New Lego & Meccano Engineering Series

[Soup?]

Originally Posted by Cobol74

I enjoyed the show

Me too!
Not as good as the Airfix (IMO of course) but still several billions miles ahead of anything else on television at the moment.

Joanna Lumley was there - Stephen Fry turned up too.

I may have put that the other way round, but the point is well made.

Originally Posted by Richmondgal

Everytime I saw his cat in shot I yelled "Fusker!"

It seems all the things I came online to say have been said already. So add a 'me too' to this one too.

Looking forward to the next one; especially since the meccano episode is the one that seemed to get the least press coverage and meccano is a thing that he's exressed a love for in his Christmas Toy documentary. Hopefully that means that the passion that was more prevalent in the Airfix episode will be back!

[LindenChase]

Well, you might be a bit dissapointed in this. I got the Toy Stories book today and he mentions that as a child he hardly touched the stuff. It was only back in 1999 when The Times asked him to do an article about it, that he got interested.

The book has a funny pic of him back then. He looks so much better now with long hair.

[Squidge]

Originally Posted by Susie

It looks like one of those little metal canister cat tags. When you unscrew it, there's a bit of paper rolled up inside, where you write in your cat's name and address.

It's funny, but when I first saw it, I was thinking mini-GPS tracking device. I think James threatened to get one for Fusker at some point.

Loved last night's show, btw. Some of the flowers were gorgeous. Have to wonder what cooked plasticine smells like though.

[Soup?]

Originally Posted by LindenChase

the Toy Stories book

*Scuttles off to amazon*

[Susie]

Originally Posted by Squidge

It's funny, but when I first saw it, I was thinking mini-GPS tracking device. I think James threatened to get one for Fusker at some point.

Loved last night's show, btw. Some of the flowers were gorgeous. Have to wonder what cooked plasticine smells like though.

Howdy Ontario friend. I think all the cool countries are microchipping critters these days.

I remember the smell of plasticine used to stick to your hands for ages. Or maybe I was just a filthy little kid who never washed her hands?

I guess all the peers I'm getting off TheBox are slow. I'm never going to get to see the episode at this rate.

[flydiscovery]

Well that was lovely. I have to say though, all the press may have spoiled it a bit for me. I feel like the big, emotional moment was the absolute beauty of the garden, and I've already spent days and days oooogling that. It was a most impressive garden though. Then again, I know that the only toy I'm personally emotionally invested in is the Lego so that probably has something to do with it. We don't even have Plasticine in the US and I was only allowed to play with play dough in the back room of my grandmother's house. Still though, the garden itself was stunning. I'd love to walk through it myself. I can't imagine how cool it is in person.

[Squidge]

I'm with you there, Fly. As impressive as it is on screen, it must be more so in real life.

Originally Posted by Susie

I remember the smell of plasticine used to stick to your hands for ages. Or maybe I was just a filthy little kid who never washed her hands?

Nah. The stuff did seep into your pores. Though as I recall, it wasn't an unpleasant smell. Still, it was great fun, until the inevitable brown blob you'd end up with because all the colors had been mashed together.

[skylock]

Originally Posted by WillDAQ

The more I see this the more convinced it's "James May's Toy Stories" rather than "James May's Toy Stories"

Great show.

Me thinks so too. I wonder what we will see from his garage next week.

Originally Posted by flydiscovery

Well that was lovely. I have to say though, all the press may have spoiled it a bit for me. I feel like the big, emotional moment was the absolute beauty of the garden, and I've already spent days and days oooogling that. It was a most impressive garden though. Then again, I know that the only toy I'm personally emotionally invested in is the Lego so that probably has something to do with it. We don't even have Plasticine in the US and I was only allowed to play with play dough in the back room of my grandmother's house. Still though, the garden itself was stunning. I'd love to walk through it myself. I can't imagine how cool it is in person.

We have or at least had plasticine in the US. I have some in my art box. It is pretty old because I have not bought anything to add to that box in a long long time.

[Thedanielrecord]

I'm watching the first episode of Toy Stories right now and I love it. Everything James does outside of Top Gear I've enjoyed tremendously. I shared his "Big Ideas" series with my girlfriend and she loved it too. The more I read about him and see him outside of Top Gear, the more he becomes my favorite presenter.

