RAMPAGING REPOST: MEMORIES AND IMAGINATION...

On the same theme as the previous post, here's an earlier

one which perhaps better conveys what I was trying to say.

As always, comments welcome.

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One tends to think of memory's magical kingdom as having

fixed boundaries.  Only shadows of the past are allowed residence and

interlopers are strictly forbidden.  However, the sentries can be fooled

and intruders may sneak in under the cloak of familiarity if they bear a

close enough resemblance to a recognised inhabitant.

"Okay, Gordie, you've

lost the plot.  What are

you blathering on about

now?" you may well be

thinking.  Simply this.  If

you're around the same

age as me, you may well

remember the CAPTAIN

SCARLET merchandise

that was available back in

the '60s, particularly the

DINKY diecast vehicles

like the SPV, MSV, and

SPC.  (Although, now-

adays, it's usually re-

ferred to as the SSC.)

I had all of them - and still retain the set I acquired many years ago

as replacements for my originals.  I've had them for far longer than I ever

owned their predecessors, although it doesn't actually feel like it.  It's almost

as if there's never been a period in my life when I was without them, and that

the ones I have today are the very ones I had as a kid;  hidden in a cupboard

somewhere for all those years 'til I rediscovered them after a long period

of neglect.  That's not the case of course, it just seems that way.

However, there are other ways to fool the mind, and here's what I

hope is an interesting example of such an instance.  Back in the early

'90s, THUNDERBIRDS enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity when

the BBC broadcast all 32 episodes on network TV for the very first time.

Previously, back in the '60s (and with most subsequent repeats), they were

shown in various TV regions on different days and times.  Amazingly, the

'90s screenings were a huge success, spawning a level of merchandise

to rival that which was available during the show's heyday.

The BBC tried again with STINGRAY and CAPTAIN SCARLET, but

met with a more muted response from viewers.  However, having anticipated

the same kind of enthusiastic reaction that INTERNATIONAL RESCUE

had enjoyed, toy manufacturers launched all sorts of items to tie-in with

the expected demand for all things GERRY ANDERSON.

Such an item was the SPV 'play

set' by VIVID IMAGINATIONS,

pictured in this post.  Now, here's

the thing:  I obviously bought this

as a collector's piece, not to play

with - and I purchased it while

living in my present abode, with

where one would naturally assume

I would associate it.  But no, when-

ever I cast eyes on it, I seem to see

myself, as a kid, sitting on the

doorstep in the back garden of my

old house, playing with this exact

same vehicle - even 'though this

specific toy didn't exist at the time

and wasn't made until around

half a century later.

So vivid is the image that it does indeed seem like an actual memory -
as opposed to what is obviously merely my imagination, facilitated by
the fact that I associate the familiar design of the vehicle with a particular
period from my past.  In short, it's a perfect fit - and seems more at home
in my memories of 1968 than of when I actually obtained it.

Funny how the mind can play such tricks, isn't it?  I believe it's called

'false memory syndrome', which is perhaps where 'deja vu'-type
feelings spring from.  Anyone got any similar experiences they'd care to
share?  Feel free to let loose in the comments section.

Posted in: Cartoons