In the British news I saw an article on the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Memories came back…
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- Anthrax 1989 Birmingham NEC ticket.
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- Foo Fighters 2007 Birmingham NEC ticket.
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- Marillion 1987 NEC Birmingham ticket.
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- Metallica 1988 NEC Birmingham ticket.
When I lived in England, I went to music shows and a WWE WrestleMania at the NEC. I always thought it was a good venue. Now, during the pandemic, the venue is to act as a temporary Covid-19 treatment hospital.
How the pandemic changes things… instead of entertainment fans, NEC visitors might now be emergency patients. Instead of artists and crew, NEC workers might be doctors, nurses, carers…
Bravo the NEC (if it’s possible to congratulate a building?). Let’s hope it doesn’t come to patients being admitted, and that the numbers – not just in the UK but everywhere – of those requiring hospital care fall instead of rise.
Britain’s Prince William speaks via videolink as he officially opens the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, built in the National Exhibition Centre on April 16, 2020. Photograph: Reuters. Image link: The Guardian International.
Testing, testing…
Luke Sywalker’s Headset. 1978.
For our team at work, last week was one of certain anxiety… our residents took the Covid-19 virus test, and we had to wait for the staggered results to come in. I’m very pleased to report that each one tested negative 🙂 Good. Considering most French residential and nursing homes are infected, we remain in excellent shape right now. Good protocols. Decent equipment. Diligent staff. Luck? The battle continues!
After the residents had been tested, it was the turn of the staff.
Let’s be honest, everyone at work was dreading having to take it. You had to fill in health forms. Then a nose swab taken by a nurse suited and booted up in full PPE. 30 seconds or so of swabbing. Not too uncomfortable, but it made your eyes water. And that was it. Then it was the wait… 3 days…
My result – negative. And the results of the rest of the team – negative!
A huge relief. If only temporary. And not to let our guard down in the slightest!
Chewbacca bandolier offer variation. 2000 AD Prog 337 1983. UK.
Question:
Anyone playing video games during lockdown?
Grandstand Pocket Scramble and Pocket Pac-Man. 1983. UK.
Atari Centipede. 1983. UK.
Mario Tennis Aces. France. 2018.
The Simpsons Game. UK. 2007.
Death Star Battle video game. US. 1983.
Or how about Top Trumps!
Waddingtons Top Trumps. 1983. UK.
I found some time to play Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It’s actually a really nice distraction – world building in an environment that isn’t in lockdown and pandemic 🙂 My youngest has the New Horizons version, and it makes New Leaf already look like the vintage it’s slowly becoming.
Coming soon…
You may have noticed this post has a slight Star Wars theme running through it?
A clue? Next post is all about a collection I finally finished after starting it way back in 1996…
teaser pics
MTFBWY! Stay safe and healthy everyone 🙂
Disclaimer. This report is meant to offer an overview of the fluid impact upon a care worker in the French medical system. No names of any persons or institutions are given, and the reportage here concerns decisions made at a French national level which is available to the public at any time. No breach of confidentiality or professional workplace standards is made or implied. Any health advice stated here is exactly the same as that given by the World Health Organization public advice pages
The Vintage Toy Advertiser 
Glad to hear everything is ok!
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Thanks, Airlandia. Hope all is good with you too!
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Good to see you’re okay and coping by playing video games.
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Cheers Metalman. Animal Crossing is quite addictive 🙂
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Is that like Frogger? That takes me back.
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No. It’s a current social simulation game. But I remember Frogger well – used to play it at lunchtime at a friend’s house from school. Fun days!
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Togs is that what them things where called? There was so much star wars merchandise about back in the day lol. Stay safe
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Pogs and Tazos. You’re right, so much Star Wars merch to collect! Cheers, Neil, stay safe too!
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Glad to hear you’re well. Smashing post. But I find your lack of Ewoks… disturbing 😀
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Hiya John, hope all is good your way too.
Ah, Ewoks… they often get a bad press, but I never minded them. The original Kenner action figure for Logray Medicine Man is one of my favourite figures.
For my upcoming Star Wars post I’m going to pop an Ewok in there right at the end 😉
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Hi TVTA, fantastic news on the testing front and congrats to you and your colleagues for your continuing effort to uphold the situation. I have an Obi-Wan Kenobi Tazo disc but just the one, and Mrs T found that one at her mother’s house!
I also dabble in computer gaming but I am afraid I am Ancient Skool rather than Old Skool as I play Star Wars arcade on the Sega Game Gear which still works to this day! (I also have a PC game named Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic aka KOTOR but I haven’t installed that) Here’s a quick picture of a rare Sega Game Gear and SW game (and I apologise for my messy “office table” 😁)
Stay safe and I look forward to your next Star Wars product post!
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Nice set up. My favourite Star Wars video games are the Lego ones.
Ah, you have a Tazo… well played, the force is strong with this one! 😉
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Glad to hear you’re well my friend. Apart from reading comics, all I’m really doing at the moment is playing video-games (which, to be honest, I do a LOT anyway!) currently playing – Resident Evil Revelations 2, Rune Factory 4 and Steamworld Heist on my trusty Nintendo Switch. 🙂
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Good stuff mate. A perfect distraction comics and video games! Stay well 🙂
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That Metallica show on the And Justice tour would have been a good one!
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A lot of people are unaware of what it takes to care for the elders not only by the scientific standards but with the will to maintain their dignity and identity.
For that I salute you my friend.
Recent crisis have perfomed a kind of anaesthesia to us , mainly speaking of getting used to the loss of human lives as statistics…
My father, your motherher sister, his granparents are n e i t h e r a number n o r their disease.
Lets hope we will use an antidote to that also.
Well I may be old school as you know 😉, but video games is still a constant in my life.
I am currently finishing the story of Red Dead Redemption 2 on Ps4.
I should have months ago but I was so immersed in the world they’ve built that I was endlessly riding my horse around😁.
Stay strong and safe.
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Glad to hear you are ok, its a tough time at time at the moment indeed. With no new comics to review I’ve been spending the time writing short stories, and playing some video games as well. Lovely to see the video game ads and top trump adverst in this post. Those older games paved the way for what we have now, and its especially nice now to be able to take a break from all the new and just get lost in a video game for a while. 🙂
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That’s cool you’re writing short stories! Love doing that. And cool too to unwind with a few video games. Yeah, I was so pleased to get that Top trumps ad, hadn’t seen that one before. Stay well, my friend, and thanks for stopping by 🙂
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YAY! Right on!!!!!
You guys are doing everything right!
Not playing any games, but building an Art Gown!
Please continue taking care!
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Cheers Resa 🙂 Cool… a new art gown… look forward to that X
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