Stuart's Panoramic World 1 - Laindon, Five Links Estate

I'm going to start yet another new regular feature here on the Captain's Blog.  I plan to merge my "Stuart Wilson's Panoramic World" website with this blog, so expect to find some interactive 3D panoramas popping up here every now and then for you to look at.

 

I love 3D panoramas as they are a wonderful way of preserving a single point in time, allowing the user to see all around, as if they are actually standing there.  In fact, I am amazed there are not more of them available on the web considering that most cameras and mobile phones have the ability to take these photos now. 

 

Consider these to be ones that the Google Street View camera can't reach!
 

Use your mouse (or cursor keys) to look.  Your mouse wheel allows you to zoom in and out.

Location : Laindon, Essex, England Date : 3rd January 2013 Camera : Fujifilm HS30 EXR Notes : Five Links Estate (Handley Green - Now Beeston Courts).  My old home. Download/Enlarge : Click here to enlarge

 

Star Trek Music To My Ears

Well, well, well...  Looks like Father Christmas has been to the Wilson household again, and supplied me with a lovely copy of  "Star Trek - The Original Series Soundtrack Collection".  15 CD's of pure 60's Trekkie heaven, featuring over 600 tracks from the original Star Trek series, most of which have never been released before. 

Yes, I'm a geek...  Yes, I love my soundtracks...  Yes, I love my Star Trek soundtracks even more.  Alexander Courage, George Duning, Jerry Fielding, Gerald Fried, Sol Kaplan, Samuel Matlovsky, Joseph Mullendore and Fred Steiner have all never sounded so great!

It's actually made me have a look at my ever expanding soundtrack collection, and write down here what I have. 

(I can blame my friend Steven Ready for getting me into movie soundtracks!)

