Science Fiction

This page is likely to be updated with some frequency as I actively involved in science fiction fandom and have been for some time. You may have noticed from elsewhere on this site that many of my friends are also fans. Helen & I are involved in running conventions, Andi is a regular convention goer and Helen, Andi, Ronnie and I all make our own costumes. Although a lot of the pictures on this page feature Star Trek inspired costumes (no copyright infringement is intended), my favourite programmes are British in origin, particularly the work of Gerry Anderson (the man behind 'Thunderbirds', if you weren't sure). Ronnie & I are big fans of all of his work, but especially the live action shows 'Space:1999', 'Space Precinct' and our favourite, 'UFO'.

We are both passionate about 'UFO'. Where as we are happy to come up with designs based on the costumes of other series, we feel it would be sacrilege to do anything to this one, so you'll be seeing no 'historical UFO' or 'SHADO cocktail gowns' on this site!!! For years I dreamed of dressing as a SHADO moonbase girl from the series. I even got to try on Dolores Mantez (Lt. Nina Barry) 's purple wig, but eventually, Ronnie beat me to it. I still hope to do it one day - though I think my wife might prefer it if I looked more like Ed Straker.....

In the early 1990s, this was a fairly typical outfit for me to wear at conventions. I had a reputation for wearing lycra miniskirts teamed with other costume elements. Here I'm wearing a Starfleet medical scrub tunic, but you can't see the logo on the chest because my handbag is in the way! There's a big one printed on the back, too (well, it's an improvement on 'NHS property West Birmingham NHS Trust...). It was this style that gave me my '15 Minutes of Fame', when 'Marie Claire' magazine came to the 44th British Star Trek Convention in 1992. They printed a picture of me wearing a miniskirt and Star Trek: The Next Generation tunic and this is what they had to say:- ".....He has designed and made eight costumes pertaining to the little known Tudor Star Trek period - red doublet and hose with the distinctive 'V' line across the chest, plenty of gold braid and the tell-tale Starship Enterprise crew badge on the velvet bosom. Today, however, he is wearing a little black mini-skirt: I got hot. And don't call me a tranny trekkie.' The nice thing is that everyone knows a tranny would be perfectly welcome on Star Trek: Spock would raise one eyebrow, Scotty would pretend to bluster and Captain Kirk would smile benevolently, but no one would make any fuss" (text copyright 1992, Marie Claire Album and European Magazines Ltd; no copyright infringement is intended) It's a nice thought, isn't it?

Above left and right, Ronnie, Helen and I inject some glamour into the Star Trek universe in costumes designed and executed by Helen and Ronnie. The centre photo of Ronnie as a Ferengi was taken the night we met, at a convention in Plymouth. It proves that I am not the only member of the household to indulge in a spot of cross-dressing; as female emancipation had yet to reach Ferenginar back in 1994, she's dressed as a MALE Ferengi! The alternative would have probably got her arrested as females were kept naked at all times.... I hope you've enjoyed your visit to my science fiction universe. Just like the real thing, it will keep expanding, for as long as I am involved in conventions and costuming. I hope to have some new Gerry Anderson costumes soon - Watch This Space!

History

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