, the likenesses were poor and they did not come with all their trademark accessories. Also, if memory serves me correctly, one had to buy the Doctor’s long coat separately!  

In the 1970s, toy company Denys Fisher released a small range of Doctor Who 1:6 scale (approx) action figures of the 4th Doctor, Leela, the K-1 robot (from Robot), a TARDIS, and a Cyberman.   

* * * * * 

Speaking of collectables, in 2000, I became obsessed with the Nintendo 64 video game “Perfect Dark”. In addition to owning two copies of the game (one to play, the other as a collectable), I bought all the player guides (including the one that came with its own comic), and religiously read the RARE games web site.  

A couple of years later, in 2002, Blue Box International (BBI) released 1:6 scale collectable figures of the lead character, Joanna Dark; one in her distinctive blue and silver livery, and another in her leather catsuit. Both came with some of her signature guns and alternate set of hands. I bought two of each, one set for display and the other as collectables. I think they cost approximately £45 each.  

I also own two 18 inch tall Captain Jack Sparrow collectable figures, complete with his trademark accessories. These were released in 2004 by NECA. I also have a complete set of the first wave action figures, which were also released in 2003, which includes both Captain Jack variants.  

Somewhere in a cupboard at home, I also have a Predator which stands approximately 12 to 18 inches tall. I believe I also have a couple of MacFarlane Predator action figures and a MacFarlane Leatherface action figure in a cupboard at home.  

(Do you want to know the difference between adults and children? In relation to toys, adults “collect them” whereas children “play with them”. Or at least that is what us big kids tell ourselves! 37 years old going on 12, me!)

"Just a simple gravity reading" - the Doctor's Yo-Yos

Above: The Doctor's Yo-Yos, as they appeared on screen.  

Left: his Lumar blue Donald Duck Yo-Yo (Robot), Right: his Lumar Championship yellow Yo-Yo (Genesis of the Daleks).

Above: My own, with new strings added to them.

"...Your clothing is a little anachronistic for this time period; and that doesn’t help!” – Ace’s tape deck

The Philips dual-deck radio cassette recorder, model D8478 is the same make and model of tape deck that Ace had with her in Remembrance of the Daleks, before it got exterminated into silicon heaven (where all the dead calculators go).

More commonly referred to as a Ghetto Blaster, it has two tape cassette decks, a radio with FM, MW, LW, and SW frequencies, a graphic equaliser (little levels which go up and down, apparently, and increase or decrease the treble, bass, etc), detachable speakers, and takes a whopping eight quantity D size batteries (no wonder Sophie Aldred complained that it was heavy to carry!). And if it was not heavy enough for you, it had a line-in socket for connecting a separate CD player!

Ah, the days before CD players were commonplace! I remember them well! I have a little saying, which is “You can judge how old a person is by whether they collect vinyl records, or buy vinyl records to listen to!” My generation bought records to listen to, as I am old enough to remember an era before CDs, when all we had were cassette tapes and vinyl records. The youths of today buy records to collect!

“Twelve pennies to the shilling, twenty shillings to the pound, right?” – The seventh Doctor’s drawstring purse of coins: Remembrance of the Daleks

(From top to botttom, left to right: first row features a Crown, Half a crown, and a Florin; the second row features a shilling, six pence and three pence; the third row features a penny, half a penny, and a farthing.)

…So says Ace to Sargent Mike Smith, trying to grasp 1963 English pre-decimal currency. To pay for some refreshments in Harry’s Café, the seventh Doctor gives Ace a drawstring bag of coins in episode one of “Remembrance of the Daleks”.

In 1963, the UK still had a pre-decimal system of currency, whereby twelve pennies equalled one shilling and twenty shillings equalled one English pound. The pre-decimal English coinage consisted of the following coins:

Farthing:
A Farthing was one-quarter of a penny

Half-Penny:
A half-penny was one-half of a penny

A Penny:
Worth a penny, or 1D (two pennies would be referred to as Tuppence)

Three pence:
Worth three pennies or pence, or 3D, (also known as a Thrupence, or a Thrupenny bit)

Six pence:
Worth six pennies or pence, or 6D

A Shilling:
Worth 12 pennies or pence, or 1/- (also known as a Bob)

A Florin (or two shillings):
Worth 24 pennies or pence, or 2/-

Half Crown:
Worth 30 pennies or pence, or two shillings and six pence, or 2/6 or 2&6 pence

Crown:
60 pennies or pence, or a quarter of an English Pound

There was also a Sovereign coin (worth 20 shillings or £1.00, or One English Pound) and a Half Sovereign coin (worth 10 shillings or half an English Pound). But as these were and still are made from 22 carat gold, the face value was worth less than the precious metal itself. Thus, Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns are now sold as gold investments and collector’s items, rather than as day to day currency.

In addition to these coins, there were also Bank Notes issued by the Bank of England for amounts One English Pound and larger.

These coins confused Ace, but she would be even more confused by Harry’s Café price list!

(I will make some screenshots of Harry’s Café menu board and also the coins that so confused Ace, and add these to this blog entry at a later date.)

If Harry’s bacon sandwiches cost one shilling and two pence, this would be written on his menu as 1/2D, also known as one Bob and Tuppence. If they cost one shilling and three pence, then it would be written as 1/3D, also known as One Bob and Thrupence. Two shillings would be known as two Bob.