2010
2012
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
A View To A Kill
Air Force One
Airplane
Airwolf Themes
Alien
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection
Alien Vs. Predator - Requiem
Aliens - Deluxe Edition
Aliens (Complete)
Alive!
Apollo 13 (Promo)
Assault on Precinct 13
Bablyon 5 - Severed Dreams
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 - A Late Delivery from Avalon
Babylon 5 - And The Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place
Babylon 5 - Best of Christopher Franke
Babylon 5 - Chrysalis
Babylon 5 - Coming of Shadows
Babylon 5 - Face of the Enemy
Babylon 5 - Falling Towards Apotheosis
Babylon 5 - In the Beginning
Babylon 5 - Interludes and Examinations
Babylon 5 - Into the Fire
Babylon 5 - Lines of Communication
Babylon 5 - No Surrender, No Retreat
Babylon 5 - Ragged Edge
Babylon 5 - River of Souls
Babylon 5 - Shadow Dancing
Babylon 5 - The Fall of Night
Babylon 5 - The Long Night
Babylon 5 - Thirdspace
Babylon 5 - Walkabout
Babylon 5 - War Without End, Part 1
Babylon 5 - War Without End, Part 2
Babylon 5 - Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi
Babylon 5 - Z'ha Dum
Babylon 5 Volume 2 - Messages from Earth
Back To The Future
Back To The Future II
Back To The Future III
Back to Titanic
Batman Forever
Battle Beyond The Stars
Battlestar Galactica
Beauty and the Beast (this one is for Kayleigh and Sophie... honest!)
Beetlejuice
Beneath The Planet of the Apes
Biggles - Adventures in Time
Bill & Ted Collection
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Buck Rogers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Call of Duty 1
Call of Duty 2 Original Soundtrack
Call of Duty 3 Limited Edition Soundtrack
Cannonball Run
Cars
Cars 2
Casino Royale
Casino Royale - 1967
Cocoon
Commando
Conan - Ultimate Edition
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer - Extended Soundtrack
Dawn Of The Dead
Dawn of the Dead - Goblin - Daemonia
Dawn Of The Dead - The Complete 1978 Soundtrack
Dawn of the Dead (Goblin)
Dawn Of The Dead Remake
Day Of The Dead 2002
Deep Rising
Demolition Man
Diamonds Are Forever
Die Another Day
Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol
Doctor Who - The Movie
Doctor Who & The Daleks
Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album
Doctor Who Season 1 & 2
Doctor Who Season 3
Doctor Who Season 4
Doctor Who Series 4 - The Specials
Doctor Who Series 5
Doctor Who Series 6
Dr No
Dune
Earth - Final Conflict
Enemy Mine
Escape From The Planet of the Apes
Explorers
Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections
Flash Gordon
For You Eyes Only
Freejack
From Russia With Love
Galaxy Quest
Ghostbusters
Gladiator
Gladiator- More Music From the Motion Picture
Godzilla
GoldenEye
Goldfinger
Gremlins
Hellraiser
Hellraiser 2- Hellbound
Hellraiser 4- Bloodline (Original Soundtrack)
Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
Hot Shots! Part Deux
Howard the Duck
I Am Legend
Independance Day (Expanded)
Independence Day
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Extended)
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - Complete
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom (Expanded)
Innerspace
Innerspace - Extended Soundtrack
King Kong
Knight Rider
Land Of The Giants
Licence To Kill
Live And Let Die
Logan's Run
Lost In Space
Lost World Game Soundtrack
Lucas
Madagascar
Madagascar 2 - Escape 2 Africa
Masters Of The Universe
MDK Soundtrack
Medal of Honor - Frontline
Medal Of Honor Soundtrack
Monkey Island 3 Soundtrack
Monster's Inc
Moonraker
Moonraker (Expanded)
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Muppet Movie
Never Say Never Again
Next Generations - Best Of Science Fiction
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Octopussy
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Poltergeist
Poltergeist 2
Poseidon
Poseidon Adventure
Predator
Quantum Leap
Quantum Of Solace
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raise the Titanic
Rambo - First Blood
Rambo - First Blood Part II
Ratatouille
Resident Evil - Orchestra Soundtrack
Robocop
Robocop - Extended Soundtrack
RoboCop 2
Robots
Rocky IV
SeaQuest DSV
Short Circuit
