Who is Snapper?

I met Robert Plant in a book shop in Machynlleth not far from Bron Y Aur cottage. I was looking at a book and he said “thats a good book that is, I lent a copy to a mate and never got it back, so I had to buy another copy.”

Now I am without a doubt a mad Led Zeppelin fan but I did not recognise him up close. I’m glad really I might have come over all embarracing. I bought the book though on his recomendation. Also I have wondered to this day who this particular mate was. Jimmy Page? John Paul Jones? I bet it was somebody equally famous. Nice bloke, I hope I meet him again.

Watch the film lads I promise you it was a Jaguar. We had this argument about the bike Tom Cruise rode in Top Gun. This was before I got into bikes so I didn’t know. Me and this other bloke who knew less about bike than I did swore blind it was a Norton! A Norton I ask you but as I said it was before I got into bikes.

Anyway turns out it was a Kawasaki GPZ***R Ninja (naff name that. ‘Ninja’. Just pants.) There is some argument though as to wether it was a GPZ900R or the GPZ750R which to the extent of my knowledge was never officially imported into the UK. The 900R was a top bike though. First of the real Superbikes. You can have your 1969 Honda CB750.

Everything you say Ren is right and true but Highlander still rocks. Highlander 2 and 3 are pants but the original is just fantastic if only for the Jag screaming down the valley at the end of the film.

And for anybody interested in the locations of the afformentioned Higlander, the castle at the beginning is Eileen Donan Castle in Durnie about 2 hours up the road from Glen Finnan which is just up the road from Fort William. You will find the Jacobite Memorial and one of Concrete Bob’s bridges but you won’t find any castle.

If Hollywood is doing a Greek blockbuster mate I guarantee you will be spitting your popcorn at the screen within the first 10 minutes of the movie. Then you will spend the rest of the time tearing it to shreds because the Americans know less about Greece than the do Britain.

One or two quotes:

“This is English courage” Kevin Costner in a broad American accent, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

“No country would be stupid enough to take your lot on” Words uttered by some sycophantic barely working Brit actor to Ben Afleck as our hero single handedly wins the Battle of Britain for us. Pearl Harbour.

U571 anyone?

Braveheart?

The Patriot?

Bloody hell I do wish our Mel would just get on with his job.

Anybody else got any examples?

If you want a good honest film Hollywood isn’t really the place to go. Action? Yes. Honesty? Forget it.

Now one film worth watching is a little known Czech film called Deep Blue World (or is it Dark Blue World). Low budget but well written, well acted and above all honest.

I kept 2002 on my system and as far as addon scenery was concerned I got it working in FS2004 by the ‘Add scenery’ in the scenery library and simply pointing it at the required scenery in the FS2002 folder. It works too. Scenery working so far is UKVFR (all volumes) Nick Ryalls South West England Landmarks, London Landmarks, Scotflight, LAGO terramesh (England/Wales, Scotland/Ireland) and a fair bit more. Saved space as well it just utilises the FS2002 folders.

Aircraft that work perfectly are Real Air Simulations SF260 (payware) and PSS Scottish Aviation Bulldog (freeware if you register at the Pheonix Sim Software site. You might find some other stuff at Simviation.com but that site is a bit slow.

Try ED models on the Stratford road round the corner from the MEB building. Alternatively if you come off the Coventry Road by the big overhead lights at Sheldon (make the turn for Olton not Sheldon) drive up to the island go striaght across until you see a load of shops (its round the back of the Land Rover works) there is another model shop there. There is one in Rubery and another in Stetchford. If you don’t mind travelling through Wales for a couple of hours go to Aberystwyth there are a couple of fantastic model shops there also, up the road opposite the pier.

Alex. Just so you know I am from Birmingham and I regularly go to Hay-on-Wye for this kind of material. Ian Alan by the recruiting office in town is also a good source for this kind of material if you haven’t already tried it but if you give yourself a day or two in Hay-on-Wye (book in at a B&B its a really nice place to stay) I guarantee a) you still won’t have time to look at all the 2nd hand book shops but b) and more impotantly you will find what you are looking for.