Their conversation would likely have gone like this…

“Four bacon sandwiches and a cup of coffee; that’ll be two Bob and Thrupence, Miss, if you please.” - Harry
“Yer what!?” – Ace

Considering that The Doctor is an alien from another planet, it begs the question how does he manage to get hold of relevant currency to pay for goods and services on the occasions when he has a need to. Does he use hypnotism to “encourage” people to give him money!? Does he go into a bank with a drawstring bag, hypnotise the cashier into filling up the bag, and then do a runner!? Does he have slightly psychic coinage!?

He could have a supply of 24 carat gold, which he exchanges for currency. (Indeed, in the TV Movie series pilot, we see The Master extract drawstring bags of gold dust from a drawer in the TARDIS library.)

It's the UKIP Shipping Forecast!

Fellow Doctor Who fan (and Dalek operator) Nicholas Pegg produced this SUPERB satirical spoof of the UK Independence Party.

UKIP are a bunch of White British, little Englanders, racists, fascists, anti-Semites, homophobes, xenophobes, holocaust deniers, and an assortment of other extreme-right wankers!  And this audio spoof sums them up PERFECTLY!...

https://soundcloud.com/nicholas-pegg/ukip-shipping-forecast

“John Smith and the Common Men; they’ve gone from 19 to 2!” – Susan’s 6 transistor radio: An Unearthly Chil

...So said Susan Who to Ian Chesterton; a science teacher with an enquiring mind and a very sensitive ear.

In episode one of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, Susan Foreman is listening to an early 1960s era 6 transistor radio.  The instrumental track that Susan was listening to, reminiscent in style to The Shadows, was described as being “John Smith and the Common Men”, a fictitious band.

I had tried to identify the model by looking on various transistor radio collectors’ websites, but all to no avail.  However, a member of the TARDIS Builders forum identified it.  This style of 6 transistor radio was released as Transitone/Realtone model TR-1645 and Golden Shield model 7186.  

Realtone Six Transistor radio

Golden Shield 6 Transistor Radio, model 7186 

Thanks to another tip-off, I was able to purchase off eBay a Golden Shield model 7186 from a seller in the USA.

On 20th April 2013, to commemorate “Record Store Day”, Hysterion Records in the UK released a limited edition 7” vinyl single called “Sounds from the Inferno” by John Smith and the Common Men!  (The Inferno was the name of the fictitious nightclub frequented by Polly in “The War Machines.)  Only 1000 copies were pressed.

Side two has two instrumentals by Johnny Hawksworth, called The Eyelash and Latin Gear.  Side one features an instrumental by Derek Nelson and Arthur Raymond called Three Guitars Mood 2, and it was this instrumental recording which doubled as “John Smith and the Common Men”.

The rear side of the record sleeve has some in-character sleeve notes and instructions for the hand jive that Susan performs when listening to the instrumental on her transistor radio!

Released in Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary year, it was a rather surprising but very pleasant blast from the past!

“Do you mind? You’re in my shot!” – The seventh Doctor’s vintage stills camera: Remembrance of the Daleks

Screenshots from Remembrance of the Daleks (DVD video), showing the Doctor using his Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 (version D) stills camera

…So said the seventh Doctor to Professor Rachel Jensen, in episode four of “Remembrance of the Daleks”.

The Doctor was preparing to make contact with the Dalek Mothership (which was in geostationary orbit above planet Earth), using fibre optic cabling, a Dalek matter transmitter, a Dalek Shuttlecraft, and a vintage folding camera.

In the transmitted version, the camera can be seen briefly in a few shots.  But on the DVD video, there is a deleted scene in which the camera can also be seen.  Upon studying these scenes, as well as making screenshots, I was able to formally identify the make and model of the camera.

One of several Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 (version D) stills photographic cameras that I own

The same make and model camera as it appeared on screen (note that in the above shot, the viewfinder on the side is opened up).  I suspect the shutter/lens on this camera was a Compur, whereas the shutter/lens on the ones I own are Telma and Kilo.  

It is a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 (version D) stills photographic camera, circa 1937.

Zeiss Ikon was an amalgamation of several German photographic companies, who merged during the period of hyper-inflation in Germany in the early 1920s, to avoid bankruptcy.  (United they stand, divided they fall, so to speak.)  It had offices in the USA, the UK and other countries.

(Zeiss still exists today and specialises in making high quality lenses for various usages.)

After the First World War, Germany was forced into paying reparation payments to France, as well as heavy de-militarisation, loss of Germanic land, and so forth.  This caused hyper-inflation and national humiliation.  It was during the early 1920s that the Nazi Party first flourished, festering on the national humiliation of the time and the desire to part blame on the Jewish minority and a left-wing Government.

In the 1920s, the German Government borrowed large sums of money from the USA, which they used to end the hyper-inflation and kick-start the German economy.

After Adolf Hitler was released from prison (where he had been jailed after leading an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Weimar Government), he found a Germany that was flourishing economically and where support for a far-right political party was practically non-existent.  Upon his release from prison until 1933, Hitler worked on improving the image of not only himself, but of the Nazi Party; turning it from a bunch of far-right, violent, anti-semite, revolutionaries, to a democratic party.  It was all a public relations sham designed to detoxify the Nazi Party and make it look respectable and electable (or as electable as an anti-Semitic, racist, violent, homophobic, cold-hearted political party can ever be!).

