50 Years of Bondage

I've just bought another painting from Solly at SM Artworks who predominantly paints TV and film subjects.  Since it's fifty years since the first Bond film (and next year, it'll be sixty years since the first Bond novel), this painting is called "Legacy" and depicts three of Bond's Aston Martins - the DB5 from "Goldfinger" (and later films), the V8 Vantage Volante from "The Living Daylights", and the DBS V12 from "Casino Royale" (and trashed at the beginning of "Quantum of Solace").

And here it is in the slot room, pushing Starsky & Hutch round the corner of the chimney breast so that it can pair up with "Super Pursuit" (bought two years ago and featuring KITT, Airwolf and the A-Team van) on the other side of the race monitor.

And speaking of Starsky & Hutch, I managed to track down some flashing LED units for Starsky's Ford Gran Torino, and fitted one into the Plymouth Road Runner police car that I had previously wired in a Maplin flashing LED (which worked when static but stayed on when driving round the track).  The official Scalextric part does the trick.

TV tie-in

In one of my very first postings, I highlighted some pictures I'd hung on the wall in the loft and said they'd be the subject of a future blog, but never got round to it.  Originally, I bought three prints from a guy at last year's Toy Collector's Fair at the NEC - Starsky & Hutch and their Gran Torino, Michael Knight and KITT, and the Duke Boys and the General Lee.

I'd suggested to him that the set would be complete if he painted BA Baracus and the A-Team van.  He says he still might do that, especially since the film came out this year.  I saw him again at the NEC last month and bought a new painting featuring KITT, the A-Team van and Airwolf.

I don't think Louise would let me have this downstairs but it looks great above the slot car layout, although I'll have to find another place for it if he does paint BA.

And of course, I do have the three cars matching the small prints.

The General Lee and the Ford Gran Torino are both excellent models.  But KITT is very disappointing.  Scalextric based the model on the mold for the Triumph TR7, and as a result the proportions are all wrong and it's far too small.  Perhaps another manufacturer will make another one day.

Here's what it should look like... my very first car...

Finally, here's the current state of the layout (click to see larger image):