Hello Fellow Alphans!

My name is Ian and I created the dioramas you can see on this page (scroll down).

I've loved Space: 1999 since I first saw "Breakaway" back in 1977.

My first model forays were in Lego - (my Eagle was made in red bricks because I didn't have enough white ones!)

Once Mum and Dad had bought me the Dinky Eagle I turned my attention to the interiors of Moonbase Alpha and have been doing so (on and off) ever since.

10 years ago I started work on Command Center scaled to 3 3/4inch Star Wars action figures. This model is shown at the top right of the page. Although I never completely finished it - I kept the model in a shoe box - thinking one day I would go back to it.

About a year ago my good friends Tim Mallet & Nick Williams asked me if I'd let to get involved, creatively, with Fanderson's "Destination Moonbase Alpha" Gala Day at Pinewood. The brief was to create 16 "centre-pieces" for the dinner to be held in the Pinewood Ball Room.

Giving it some thought - out came the shoe box and I wondered if it would be possible to "up-scale" my existing model for the newly released CTVT action figures.

This seemed successful - I had to accurise the parts as I went - but I had kept all my graphics for the panels, so most of the hard work was already done.

My prototype was approved and so the dioramas were born over the most stressful and exciting 6 months of my life.

On the day of the event I was real nervous.

Nick had seen what I had done - but Tim had not and I really wanted him to be pleased.

I couldn't have been more blown away by the reaction I got - everyone was real kind.

Towards the end of the evening I started packing away and was discussing the models with a couple of guys, when this voice said "These are incredible".

I look up to see Mr Keith Wilson, Art Director & Designer for both seasons of Space examining my Piri model!

To say I was thrilled is an understatement - this was truly the highlight of the day for me - praise from the man who created the originals 30 years ago - I was very happy and on a high for days afterwards.

Never did I dream that modelling in card and plastic would bring me so much attention and help me make new friends.

Reaction has been truly amazing and I am grateful to everyone who has taken the trouble to comment.

Thanks go to Tim & Nick for asking me to be involved in the first place and also to my long suffering partner Jason, who did without a dining table for 6 months as my workshop took over the house!

If anyone would like to correspond with me about this, please get in touch,

Ian

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