(It is interesting to note that the Nazi Party only ever had significant support when Germany was in recession.  In the 21st century, one can see parallels in Europe where the far right in some countries are seeing a growth in support.  It seems that extremists fester in hard times.)

Unfortunately, the Wall Street stock exchange collapse caused a great depression that went beyond the USA and badly affected Germany, causing mass unemployment and the collapse of pension funds and savings.  Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party exploited this economic and human tragedy, as well as centuries-old anti-Semitism and German resentment of the Treaty of Versailles, in order to get into Government.  Hitler would become Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and start to dismantle German democracy, intern his political opponents in concentration camps, the persecution of the Jewish minority, and censorship.  And a seemingly civilised nation willingly supported it all!

But why am I telling you all this?  My reason is to give some context as to the trading relationship between Germany during the pre-WW2 Nazi era and other countries.  All the while the Nazis were rounding up political opponents, dismantling German democracy, persecuting the Jewish minority, rearming its military, censoring free press, and so forth, trade and diplomatic relations between Germany and other countries did not cease.  Knowing what we know now of Adolf Hitler, the Nazis, the Second World War, and the 1940s horror of the holocaust, it is hard for many of us to imagine that trade and diplomatic relations continued amid the rise of fascism and racism in Germany!

The 1936 Summer Olympic Games took place in Germany, during which the African-American Jesse Owens won four gold medals.  Due to his non-Aryan appearance, it was assumed by many that Adolf Hitler spurned Jesse Owens.  But in reality, Adolf Hitler did raise his hand from afar and acknowledge Jesse Owens; albeit brief and from a distance, it was an acknowledgement from Hitler to Owens.  Jesse would return to the USA a four times gold medallist but be treated like a second class citizen in the USA were racial segregation still existed!

Meanwhile in England, the German stills and movie camera manufacturer, Zeiss Ikon, had an office which sold cameras and accessories to British photographic enthusiasts.

(After 1939, at least some production at the Zeiss Ikon plants in Germany switched from civilian to military usage.  Slave labour was used during this time.  After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the company was divided between East and West Germany and remained so until Germany reunification in the early 1990s.)

I have purchased second-hand several Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 Version D stills cameras, at least one of which was originally purchased in 1938 (based on the paperwork that came with it).   It horrifies and fascinates me that people were buying German-made goods, at a time when fascism and racism was on the rise in Germany.  And make no mistake about it; Zeiss Ikon was a very popular manufacturer of stills and movie camera.  Indeed, in the former half of the twentieth century, Zeiss Ikon was a pioneer of 8mm cine cameras, in addition to its range of stills photographic cameras.

(It seems a little ironic that a German-made camera, circa 1938, appeared in a Doctor Who story whose central theme was racism and featured the daleks who were looeely based on the Nazis, making Davros their own little Hitler.)

The Nettar 515/2 Version D and its predecessors were an economic range of Zeiss Ikon stills photographic cameras and very popular.  From an era before the microchip revolution, they are a beautiful example of craftsmanship.  In addition to the standard shutter, they came fitted with a self-timer.  The self-timer was a spring and clockwork mechanism; opening up the lens reveals a mechanism underneath not unlike the type one would expect to find in a clock or watch.   There were a number of different shutters, such as Compur, Telma and Kilo, which had different shutter speed settings.  One could set the aperture, focus, and shutter speed, using the various dials of the lens; all the more remarkable for a camera that was marketed as an economic range!

Sadly, we all break down with age, and cameras are no different.  The self-timer, for all its mechanical beauty, was fragile and seems to be one of the first parts of the camera to malfunction.  (Out of the four I own, two still have a working timer, whereas the other two do not.)  Similarly, the lubricant used to oil the mechanism can turn waxy with age.  It might be possible to repair, clean and lubricate the mechanisms, but it is a fragile and fiddly task.

“It’s an Etheric Bean Locator; also useful for detecting ion-charged emissions!” – The fourth Doctor’s Etheric Beam Locator: Genesis of the Daleks

  

Security Commander Nyder inspects the Doctor's Ewww.burlingtonandbeyond.co.uk heric Beam Locator

…So said the fourth Doctor to Nyder, in response to a peculiar looking object he was examining (Genesis of the Daleks, episode 2).  The Etheric Bean Locator would reappear briefly in episode 6 of The Talons of Weng Chiang.

For some time, I had wondered whether it was a BBC made prop or a real-world device of some kind.  A quick internet search revealed one or two low quality photographs of the device in a real-world setting, which seemed to indicate that it was a real object and not a BBC-made prop.  Another revelation came when a UK prop maker spotted one sitting on the shelf of a client he was visiting.

I uploaded some images to my Photobucket account and put the word out on various prop-related and geek-related websites and forums, in the hope that somebody somewhere would recognise it.  Within a short space of time, I had received a tip-off that it was a type of microwave transmitter valve.

A quick Internet search revealed it to be a Varian Klystron VA220 oscillator valve, used in microwave relay and transmission equipment.  There is also a similar, later model known as the VA221.  The valves were made to oscillate at different radio frequencies and thus there were different variants (VA220A, VA220B, VA220C, VA221A, VA221B, VA221C, etc).

