The book

I'm reading The Complete Book of Gerry Anderson's UFO right now and
it was surprising how much of it seemed familiar until I realised
that some of the quotes must have come from the narrations done on
the special features selections from the series mega set and from
some Internet interviews that I'd read. Still there is a lot of good
stuff in the book and it's interesting to find certain items talked
about that I had noticed in the series.

I had posted a question earlier (or thought I had) but since I don't
see it I'll ask again. Has there been any discussion about where the
fictional Harlington-Straker studio was located? Did the group reach
a conclusion? Something more specific than a general southern England?

> I had posted a question earlier (or thought I had) but since I don't
> see it I'll ask again. Has there been any discussion about where the
> fictional Harlington-Straker studio was located? Did the group reach
> a conclusion? Something more specific than a general southern England?

In the episode "ESP", Straker gets that envelope with all the stamps
on it. That envelope has SHADO-HQ's address, and I think it's in
the town of Harlington, Wessex, which I understand is 40 miles west
of London?

That is, Harlington is the name of a town, not Straker's unseen
partner in the movie business.

Marc

There is a real place called Harlington in Southern England,
however, it probably isn't the same one in UFO as it's next to
Heathrow Airport and you wouldn't want to put a film studio there.

In the episode "ESP", a package arrives on Straker's desk containing
the incriminating script. The address reads Harlington-Straker film
studios, Harlington, Wessex, Great Britain. Wessex is a name used
for a group of counties in South West England (Devon, Dorset and
Somerset).

Nick


--- In [hidden email], "raribear" <ar_fan@h...> wrote:

>
> I had posted a question earlier (or thought I had) but since I
don't
> see it I'll ask again. Has there been any discussion about where
the
> fictional Harlington-Straker studio was located? Did the group
reach
> a conclusion? Something more specific than a general southern
England?

Thanks Marc and Nick, I knew someone would be clever enough to spot
something. I have to admit I was looking at the stamps rather than
the address on the package.

Just to be devil's advocate I'd like to point out that the Pinewood
Shepperton Film studios are located very near Heathrow airport. In
fact Heathrow is central to both of them. Probably saves on
tranportation costs.

I had wondered where SHADO was located because I was really thinking
about all of the support vehicles such as the mobiles and subs and
how accessible they were for SHADO personnel to get to.

Seems like there is an emergency and blip next thing you know the
leads are in these vehicles.

Karen

--- In [hidden email], "raribear" <ar_fan@h...> wrote:
>
> Just to be devil's advocate I'd like to point out that the Pinewood
> Shepperton Film studios are located very near Heathrow airport. In
> fact Heathrow is central to both of them. Probably saves on
> tranportation costs.
>
> I had wondered where SHADO was located because I was really
thinking
> about all of the support vehicles such as the mobiles and subs and
> how accessible they were for SHADO personnel to get to.
>
> Seems like there is an emergency and blip next thing you know the
> leads are in these vehicles.

Pinewood isn't that near to Heathrow, and is off the flightpath.
Shepperton is nearer but the real town of Harlington is right next
to the main take off runway!

As for the location of SHADO vehicles, the SHADAIR planes are
designed to be housed in any major airport, the mobiles use the
cover company of Markers-Straker (and thus all part of the
industrial front) and it's either in "ESP" or "Sounds of Silence"
(or both) that they leave the studios in huge transporter lorries
before dropping the rear ramps and letting the mobiles out. In "The
Psychobombs", we see a Skydiver base not far from SHADO HQ on the
south coast of England.

Nick

> As for the location of SHADO vehicles, the SHADAIR planes are
> designed to be housed in any major airport, the mobiles use the
> cover company of Markers-Straker (and thus all part of the
> industrial front) and it's either in "ESP" or "Sounds of Silence"
> (or both) that they leave the studios in huge transporter lorries
> before dropping the rear ramps and letting the mobiles out.
In "The
> Psychobombs", we see a Skydiver base not far from SHADO HQ on the
> south coast of England.
>
> Nick

Thank you for your patience with me and pointing that out. I feel
really Homer Simpsonish at the moment "DOH!" because I've just
discovered all of this from continuing on with my reading in the book
starting at page 78 and SHADO headquarters.

Next time I'll read a book through before coming up with the
questions. The book mentions exactly what I was wondering about, I
just didn't notice it the first time I flipped through really quickly.

I never realised there were so many different transports. I'm going
to have to pay closer attention when watching the episodes again. For
example I don't recall the helicopter with the big turbines/motors?
although I'm sure I saw it at some point. One of the mobiles is
supposes to travel on water, did they ever show that in an episode?

Karen

--- In [hidden email], "raribear" <ar_fan@h...> wrote:
For
> example I don't recall the helicopter with the big
turbines/motors?
> although I'm sure I saw it at some point. One of the mobiles is
> supposes to travel on water, did they ever show that in an episode?

I'll need to review the episode, but I think the helicopter your'e
referring to appears in "ESP". The mobiles don't go aquatic in any
episode, but they get close to the water in "Sounds of Silence".

Nick

> --- In [hidden email], "raribear" <ar_fan@h...> wrote:
> For example I don't recall the helicopter with the big
> turbines/motors?

That's in ORDEAL -- Col. Freeman uses it as transportation
to get to the SHADO health farm after the Aliens attack.

Marc