Saturday 5 February 2011

Who Am I ?


Born in Leigh-on-Sea in 1928, or 1929 (the date and year is disputed), this man's career took him all over the world. The work he did enabled others to go even further. He's still walking on the earth at the time of writing.

But - Who is he...??


Today's Horoscope:
"Gemini - Long-distance and foreign connections, exchange and trade will be favored. You'll travel a fair amount and may strike up a chance acquaintance who shares your views, ideals and ideas. A period of happiness, true spirituality, intellectual and moral growth — a truly cosmic gift comes to you.

The preceding period had lots of highs and lows for you to reckon with. This month reorients you to your lasting values, and greater idealism is the result, in conjunction with heightened consciousness and conscience."
 
A little music for a Sunday lunchtime I think..
 


So then, from William Tell to an Arrow. We'll come back to Gemini presently.



Our man was involved with the design and production of this little beauty: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_arrow

Then he was caught up, like thousands of others, in the chaos which ensued from its sudden and untimely cancellation. But from that dark period, a new dawn was to break for a lucky and talented few; for whilst one great technical project was suddenly ending, almost simultaneously another was being kick started to urgent life...in the USA.

15 comments:

Piley said...

no idea, but am V interested, seeing as he comes from my home town! C'mon, don't leave it too long to spill the beans

office pest said...

Another clue later today.. Watch the Skies, Piley, Watch the Skies.

Louis Barfe said...

Someone with a heavy involvement in the development of the International Space Station?

Mondo said...

Hmmm my first guess would have been travel guides. Can't be Freddie Laker. Satellites? I'll think on

office pest said...

Aha, it looks like Louis is in orbit already, and Mondo may be ready to ren-dez-vous...

More backround above..

Mondo said...

Did he invent some sort of rocket engine?

office pest said...

Not the inventor of a rocket engine Mondo, though he is an engineer. But you're in the right area, keep counting down...this is rocket science!

Kolley Kibber said...

Bill Turbo?

Mondo said...

Something to do with Concorde? Which gives me an exuse to punt in a pic of my Concorde inspired Burns Flyte bass..

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office pest said...

Not Concorde Mondo (that one was Anglo-Franco), but the Avro Arrow, Canada's finest they say...

Set your sights higher than aeroplanes, it's only one small step..

Nice bass!

ISBW - more Buzz Lightyear than Bill Turbo :)

Mondo said...

He designed the lunar landing module?

office pest said...

Mondo, definately in the right orbit - think more 'management' than 'design & build'.

Who would you call, if you had a problem?

One of our man's colleagues always said - "Failure Is Not An Option"

I think it's fair to say that the programme our man worked on both honoured a dead President, and was not quite the all-American endeavour it's usually potrayed as.

Louis Barfe said...

Something to do with the Strategic Defense [sic] Initiative?

Louis Barfe said...

Aha, so I was sort of right, without actually being right. It was the aborted forerunner of the ISS, and he's called John Hodge.

office pest said...

Correct Louis and well done, though his career with Nasa was almost over by then - new post explains all.