A Varian Klystron VA220 valve

An advertisement from an industry magazine, circa 1960s

In the middle of the twentieth century, there were great advancements in RADAR and telecommunications technology.  And one of these was transmitting large bandwidths of television and telecommunications transmissions via microwave transmitters.  They had a disadvantage though; each transmitter had to be within direct line of sight of neighbouring transmitters.  The natural curvature of the Earth, as well as built up areas such as towns and cities, meant that the civil engineers who constructed them had the added problem of ensuring direct line of sight between one transmitter and is neighbouring transmitters.

One of the most famous of all the UK microwave radio transmitters was the GPO (General Post Office, now British Telecom) Tower in London.  This iconic tower had its own cameo appearance in Doctor Who, in the first Doctor story “The War Machines”.  In the 1960s United Kingdom, a series of microwave transmission towers were constructed as part of a telecommunications project known as Backbone.

(The Sub Brit website has a detailed article on the topic www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/features/backbone )

The centre piece of this network was the GPO/BT Tower in London.  On occasions, it was claimed they were for television transmission, but they had a more sinister role to play.

In the early days of the Cold War, the UK Government started to prepare for a possible attack by the Soviet Union or some other aggressor using nuclear weapons.   Many essential telephone cables went through major towns and cities, which were vulnerable to nuclear attack.  Therefore, it was proposed in 1956 to construct a backbone of approximately 14 microwave radio stations, which could be used in peacetime for television and telephone transmissions, but in wartime could be used for defence and government communications.

In the late 1970s, the investigative journalist Duncan Campbell (who wrote a series of articles on civil defence related issues for The New Statesman Magazine in the 1980s and the book “War Plan UK”, as well as produced the BBC series “Secret Society”) was unsuccessfully prosecuted for investigating signals intelligence (UK military, government and intelligence agencies), which included his having photographed Backbone microwave radio stations such as the GPO Tower in London.  The case was known as the ABC case.  He was acquitted.  Tellingly, one Backbone microwave radio station was omitted from the evidence presented at the trail, and that station was Five-Ways.

As Cold War historian, Steve Fox mentions on his website www.burlingtonandbeyond.co.uk 
"...Secrecy was still a priority as shown by the decision in the mid-1970s when Duncan Campbell, previously mentioned as the author of “War Plan UK” was prosecuted for possessing photos of amongst other things photos of Backbone masts, his photos of the Five Ways mast at Corsham were specifically and deliberately left out of the prosecution evidence."

More details about the ABC case can be found on Duncan Campbell's own website http://www.duncancampbell.org/content/abc-case )

Five-Ways was a GPO (later BT) microwave radio station tower of approximately 150 feet tall.  (It has subsequently been truncated and is much smaller than its original height.)  It was erected off the Bradford Road, in Corsham, Wiltshire, sometime in the 1960s.  Westwells Road and Park Lane in Corsham were (and still are) festooned with Government, GPO/BT and military establishments, as well as in the surrounding area.  It was one of the few places in the UK where all three of the armed services (army, navy and air-force) had bases.

Underneath Westwells Road and Park Lane were and are a number of former Limestone quarries (or mines), as well as the famous Brunel Box railway tunnel.  Many were requisitioned by the military during World War Two, for usage as ammunition storage and factories.  When the second world war ended and the Cold War began, many of the quarries/mines were retained by the military.

One former Limestone quarry, known as Spring Quarry, was used by the Royal Navy as a Royal Naval Stores Depot.  But a section of it was surrounded by reinforced concrete walls and metal blast doors fitted with gas-tight rubber seals (air locks).  At ground level, one could see concrete lift and escalator shafts, surrounded by mounds of earth and grass, as well as various concrete protected ventilation shafts.  From the early 1960s to as recently as December 2004, this “special area” was one of the most top secret sites in the UK.  Those few in the know called it “Subterfuge”, “Stockwell”, “Burlington”, “Turnstile”, “Chanticleer”, “Peripheral”, “Eyeglass”, “3 Site”, and the “special area”.  It was the wartime relocation site for the UK Central Government and the mother of all UK nuclear bunkers!  Five-Ways provided the site with vital lines of communication with the outside world, as did a neighbouring RAF telephone exchange (also underground in Tunnel Quarry).

An aerial view of the relocation site at Corsham, Wiltshire (Five-Ways can be seen in the top-left-hand corner).

(c) Copyright, Bing Maps/Microsoft Inc, 2014

(Visit Steve Fox's excellent web site www.burlingtonandbeyond.co.uk  for a detailed history of the relocation site.  Also of an interest is Steve Fox's on-line book "Struggle for Survival" http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/features/sfs/ )

From the early 1960s to 1968, “3 Site” (as it is now known as) would have become the home of the UK Central Government, if the Cold War became a Hot War and NATO found itself at War with the Soviet Union.  However, increasing accuracy of Soviet nuclear missiles made the site vulnerable to aerial attack.  So in 1968, an alternative continuity of central government plan was devised, known as “Acid”, “Python”, “Pebble”, “Rubber”, and “Ruby”.   It even had its own security classification; Top Secret-Claret was one of them.

Based on dispersal, the new plan was to split up Central Government into several smaller groups comprising of approximately 150 government and military personnel, each led by a senior government minister.  They would be supported by at least two supply agencies and two air transport agencies, which would be essential services after a nuclear attack.  The groups would be dispersed to areas of the country considered safer than others, such as away from targets and in remote areas.  They would be given mobile radio communications, food and water provisions, and perhaps basic radiological protection.  The Prime Minister would remain in Whitehall, London, trying to negotiate peace with the Soviet Union.  If all else failed, the Prime Minister would be able to order a retaliatory nuclear strike before he or she were wiped out by an incoming nuclear warhead.

