Ask me where I was when the pandemic hit, what I did for my birthday last year or the name of my wife's cousin and my memory struggles. I often blame it on the stresses of the day, the constant influx of ‘important’ information needed to perform my duties, my commitment to my work, but the reality is my age is finally catching up with me. Thirty-seven years worth of experiences all crammed into what feels like the memory storage unit of an old 386SX. But ask me where I was when I first fell in love with Star Trek and I remember it as if it were yesterday.
The year was circa 1991 and I was six years old. Being the eldest son of working parents and in the early years of what we call ‘infants’ school in the UK, babysitting responsibilities largely fell upon my fathers parents. They were powerhouses of the local community. Well respected, resolute, forged in the dark days of WWII, the South Wales coal mining industry of the latter half of the 20th century and the ministerial reign of Margaret Thatcher. But they had a soft spot for me and I loved them dearly. May they continue to rest in peace.
Each day they would collect me from class and I would make the five minute journey back with them to their house. Some days on my tri-cycle and other days on my scooter, back when scooters were push-power and infinitely cooler than they are today. I would rush through the door, devour a bowl of ‘Weetabix’ with a glass of lime squash and climb up onto the sofa to watch… Thunderbirds. How I loved that show. Until one day, to my surprise, it was 1701 on the TV and not Thunderbird II.
I’m reasonably certain it was ‘The Corbomite Maneuver’, an Original Series classic. The eerie Balok, the range of colours used to depict the mysterious vessel, the ultimate reveal at the end all peaking my young curiosity. I was hooked! That day began a life long obsession with Star Trek. A show that has been with me through good times and bad, influencing my development on so many levels.
This blog is my love letter to Star Trek. With Paramount+ coming to the UK on June 22, I’ve decided to rewatch and write about each episode/movie in the franchise. I am very much aware that it may take the rest of my life to finish. I write this blog as a complete amateur. My spelling, grammar and sentence structure at times may reveal my inexperience. I intend to write this as though I’m writing to myself, a cherished diary so to speak. All views are my own and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I’m looking forward to writing it.
One final note on some ground rules. Please feel free to engage with me through Twitter. I’ve disabled comments on this blog as I don’t have enough time to curate the replies. I don’t believe in bad Trek. There’s Trek, good Trek and great Trek. But I respect differing opinions, I only ask that you respect mine. Please don’t be cruel, you can respectfully disagree through kindness. And feel free to say hello on Twitter at any time. I love talking Trek and I’m more than happy to share my passion.
To quote Tom Paris in Endgame… “to the journey”.