[That American Girl]

Originally Posted by Susie

I guess all the peers I'm getting off TheBox are slow. I'm never going to get to see the episode at this rate.

I'm still waiting on mine!!

[Mercedes5CLR]

The Airfix was great.. anyone have a torrent link to the Second EP. I think it came out Nov. 4. Thanks guys.

[Ironlord]

Slightly sidetracking for a minute... any fans of Scrapheap Challenge here?

Those who are will recognise Sim Oakley as being involved on there several times - eventually as a behind-the-scenes technical consultant, but with a few appearances with the teams as well. SHC's glory days gave us the magnificently bonkers Andy Barnes and his Devon farmers, the Barley Pickers - who rightfully went into the book of Scrapheap legends - and were assisted by Sim in the series 5 final, where there was a mild clash of ideas between him and Andy, all on camera.

So, you'd think Sim would be used to plans devised by eccentrics going slightly awry by now, even though it's seven years since that Scrapheap final...

[shellygrrl]

Plasticine ep was fab. And yes, I was also gleeful at seeing Fusker.

[ozgirl]

Originally Posted by skylock

Yeah, it is. I went out on the internet and found them, but decided that will not work with 99. No one would be able to get close enough to her to be able to get to the little piece of paper.

From what I've read about Fusker ain't no-one gonna be reading HIS scroll either!
I'd do a lot for James, but free Vet treatment for his cat maybe not, as I value all 10 of my digits!
Perhaps James feels it's cool man cat jewellery as well

[Wyvern]

Originally Posted by Ironlord

Slightly sidetracking for a minute... any fans of Scrapheap Challenge here?

Those who are will recognise Sim Oakley as being involved on there several times - eventually as a behind-the-scenes technical consultant, but with a few appearances with the teams as well. SHC's glory days gave us the magnificently bonkers Andy Barnes and his Devon farmers, the Barley Pickers - who rightfully went into the book of Scrapheap legends - and were assisted by Sim in the series 5 final, where there was a mild clash of ideas between him and Andy, all on camera.

So, you'd think Sim would be used to plans devised by eccentrics going slightly awry by now, even though it's seven years since that Scrapheap final...

Bugger... I spent two weeks working with the guy and never twigged that!

[Buktu]

Just saw both episodes, enjoyed them immensely! A major reason must be that James picks subjects for which he is really enthusiastic and often quite passionate!
I don't know which episode I like the best, since they were so different in feel - I could'nt stop smiling at the Spitfire, and the garden was fantastic. The snobbery around that Chelsea garden show was annoying me though. They did, however, make up for that in the end.

I want to watch more! Can't wait for next weeks episode.

And I want to start making Airfix models now.. Or something similar.. Though it's difficult to find a good place to buy it from.. I used to make models like that, and seem to remember that it was quite pricy with all the paint and whatnot.. Maybe I'll just skip the paint, it was always more enjoyable to put them together that it was painting them. Would be great to find something grand and and little more complex than the regular small models though..

And I quite enjoyed the digs he made at Clarkson in the tank bit.. Clarkson should take note, this is how you stay on the same topic as earlier programs, while still renewing it..

[Nati]

^I'm making the spitfire in airfix!
It's really frustrating because the pieces don't fit properly at first, and some of them are really tiny
I thought my experience with kinder eggs would help I was wrong

[brydiem]

Aussies who want the Toy Stories book, ABC shop is taking names and numbers and will call you back when it is released- we were actually meant to get it October, so I think it may be close! Price is $40 AUD for (assumedly) the paperback. Considering you can get it off the book depository within a month in hardback for $10 less, dunno whether it is worth putting your name down or not :S

Just don't call it the Top Toys book like I did, confuses them to no end

[skidd]

Not sure why, but the music in the Plasticine ep really stood out more in my mind. Stereophonics, Talking Heads, my kind of stuff. I was also surprised that Alex what'shername was quite nice to James in comparison to the other RHS people. I would have thought as manager of the show, she would be a lot snootier.

[brydiem]

^ There's lots of Kings of Leon as well, but yeah, plenty of mainstream music in use. Not complaining though, it's the good kind of mainstream.

He used The White Stripes in an ep of Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure once (forget which season). That was brilliant for me