Approximately 14 days after a nuclear attack, the two most senior surviving groups would try to make contact with one another, as well as with any of the surviving air transportation and supplies agencies.  If successful, they would try to meet up and merge to form a larger central government nucleus.  The relocation site in Corsham, had it survived, would become the new Whitehall and the destination of the surviving groups and agencies.

To maintain the pretence that Corsham was still the main relocation site for UK Central Government, a maintenance crew worked at the site, the Catering Corps continued to refresh the ration packs when they passed their best before date, and even fewer people were in the know about the dispersal plan.  In the 1980s, the massive telecommunications suite, which had its very own codename “Woodland”, was updated to include fibre optic cabling.  At the end of the Cold War, the massive telecommunications suite was shut down (around 1992), the fuel tanks emptied, rations disposed of, water tanks and lagoon were drained, and so on, but the site continued to remain a secret for another twelve years.

In December 2004, the central government relocation site at Corsham was finally declassified and a small number of archaeologists, historians, and journalists allowed inside to view what is left of the decaying site.  It has been declared an ancient monument and English Heritage hope to preserve at least some of the surviving areas.  Other areas of the site have succumbed to dry rot, water ingress, spores and fungi growth, risk of rock falls, and exposed asbestos.  Walking through its Limestone corridors, the site is a sinister reminder of the Cold War and makes one feel thankful that war never broke out between East and West!

Apart from a few (censored) documents in the National Archives, details of the central government dispersal plan remain highly top secret.

Today, microwave radio transmission has largely been replaced by fibre optic cabling, which provide a wider and faster bandwidth than microwave radio.

And my little Varian Klystron VA220 and VA221 valves are merely relics of old technology and the Cold War.

A collection of impossible things!

One of my favourite moments in an episode of Doctor Who is when the Doctor empties his pockets or takes out an object. One never quite knew what would emerge. Some were practical (magnifying glass, loupe, futuristic gadget), some were playful (Yo-Yo, toy Batmobile, water pistol), and some were kinky (handcuffs)!

In 2003, I started to collect Doctor Who inspired pocket props; interesting items that I thought the Doctor might carry in his pockets. My first two items were a static aluminium Sonic Screwdriver and TARDIS key from “The Who Shop”. In my pre-eBay days, it was much harder to source replica items, so I made do with what interesting items I could find.

Eleven years on and several pay rises later, and thanks to eBay, various fan websites and endlessly watching Doctor Who episodes, my collection has grown since those humble beginnings to include many replica pocket props, as well as related collectors’ items.

Over the course of this blog, I will discuss and describe some of them, including photographs and screenshots.

Amongst other items, I will discuss the fourth Doctor’s Etheric Beam Locator and its true-life origins, the fourth Doctor’s Yo-Yo, Sonic Screwdrivers, the seventh Doctor’s Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 version D photographic camera and its place in history, Susan’s transistor radio, Bananas from the groves of Villengard, Churchill’s Jammie Dodgers, pre-decimal currency, and John Smith and the Common Men!

In the meantime, here is a list, circa Thursday 6th March 2014…

Doctor Who pocket props

3-D movie glasses (several cardboard 3-D movie glasses with red and blue lenses, as worn in a cinema whilst watching a vintage 3-D film. The 10th Dr used a pair of these to observe temporal residue not usually visible to the naked eye).

Alien translator (a couple of CO toy replicas of the Alien translator from the Sarah Jane Adventures, complete with sound and light effects).

Banana (Bananas are a good source of potassium. This one is from the groves of Villengard. Bananas are good!)

Batmobile toy car (one of the most unusual objects to emerge from the 4th Dr’s pockets was a 1960s era Corgi toy Batmobile car, as seen in The Talons of Weng Chiang. Unfortunately, the 1960s, 1970s, and even the 1980s Corgi Batmobiles in a mint condition are expensive. So I bought instead two of the cheaper Eaglemoss versions, complete with their original display cases).

Books as read by the Doctor:

• "Juggling for the Complete Klutz" by John Cassidy and B C Rimbeaux (1984 edition of the book, as read by the 7th Dr in "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy").
• "The Time Machine" by H G Wells (1931 limited edition by Random House, the same hardback edition as read by the 7th Dr in the 1996 TV movie series pilot).
• "The Doctor’s Dilemma" by George Bernard Shaw (the same paperback edition as read by the 7th Dr in "Delta and the Bannermen").

Calling card (a fan-made replica of the 7th Dr’s calling card; not entirely screen-accurate, but suitable until I get around to making my own one).

Catapult (useful for lobbing gold coins at Cybermen).

Chalk (various pieces of chalk for writing on blackboards, or to draw chalk circles on the ground to prevent being attacked by an evil witch and her pet alien from alternative dimensions).

Cricket ball (high quality, red English cricket ball).

Diary, River Song's (a fan-made replica of River Song's diary, as seen in Silence in the Library; it contains replica pages of notes, photos, drawings and inserts; and aged to give it the same appearance as the one in the story).

Diary, River Song's (a fan-made replica of River Song's diary, as seen in Silence of the Library; with blank artificially aged pages and artificially aged cover).

Diary, River Song's (a fan-made replica of River Song's diary, as seen in Let's Kill Hitler; as new with blank crisp white pages, complete with a red ribbon tied around it).