Shrek
Skyline
Space Above and Beyond
Spaceballs
Spacehunter - Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
Species
Species II
Speed
Star Trek 2009
Star Trek - Deep Space Nine
Star Trek - Deep Space Nine Boxset 1
Star Trek - Deep Space Nine Boxset 2
Star Trek - Enterprise
Star Trek - First Contact
Star Trek - First Contact (Expanded)
Star Trek - First Contact (Limited Edition)
Star Trek - Generations
Star Trek - Generations Expanded
Star Trek - Insurrection
Star Trek - Insurrection - Expanded Score
Star Trek - Insurrection (Expanded)
Star Trek - Nemesis
Star Trek - Sound Effects from the Original TV Soundtrack
Star Trek - Starfleet Academy
Star Trek - Symphonic Suites, Vol. 1
Star Trek - Symphonic Suites, Vol. 2
Star Trek - The Best of Star Trek 30th Anniversary Special
Star Trek - The Best of Star Trek, Vol. 2
Star Trek - The Motion Picture
Star Trek - The Motion Picture - Expanded Soundtrack
Star Trek - The Motion Picture - Ilia's Theme (Solo Piano Version)
Star Trek - The Motion Picture 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition
Star Trek - The Next Generation - Face of the Enemy
Star Trek - The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project (14 CDs)
Star Trek - The Next Generation Collection Disk 1
Star Trek - The Next Generation Collection Disk 2
Star Trek - The Next Generation Collection Disk 3
Star Trek - The Next Generation 'Encounter At Farpoint'
Star Trek - The Next Generation Vol IV
Star Trek - The Next Generation, Vol. 2 - 'The Best of Both Worlds' Pts. I & II
Star Trek - The Next Generation, Vol. 3
Star Trek - Voyager
Star Trek 2009 - (Expanded Score)
Star Trek 2 - The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek 2 - The Wrath of Khan Expanded Soundtrack
Star Trek 3 - The Search for Spock
Star Trek 3 - The Search For Spock Expanded Soundtrack
Star Trek 4 - The Voyage Home
Star Trek 4 - The Voyage Home Expanded Soundtrack
Star Trek 5 - The Final Frontier
Star Trek 5 - The Final Frontier Expanded Soundtrack
Star Trek 6 - The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek 6 - The Undiscovered Country (Expanded)
Star Trek Enterprise - In A Mirror, Darkly
Star Trek Movie Sound FX
Star Trek Original Series Collection (15 CDs)
Star Trek Sound FX 1
Star Trek Sound FX 2
Star Trek Sound FX 3
Star Trek TV Soundtrack, Vol. 1
Star Trek TV Soundtrack, Vol. 2
Star Trek - Voyager
Star Trek Voyager - Elite Force
Star Trek, Vol. 1 - The Cage-Where No Man Has Gone Before
Star Trek, Vol. 2 - Doomsday Machine - Amok Time
Star Trek, Vol. 3 - Shore Leave-The Naked Time
Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars - The Attack Of The Clones
Star Wars - The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Trilogy- The Original Soundtrack Anthology Disc 1
Star Wars Trilogy- The Original Soundtrack Anthology Disc 2
Star Wars Trilogy- The Original Soundtrack Anthology Disc 3
Star Wars Trilogy- The Original Soundtrack Anthology Disc 4
Stargate
Stargate - The Deluxe Edition
Stargate Continuum
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG1 - The Best of Stargate SG1
Stargate The Ark of Truth
Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers - Complete - OST
Starship Troopers 3
Starship Troopers Promo CD
Supergirl
Superman II
Symphonic Star Trek
Terminator 2- Judgment Day
Terrahawks Original Television Soundtrack
The Abyss
The Burbs
The Day After Tomorrow
The Goonies
The Goonies - 25th Anniversary Edition
The Last Starfighter
The Living Daylights
The Man With The Golden Gun
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Music Of Star Trek
The Omega Man
The Polar Express
The Postman
The Running Man
The Secret of Monkey Island - Special Edition
The Spy Who Loved Me
The Terminator
The Terminator - The Definitive Edition
The Thing - OST
The Time Machine
The Time Machine - Original
The Time Machine - Promo
The Time Tunnel
The World Is Not Enough
Three Amigos!
Thunderball
Titanic
Tomorrow Never Dies
Top Gun
Total Recall - Deluxe Edition
Toy Soldiers
Toy Story 2
Tron Legacy
U-571
Uncharted - Drake's Fortune
Uncharted 3 - Drake's Deception
Unreal
V
Wall-E
Waterworld
Wing Commander
You Only Live Twice
Young Sherlock Holmes

