27 January, 2008

Star Trek - The Adventure - (London 2003)

Set a course around the Sun, (ask Spock to calculate the exact speed and trajectory), in order to slingshot your ship into "Time Warp", destination - the early 21st Century, London - a rather chilly January day in 2003, put on your cloaking device and land somewhere in Hyde Park (near the tube stop would be ideal) although if you scan for temporary structures in the area, there will be a large fairly obvious reading (I'll meet you inside) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #1
Not quite sure what I was expecting, having never been along to anything like this before (Fanboy powers -4) but I think I was excited enough just to get close to all the authentic props and special effect models that had been promised -
Star Trek - The Adventure #2
- we payed a little extra in the entrance hall and loaded up with the audio commentary headsets (you type in the number next to the exhibit and it gives you a little bit of information about what you are looking at, which is quite cool) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #11
- gazed adoringly at the (suprisingly large) ships (if they were for use on the big screen then they were actually enormous and beautifully detailed) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #3
Star Trek - The Adventure #6
Star Trek - The Adventure #8
- (the Borg cube was 1.5 meters per side and looked like it was made from all the bits left over when you finish a model kit) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #18
Star Trek - The Adventure #33
- (this shuttle, from "The Motion Picture" was about 2 feet long) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #35
On to smaller props, all sorts of phasers -
Star Trek - The Adventure #14
- phaser rifles -
Star Trek - The Adventure #30
- a random "Orb of the prophets" (looking not quite so glittery as usual) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #16
- props from Picards desk in "Nemesis" -
Star Trek - The Adventure #19
- Padds through the ages ;) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #28
- Picard's flute from ""The Inner Light" -
Star Trek - The Adventure #32
- assorted Klingon weaponry (including this Bat'leth) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #40
- misc. tricorders and communicators -
Star Trek - The Adventure #38
- on through complete sets (which you could wander around) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #12
- like this reconstruction of the torpedo room -
Star Trek - The Adventure #20
- with Spock's funeral torpedo from "Wrath of Khan" -
Star Trek - The Adventure #13
- a recreation of Quarks bar, complete with Dabo table -
Star Trek - The Adventure #15
- and authentic Cardassian replicator, through *loads* of costumes, it's scary to see how *short* most of the actors actually are (7 of 9 for example) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #17
- a rather tattered Khan -
Star Trek - The Adventure #21
- a few Borg drones (regenerating quietly) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #22
- Spock's "Kolinar" robe -
Star Trek - The Adventure #26
- Commander Worfs rags and sash -
Star Trek - The Adventure #27
- ancient and modern engineering wear -
Star Trek - The Adventure #37
- and then some real suprises! There were actually rides to enjoy! These two Shuttle pod rides were highly agressive flight simulators, taking you from a calm trip around the solar system suddenly through a worm-hole to the middle of a Borg attack! Very cool, you came out legs like jelly and quite breathless -
Star Trek - The Adventure #23
- next the opportunity to be "transported", go and stand in a TNG style transporter room and be "beamed up" by special effects (you got a DVD afterwards) but it was a bit expensive to actually participate) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #24
- then into a very faithful reproduction of "Ten forward" (the event canteen, very clever) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #34
with a choice of various (fully alcoholic) themed drinks like Romulan ale or Klingon Export (I had one of each, they both tasted a bit like London Pride) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #39
- and just when you thought it couldn't get any better, we suddenly came upon a holding area where it became quite apparent that we had not yet even reached "The Adventure" itself(!), we queued with great anticipation until it was our turn, the doors slid open with a convincing hiss and we walked into Engineering (on the NCC-1701D)! It was perfect in every way -
Star Trek - The Adventure #41
- where we witnessed a warp core breach in progress (at this stage the whole floor vibrated like the deck plates were buckling, smoke poured out of the core, alarms sounded) everything was absolutely right, then suddenly, the doors to our left slid open and crew members were yelling "Quick this way, to the bridge!", so everyone hurried down the corridoor, past medical and into a turbo lift -
Star Trek - The Adventure #42
- "Quick this way!" -
Star Trek - The Adventure #43
- into a turbo lift up to the bridge (which is very convincing, apart from the total lack of crew, of course) -
Star Trek - The Adventure #46
Star Trek - The Adventure #45
Star Trek - The Adventure #49
- after fighting off (another) Borg attack, the whole affiar is finished off with a shop (selling all the episodes, toys and other merchandise you could imagine) right down to a super massive tribble (about 5 feet high) if you had a living room large enough to accomodate it!
Star Trek - The Adventure #50
Excellent show, excellent day... ;)

More pictures here (if you like this sort of thing)... ;)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Excellent post!