Diary, The 11th Dr's (a fan-made replica of the 11th Dr’s diary; as new with blank crisp white pages).

Diary, The 11th Dr's (a fan-made replica of the 11th Dr's diary; with blank artificially aged pages).

Etheric Beam Locator (also useful for detecting ion-charged emissions! But in reality, it is a Varian Klystron VA220 valve used as oscillators in microwave transmission equipment; one of these doubled-up as the 4th Dr's Etheric Beam Locator in Genesis of the Daleks and The Talons of Weng Chiang. I have four VA220 valves and a couple of the similar shaped VA221 valves which differ only in colour).

Etheric Wave Detector (a fan-made replica of the 2nd Dr’s Etheric Wave Detector, as seen in Tomb of the Cybermen, to check whether the entrance doors to the tomb were still electrified).

Everlasting matches (waterproof/windproof matches and strikers, being used to mimic the everlasting matches used by the Doctor in some of the novels).

Golden Shield six transistor radio, model number 7186 (a six transistor radio, circa early 1960s; the same radio as listened to by Susan in An Unearthly Child).

Handkerchiefs, Paisley (two fancy-looking, cotton handkerchiefs, in a Paisley style that is remarkably similar to, if not the same as, the one carried by the 7th Dr).

Jammie Dodgers (three replica Jammie Dodgers).

Jelly babies (several bags of the candies that are much favoured by the Doctor, as well as a pack of small paper bags. By coincidence, I discovered that if you leave Jelly Babies to become stale, they harden and thus become more durable as a static hero pocket prop, whereas other candies such as boiled sweets can become sticky and soft over time).

"Journal of Impossible Things" by John Smith (a fan-made full size, leather-bound replica of John Smith's journal of dreams, as seen in Human Nature).

"Journal of Impossible Things" by Verity Newman (a fan-made replica of the fictional book, as seen in The End of Time).

Juggling balls (multi-coloured juggling balls).

Library card (a fan-made, screen-accurate replica of the 1st Dr's Shoreditch Library card, as briefly seen in The Vampires of Venice).

Loupes (jewellers’ loupes of varying magnifications, such as 2.5x, 5x, 10x and 12x).

Magnifying glasses (replicas of 1941 Hughes and Son magnifying glasses; two large and two small. They come in their own leather pouches. I also have a couple of more modern style magnifying glasses).

Marbles (a drawstring bag of glass marbles, various colours).

"Melody Malone” novel (a fan-made replica of the novel that the 11th Dr and Amy read in The Angels Take Manhattan).

Money, English pre-decimal coins in a drawstring bag (inspired by the drawstring bag of coins that the 7th Dr gives to Ace in Remembrance of the Daleks, this drawstring bag contains genuine pre-1963 pre-decimal English coins that were the currency in London, circa 1963, including Crowns, Half Crowns, Six pence coins, Three pence coins, One pence coins, Half Pence coins, Farthings, Half Shillings and Shillings).

Money, miscellaneous; in drawstring bags (replicas of various methods of making payment including coins of varying currencies and eras, gold coins, silver coins, gold dust, precious cut gemstones, etc, inside various drawstring bags).

Nano Recorder (a couple of CO toy replicas of the gun-type Nano Recorder, as used by the 11th Dr).

Opera glasses, two types:

• 9th Dr style Opera Glasses (three types; a replica 1800s Fords Theatre pair, a 1941 W Ottway and Sons pair that may be vintage or a replica, and another pair of an unknown European origin; the latter pair are screen-accurate).
• 11th Dr style Opera Glasses (one type; late 1800s / early 1900s French pair by La Mignonne).

Paint palette brooch (a fan-made replica of the 4th Dr's paint palette brooch).

Pen torches (several different pen torches),

Playing cards (a pack of playing cards).

Pocket watch on a chain (several gold colours pocket watches, chains and spare batteries).

Psychic paper inside a black passport wallet (a leather replica of the 9th Dr’s black passport wallet, containing a piece of psychic paper).

Recorder (a recorder styled and painted to look similar to the 2nd Dr's recorder).

"S&G - The Dr: here to help" badge (several replicas of the shop assistant badge worn by the 11th Dr in "Closing Time").

Scarfs:

• 4th Dr, season 12 scarf (an unofficial replica by Galaxy Four),
• 4th Dr, season 12 scarf (the official replica by Lovarzi; one scarf in its original bag),
• 7th Dr, seasons 24 and 25 paisley silk scarf (the official replica by Lovarzi; two scarfs in their original boxes).

Stethoscope (medical instrument, commonly used to listen to heart and lungs, but equally useful for listening to other sounds such as evil weed inside metal pipes).

Sonic Screwdrivers, several types:

• 2nd Dr Sonic Screwdriver (several metal pen torches; although not screen accurate, they are of a very high quality metal build, unlike some of the easily breakable plastic versions),
• 4th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (a fan-made metal replica with working spring mechanism, but no sound),
• 4th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (a fan-made, high-quality metal replica with working spring mechanism and sound chip),
• 4th Dr Sonic Screwdriver in a display case (a professionally produced limited edition replica by Sixteen Twelve, with working spring mechanism but not sound; complete with its display case and brass plaque),
• 4th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (several CO toy replicas, with sound effects),
• 8th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (a fan-made metal replica, with a spring-loaded retractable and locking mechanism, but no sound),
• 9th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (a fan-made, high quality replica, with working LED light and sound chip),
• 9th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (several CO toy replicas, extendable, with light and sound effects, etc),
• 11th Dr Sonic Screwdriver (several CO toy replicas, extendable, with light and sound effects, etc),
• The War Dr's Sonic Screwdriver (several CO toy replicas, with light and sound effects, etc),
• The War Dr's Sonic Screwdriver (a fan-made metal replica with working spring mechanism, but no sound or light),
• Several of the CO Build your own Sonic Screwdriver sets,
• Several of the CO Trans-Temporal Sonic Screwdriver.

