MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Stanley]

Did they look like this? Go on, tell us what it is.......

[plaques]

Will search through my Bancroft pictures later today. We used these Heath Robinson gadgets to compare the theoretical against actual cylinder pressure. This was way back in my old days when they were trying to educate me on thermodynamics. The results from the gas engines they used them on were no better than a two year old child's crayon squiggles. The profiling lathe in your front room would have given better results.

[plaques]

Just the one picture. Very much like yours Stanley.

[Stanley]

The Dobbie-McInnes indicator. They gave quite good reports if set up properly P. The clever bit was interpreting the diagrams..... Used by the insurance companies.

[Tizer]

Now for something different, what's this? ....

[Cathy]

Reminds me of Day of the Triffidds.
Picture looks like a film set.

[plaques]

A very elaborate tripod for lifting the 'Lady of the Lake' just at the focus of all the cameras. Never thought about it before but can a 'tripod' of this description walk or will it fall over when it lifts one of its legs up?

[PanBiker]

I think you may be confusing War of the Worlds with Day of the Triffids Cathy. War of the Worlds features the Martian Tripods whereas Day of the Triffids is the tale of the mutant vegetable pods.

[Big Kev]

As Ian says, War of the Worlds. It looks very much like the fighting machine that's on the cover of Jeff Wayne's 1979 album, the musical version of...

Is it a film set or something privately owned?

[Stanley]

I'll go for a film set .....

[Tizer]

Film set is correct but it's not War of the Worlds (and nor is it Day of the Triffids!). Plaques' post contains a clue.

[Wendyf]

I've cheated. Never heard of it before.

[PanBiker]

I cheated too and it's new to me also, too busy mending TV's at the time.

[Stanley]

I haven't cheated...... Still clueless.

[chinatyke]

A very elaborate tripod for lifting the 'Lady of the Lake' just at the focus of all the cameras.

It is not a clear picture but I think I can make out a lady suspended just opposite the top leg joints, just beneath the head of the tripod. Lady of the Lake was a movie.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166681/

[plaques]

The 'Lady of the Lake' reference was just a throw away line. Seeing 'Excalibur' coming out of the lake always makes me smile. As a kid I was always a fan of William Bendix. Especially this song King Arthur. which I follow to the letter.
PS. I still think the tripod will fall over if it tries to move.

[Tizer]

I'd better give the answer or we'll end up with everyone cheating and no-one saying what it is! Our Aussie friends haven't shown any recognition either even though there is a connection with that side of the world. It's a still from the sci-fi TV series of the 1980s called `The Tripods', based on novels of that name. I remember watching some of the early episodes but losing interest quickly. I didn't find much about it on the Web but there is a Wikipedia page: LINK

Talking of 1980s sci-fi TV series, do you remember the zany but humorous Kinvig series? Not classic TV but a bit of fun. LINK

[chinatyke]

Thanks Tiz. Never heard of it. Found out some obscure things along the way.

[Tizer]

I've got another mystery pic handy so let's try it. It comes from the Web so don't go matching google images until you've tried to guess it!...

[PanBiker]

I didn't find much about it on the Web

You can watch the entire series on Youtube if you so desire.

Thinking about the last one?

[Wendyf]

An early salad spinner, or the first tumble dryer ....he's just waiting for an electric socket to plug it into.

[Big Kev]

I'd better give the answer or we'll end up with everyone cheating and no-one saying what it is! Our Aussie friends haven't shown any recognition either even though there is a connection with that side of the world. It's a still from the sci-fi TV series of the 1980s called `The Tripods', based on novels of that name. I remember watching some of the early episodes but losing interest quickly.

Must have passed me by, I have no recollection of it at all. Mind you, I was working 12 hours for 6 days a week between 1984 and 1990 supporting a growing family, surprised I remember anything really

[PanBiker]

Ditto Kev.

[Big Kev]

Ditto Kev.

I still have no idea what's going on half the time now and all the kids left home years ago.

[chinatyke]

Early prototype of moon-lander wheels.