Journey Into Space

Letters Page 5

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Vivid Memories

What a treat to come across your site.

I have very vivid memories, as a nine year old, curling up in the armchair just before 7:30 pm, wishing that the preceding programme (was it the BBC news with it's seemingly endless, boring weather reports 'attention all shipping.......Dogger, Finistere' etc.') would finish quickly and then the famous opening lines would be heard. All you had to do was close your eyes and you were right there with them; anywhere in space.

I recall Lemmy's cracked voice when he'd discovered something awry or realized something was amiss. It was always Lemmy. I used to wish my weeks away until each episode's final crisis was resolved 7 days later. TV's images never compared with the products of one's own imagination and JIS formed some of my strongest childhood radio memories. I also remember, but not as fondly, Riders on the Range in the same time slot I think. Early evening listening was always special and JIS was never surpassed.

Cheers,

Dave Dewhurst
Vancouver
davejd@telus.net

The Red Planet - Cassette Mangled

Dear Sir, I am a 16 year old radio devotee and recently found an old copy of "The Red Planet" which i had recieved as a present some years ago but never listened to. Needless to say I since have and am completely hooked! However, on reaching the final tape I found it to be mangled beyond use.

I've got incredibley caught up in the story but not enough to pay another Ł13. I'd rather pay for another set! I know that it's due to be broadcast on BBC radio 7 in september but I can't wait that long. Do you know anywhere where I can find an episode guide to those last (I calculate it to be 5) instalments? I would be very grateful for any help which you can offer.

Also, this is a great site that you have here- it's good to know that some people, at least, keep these old Light Programme shows alive.

Yours sincerely

Simon Spiro
simon_spiro@hotmail.com

Journey Into Space 50th Anniversary

Recently I decided it was about time that I 'launched' myself into the Twenty-First century and obtained a computer. The first thing I did once on the internet was to try and find out all that I could about my favourite radio programme of all time. Journey Into Space.

It was great to read all of your letters. Most of all the realization that there were many of you who remember September 1953 when the first episode was transmitted. The atmosphere and tension was almost unbearable. The thought of having to wait another week for the next episode was awful.

I was one of the fortunate radio listeners who was around at the time and able to tune into the very first episode in September 1953. As we know some years ago tapes of the trilogy came to light-those that were recorded in the late fifties for transmission in the overseas service of the BBC. The very first episodes were terrific and it is a shame that they were not included in the overseas version and are now lost. Is there anyone out there who somehow managed to record them in those early days?

When the first boxed sets came onto the market I was very lucky. All my friends knew at once what to get me for my Birthday or Christmas.

Is anything special happening to celebrate this fiftieth anniversary year? Sadly most of the original cast are no longer with us.It would have been great to hear those marvelous distinctive voices once more. As Jonathan said in an earlier letter I read on site, whatever did happen to Guy Kingsley-Poynter. I remember going to see him in a play at Her Majestys Theatre in London called The Teahouse of the August Moon, but that was all. What a lovely soft and soothing voice he had.

I vaguely remember Andrew Faulds taking the title role in the BBC television produc tion of Rob Roy. I think it was about 1977. Does anyone know if it was ever put onto a video, and if so would it still be possible to obtain a copy? Also I understand that he was in the radio adaptation R.D. Blackmore 's Lorna Doone. Was that ever put on cassette does anyone know? Voices like Andrew Faulds do not happen very often and I think you will agree need to be preserved.

Wonderful to have found this site. Don't let it go.

Beryl M Batchelor
jet-flyer@amserve.com

Yahoo Chat Group

Thank you for the link on your site ot the chat group. However, I did not create the other Yahoo group you name (journey-into-space2) A rather odd man (whose name escapes me) did so, but it has been dead for years. Apart from a couple of messages from me asking if the group was still alive, I think the last messages onthere were those from the site's owner.

Regards
Saul Hazen

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Journey_into_space/

Over The Moon

What a fantastic site. I was over the moon (and reached Mars) when I found it... Well done... Thank's

HomeryouRock@aol.com

Animated Rocket

Really cool that you've enlivened the JIS web site. You should check out the rocket pictures and animation at www.sfdp.co.uk (in showreel and gallery) which are "inspired" by JIS. Maybe we could take the writing off the rocket and call it the rocketship Luna for your web site...

Benjamin Smith
Storm Front Digital Productions
www.sfdp.co.uk

Audio Cleaning

What a great site and about time someone came up with a idea of a WebPages based on the Journey into space series well done to all.

I`ve been a fan since my dad got me to listen to the re-aired series on Radio 2 and later got the three series (part 1,2 and 3) on the old box sets and the digitally remastered sets too, which I was a little worried about the background hiss as it was still really loud even if the crackles and pops were removed.

Anyway I`ve got JIS on CD as well as the other two series all you have to do is record them onto your computer's hard-drive and then clean them up with some audio cleaning software, as I do, which you can buy at any computer store. After that you can encode them to MP3 [and record the files] on a CD-R so that the whole series take up 3 CDs with hiss free sound.

P.S. keep up the good work and where can i get the novels?

T Ewing
T.Ewing@btinternet.com

Dad turned JIS of in mid-episode

This promises to be a great nostalgia experience. The series is a major part of the background of my childhood. I recall the most effective punishment for quarreling with my brother on one occasion was that Dad turned JIS off in mid-episode.

For sheer eeriness and suspense, the time travellers' saucer propulsion 'music' takes some beating. As with the radio version of 'Hound Of The Baskervilles' and 'War Of The Worlds', masterly sound effects enabled us to form a picture of the action better than the best Oscar-worthy SFX on the screen.

One which springs to mind is when one of the Von Braun type spacecraft comes out of orbit to overfly Jet's position by the vegatation-filled canal. Obviously, an orthodox jet sound is used, but with dialogue the effect is truly stunning.

Another is the time travellers' 'tank' circling the landed 'Luna' with its drumbeat engines.

It is a measure of the progame's power that these images are still clear after 50 years. I do not need to read anything to recall and write.

Just an afterword - I remember how strange it was during a parliamentary broadcast involving Andrew Faulds M.P. in the '80s to hear the distinctive voice of Jet Morgan raised in debate.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing the site.

Best Wishes

Peter Ford
owlpub@hotmail.com

Seven Rings of Saturn

Hi! I wonder if you can help me? My wife, another JIS fan, recalls a song from the series called the Seven Rings of Saturn which was used on the series and which had the same tune as the "It's a Knockout" theme. Frankly I don't recall it at all, but wonder if anyone knows the words?

Grant Anderson
grant.anderson@blueyonder.co.uk

CD Release?

I am given to understand, courtesy of a London-based friend - who's visiting Canada for Christmas and who brought with her the two-tape BBC set, JIS: The Return from Mars - that BBC is planning to release the full series on CD in summer 2003. Anyone else heard about this?

Ken Pole
Ottawa
Canada
ken.pole@sympatico.ca

I think it would need 27 CDs for the series to be released in full CD quality! It is also concievable that the whole of Journey Into Space could fit on 2-3 MP3 CDs.