"Sounds from the Inferno" - 7 inch vinyl record (a limited edition vinyl record published in the UK in 2013, featuring Three Guitars Mood 2; the instrumental that doubled as John Smith and the Common Men in "An Unearthly Child". “The Inferno” was the fictional London nightclub frequented by Ben and Polly).

Soviet Union uniform badge (the same uniform badge that Captain Sorin gave to Ace in The Curse of Fenric).

TARDIS De-Materialisation circuit (a fan-made replica of the TADIS De-Materialisation circuit, as seen in Day of the Daleks).

TARDIS Food Machine 24 hour food ration - flavoured food bars (I obtained several of these from old Royal Air Force and Royal Navy survival packs. They are packets of 8 quantity cubes of flavoured carbohydrate food, such as chocolate and fruit flavours. Vacuum sealed in laminate foil packets, they closely resemble the TARDIS Food Machine food blocks).

TARDIS key on a chain, three types:

• 3rd/4th Dr era, two replicas
• 7th Dr era, three replicas
• 8th Dr era, several replicas
• Yale-style type, as used by the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th and 11th Drs.

Telescope (extendable brass telescope, bound in leather).

"The Runaway Bride" banknotes (one David Tennant and one Philip Collinson banknote, as seen in "The Runaway Bride". I believe these are high quality replicas, professionally printed on quality paper, and not BBC originals as such).

Tie, Paisley (a red paisley tie that is of a similar design and colour as the 7th Dr’s tie, circa seasons 24 and 25).

Time Lord Psychic message cubes (two CO replica psychic message cubes, with light effects; one with the snake design and one with a Time Lord seal on it).

Torch (vintage Ever-Ready torch, as used by the 4th Dr in The Robots of Death).

White Pointed Star diamond (several replicas of the White Pointed Star diamond).

Yo-Yo (a Yo-Yo is a toy that was used by the 4th Dr to take “…a simple gravity reading”. I have several types of Yo-Yo, as well as spare strings. But the most significant is my yellow Lumar Championship Yo-Yo, which is the same make and model as the 4th Dr’s Yo-Yo in Genesis of the Daleks).

Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 6x9 version D photographic stills camera (a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 6x9 version D photographic stills camera, as used by the 7th Dr in Remembrance of the Daleks. It is in a good cosmetic condition, but it does not work properly as the self timer is broken. However, I do have two more that are seemingly in a full working order, which I am keeping as collector’s items).

Other relevant collector's items:

Casio AE-21W Twin Graph ii digital watch (this vintage digital watch is the same make and model as used by SFX artist and props maker, Mike Tucker, for the 7th Dr's digital pocket watch. I currently have two of these in a working order, which I am keeping as collectables).

Helix Home File (briefcase-size metal filing cabinet, as used for the case of the TARDIS toolkit).

Pocket watch on a chain, rabbit hunter design (I have two gold tone pocket watches of the rabbit hunter design that Mike Tucker used for the case of the 7th Dr's digital pocket watch. I also have the silver tone snake pocket watch chain that Mike also used).

Viners Studio salad serving spoons (two sets of salad serving spoons, including two fork spoons of the same type that were used to make the alien-looking spoons "pilfered" by the 7th Dr in Time and the Rani).

Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 6x9 version D photographic stills camera (a German-made photographic stills camera, circa 1938, as used by the 7th Dr in "Remembrance of the Daleks". It briefly appeared on screen in the transmitted version, but it can also be seen in a deleted scene that was included as an extra on the DVD video release. I have two of these which appear to still be in a working order (although the shutter speeds may be incorrect due to age). Cosmetically, they look almost identical, with the major difference being that one has a Telma shutter and the other one has a Kilo shutter. I also have a copy of the original instruction manual, a Zeiss Ikon (London) business card and envelope, circa 1938/1939. One of the two cameras came in an antique camera leather carry case. Additionally, I have subsequently bought a genuine Zeiss Ikon carry case, a genuine Zeiss Ikon Nettar viewfinder in its original packaging, a genuine Zeiss Ikon shutter release cable in its original packaging, a genuine Zeiss Ikon Nettar 6x9 packaging box, and also a reproduction of a Zeiss Ikon 1938 promotional catalogue).

"Zoids" toy - Saicurtis (this is the same Zoids toy that was used for the construction of the 7th Dr's very valuable piece of coin collection in "Battlefield". I have two still in kit form in their original boxes).

"I am Gertrude Perkins!"

...So said Blackadder to Dr Samuel Johnson in one of the superb episodes of Blackadder the Third. Like Blackadder, I have chosen to adopt the same pseudonym. And as the Scottish Jewish comedian Arnold Brown used to say, why not!

I have been meaning to start a blog for some time, and as I am already subscribed to Google, Blogger seemed as good a place as any other.