It works out to be about 10,762 individual tracks.  Some are soundtracks from computer games, but most are from films.  Infact, if I was to add all computer game/soundtracks to the list as well (I have quite a few not listed here), the number of tracks would be 13,157.  Just a couple of weeks worth of listening material!

Wilson's Randomness - Daz Prescott

Bit of a random posting today...

Why is it, whenever I see the Daz advert on TV (the one with Daley Thompson), I always think the guy at the end who is about to jump in to the swimming pool looks like John Prescott!

 

Is it just me?

 

Told you it was random!

Shoppers Paradise

And so completes the first trip of 2013 to Chavtastic Basildon Town Centre.  Long gone are the halcyon days when one could pop into Bas and spend a fortune on budget £1.99 games in Software Plus (where QD is now, before it moved into the Eastgate Centre by the bus-stop), or spend an entire afternoon perusing through Star Trek memorabilia and comics in The Cartoon Shop (is it still open and if so, does John still run it?) without the risk of getting mugged, or abuse shouted at you by some rude pensioner with a chip on their shoulder.

Instead, the only enjoyment these days is watching mobs of tracksuit-clad youth (with their tracksuit bottoms tucked into their socks) ogling at what they can spend their dole money on in Cash Converters.

Oh... and playing "Spot the Newly Opened Pound Shop" game.  A fun way to entertain three bored children whilst they wait for their reward for being patient...  a trip to Toys R Us!

Still, I can't complain.  Basildonia, offers so much more than Evesham in terms of shopping variety.  That's not to say it's any good though - It's as hard to spend money in Bas as it is in Evesham.

AND, I am very proud of myself - I drove up and parked in a multi-storey car park today for the first time.  GO ME!  Over two years of driving, and I've never experienced the delights of driving to the top up until now.  Still not as fun as getting squashed by a boxed Aquavax in the back of Steve Ready's Dads car while going up the twisting multi-storey at speed in to Eastgate back in '86 - bloody hell, has it really been 27 years!

I'm living the dream.

Also...  What's this?  Three posts in as many days!

(a reminder to all that Basildon has not always been a chav-filled, pound shoppers paradise)

 

EDIT : Before anyone starts whinging at me, I would just like to add that I am not dissing Basildon.  Far from it.  Basildon was, and always will be my first home.  My views and opinions are only that of an outsider of the town, and are based on observations which I have made during our many visits to the area each year.

Homesick

Nothing beats seeing in the New Year back home in Laindon, and going for a pleasant stroll along the seafront at Leigh-on-Sea with my son, Kieran.

Shame everybody else had the same idea and went too!  I don't think I've ever seen it so busy, even during the Summer.  It was still nice though.

Oh well, two more days, and then we're back off 'home' to Evesham.  Feeling a bit miserable to be honest.  I really miss it here.  I suppose it's a combination of having to return to Evesham, and to the usual stress of work, and stuff.

  (Kieran, my world)

And so ends another year...

Well, I have just tucked Sophie and Kayleigh in to bed for the last time this year, and although I am sat here with no energy, and a thumping headache (the festivities have not even begun yet), I can't help but think about what I have accomplished this past year.....

... which has been, absolutely nothing!

I can honestly say that 2012 has been one of the most un-eventful years of my life.  I've watched the children grow another year... I've been at EHS for yet another year (8 now, soon to be 9)...  I've worked my arse off, paid of bills and watched as the people who run this country ruin it even more, and I have done nothing.  Even the predicted apocalyptic event would have been a welcome surprise, just for a bit of excitement.

So, what is 2013 going to bring?  I don't believe in making new year resolutions, and I am not going to make any wishes in the hope that something wonderful will happen - Best not to expect good things...  That way, I'll never be disappointed.  In fact, each year at this time I always think about what crap life is going to throw at us in the next 365 days.  Not much of an optimist, me!

However, I do hope to start resuming some of my hobbies again - in particular, writing music.  With mine and Michelle's 10th Wedding Anniversary approaching in July, I want to be able to perform another song at the party which we are planning.  I also want to get creative again with my 3D graphic design, and finally do something with Kieran's train set.  Over the past few years I have really lost interest in a lot of the things that I once enjoyed, which may be why I have not exactly had an outstanding year.

I do have the new Star Trek into Darkness film to look forward to in May, and of course the before-mentioned 10th wedding anniversary.  Wow...  married for 10 years!

As for the Captains Blog, I hope to continue with my Songs/Games That Remind Me Of My Childhood.  I've got a load of games I've dug out of storage to write about, and there are still plenty of 80's songs which I have not posted about.

Also, watch out for further developments on my www.3dconstructionkit.co.uk site.  I've been so pleased with the sites success, and we now have over 50 downloadable games.  I can't thank the contributors enough for allowing me to share their creations on the site.  The 3D Construction Kit maybe over 20 years old, but it can still produce some amazing games, and I am pleased to see that there is still interest in the software.

Well, I am going to end this blog entry with a short message to all of my friends and family, (and anybody else who happens to stumble upon the Captains Blog)...

Happy New Year.  I hope you all have a wonderful 2013.

Now, I just wish this headache would go and do one.