I would like to use this blog to discuss my hobbies and interests, as well as Autism.

In my mid-30s, a few years ago, I was given a psychiatric diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome, after another bout of severe anxiety and depression. Asperger Syndrome was coined after the scientist Dr Hans Asperger, who observed Autistic traits in children in the 1940s and wrote a paper or two on the topic. The condition was not widely known until the 1990s, when Dr Hans Asperger’s medical papers were published in English.

Asperger Syndrome was coined to describe people with a high-functioning form of Autism. Despite media portrayals of Autism in films like “Rain Man” and “Mercury Rising”, Autism is a spectrum condition, meaning it can vary from mild to severe. Some people with Autism cannot communicate through speech, have associated learning disabilities and will need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives. Whereas other people with Autism are seemingly normal in speech and appearance, as their own Autism is far less severe; low-functioning and high-functioning Autism are terms commonly used to describe the differences in severity.  

A more commonly used term is Autistic Spectrum Disorder and is the term I prefer. The National Autistic Society’s website has detailed factsheets on Autistic Spectrum Disorder and I thoroughly recommend visiting the site to learn more about the medical condition. http://www.autism.org.uk/

Whereas Autism can vary in its severity, there are some characteristic traits that many people with Autism share. One of these is a preference for a routine and disliking change. Changes in my job, my workplace, and moving home caused me severe anxiety and depression. It was this trait, amongst others, that helped my diagnosis.

Since my diagnosis, I have learnt just how much prejudice and hate expressed by some towards people with Autism, as well as misconceptions and stereotyping. I do not live up to many of the stereotypes and prejudices that many people have of Autistic people, although I do have many of the diagnostic traits of Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

One of my Autistic traits (for want of a better expression) is reflected in my narrowly focussed hobbies and interests. People with Autism tend to become intensely and obsessively interested in a particular subject matter or hobby, which often last throughout their lives.

For instance, in my case, my own intense interests are:

Music – Fields of the Nephilim (and associated bands), Pink Floyd (and the musicians solo work), AC/DC, and Midnight Oil. Whereas I do listen to other music, these are my obsessions since my teenage years. With the exception of Midnight Oil and the 1984 to 1991 Fields line up, I have been fortunate to see the others in concert. I saw Pink Floyd in 1994. I saw Fields of the Nephilim (aka Carl McCoy) in 2007, twice in 2008, and also in 2011, 2012 and 2013. And I saw AC/DC in 2009, featuring the classic Back in Black era line up! In 2013, I saw Roger Waters (formerly of Pink Floyd) performing the epic Pink Floyd album, The Wall.

Television – Doctor Who, Firefly, QI, Have I Got News For You, and documentaries. I watch very little else, and in the case of Firefly, only on DVD video.

My earliest recollection of Doctor Who was watching the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) merge with The Watcher, and regenerate into the fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), which was the final scene of Logopolis episode four in 1981. I was about four or five at the time. But I did not become an obsessed Whovian until 1988, after watching Day of the Daleks on BBC Video and season 25 on television. I remain a huge fan to this very day, and supported Doctor Who during its wilderness years of 1990 to 2004.

I did grow up on a televisual diet of science fiction, fantasy and alternative comedy; Doctor Who, Star Trek, Space 1999, Lost in Space, Battlestar Galactica (the original starring Dirk Benedict), Buck Rogers, The Incredible Hulk, Joe 90, Terrorhawks, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett, Stingray, Knightmare, Red Dwarf, Robin of Sherwood, Batman, Danger Mouse, Trap Door, Banana Man, The Young Ones, The Comic Strip presents…, Spitting Image, Friday/Saturday Night Live, The New Statesman, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Girls on Top, Alexie Sayle’s Stuff, Ben Elton’s Man from Auntie, Bottom, etc, etc, etc.  

At the cinema, I saw ET in 1982, Return of the Jedi in 1983, and Ghostbusters in 1984. I saw approximately three James Bond films (Never Say Never Again, A View to a Kill, and The Living Daylights) at the cinema, as well as films such as Jewel in the Nile, Terminator 2, and possibly Willow, Never-ending Story, Labyrinth, The Goonies, amongst others.

Reading – I do not read much fiction, but I do like to read Doctor Who short story books, novels, and novelisations (of which I have an awful lot), Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) and H P Lovecraft stories. I tend to read more non-fiction than fiction. I have a particular interest in UK home defence during the Cold War (especially nuclear bunkers), Victorian England (the 1800s), the UK home front during World War 2, the Special Operations Executive and other Special Forces, Nuclear Biological Chemical warfare, non-fiction Doctor Who books, non-fiction books on tabletop roleplaying games, geek culture, and the Goth and Steampunk subculture.

Writing and drawing - When the mood takes me, I like to write and draw.

Voluntary work – In addition to full-time employment, I have been volunteering for a local registered charity for over seventeen years.

Tabletop roleplaying games – Doctor Who – Time Lord, Doctor Who – Adventures in Time and Space: the RPG, Victoriana 2nd/3rd edition, Serenity / Firefly, etc.

Collecting – I collect replica historical coins, fossils, rocks and minerals, Doctor Who short story books, books on topics that interest me (see above), and Doctor Who replica pocket props.

It is the latter of these hobbies, collecting Doctor Who replica pocket props, which will be the primary subject matter of this blog.