James May's Toy Stories - TV

[Flying Lady]

Is it just my bias speaking up, or did James really look crazy good in this installment of the Toy Stories? Because honestly, every time I look at these pictures, I have to go and turn the thermostat down a bit.

Also, how much do I love Simmy's fashion sense?! This is a man who obviously hasn't been bothered about clothes since the mid-1990s.

[RedMoon11]

Yes James looked extremely hot in The Motorcycle Diary, I think it's a mix of good hair & black leather among other things
I wonder if Sim ever completed his look in the 90s with a plaid flannel shirt over a long sleeved thermal knit shirt

[RedMoon11]

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[jmsquared]

James....bikes....leather......*goes off for a lie down*.

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James May's Toy Stories - DVD Extras

[RedMoon11]

James May Toy Stories 2012 Interview

Top Gear's James May talks about his unpowered balsa wood glider in his Christmas 2012 edition of Toy Stories with David Stephenson

[RedMoon11]

Simon McCoy and Simeon Oakley

THE Henley Society of Meccano Engineers held its annual gathering of Meccano clubs at the Christ Church Centre in Reading Road on Saturday (7 September).

About 170 enthusiasts from as far as Australia and New Zealand attended with a fine collection of models.

Pride of place went to the unexpected arrival of a full-size motorcycle and sidecar which had just been used by TV presenters James May and Oz Clark to complete a lap of the Isle of Man TT circuit.

This was filmed for a Christmas special of May’s Toy Stories.

It was on its way back from the Isle of Man with its designer Simeon Oakley, from Watlington, and builder Simon McCoy, from Reading.

Made from £5,000 worth of Meccano parts and with 96 electric motors, it was somewhat bigger than most of the other models on display.

Published 09/09/13

www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=1338634

[RedMoon11]

BBC America will be showing Toy Stories Monday, May 26 starting at with 8am ET/ 7am CT -Airfix (Model Airplane)  Season 1  

9 amET /8am CT  Hornby (Train)

10am Season 2 - The Great Train Race

11am/10am CT- Lego

Noon/11am Season 3 - Flight Club


www.bbcamerica.com/schedule/

[RedMoon11]

James May ‏@mrjamesmay
 14 Jun 2014
@fxdgrnd Hot Wheels vs Superfast is a contentious subject in The UK. We will address it in a future Toy Stories special.

[RedMoon11]

/photo/1

Meccano replicas of Star Wars craft and cult movie Convoy to be displayed at Hildreds Shopping Centre

Iconic Meccano replica models from famous TV shows will be showcased at Skegness’s Hildreds Shopping Centre from June 27 to July 6.

The models will be installed for the public to view to promote the SkegEx Meccano exhibition at the Embassy Theatre, Skegness, which will run from Friday, July 4 to Sunday, July 6 and will feature the Meccano model bike created by TVs James May.

Han Solo’s iconic spaceship, the ‘Millennium Falcon’ from Star Wars will feature at the Hildreds display, alongside ‘The Eagle’, from cult 70s TV series, Space 1999.

The models are part of a display by top toy brand Meccano and will help promote the event in the build up to the opening of SkegEx, the UK’s largest exhibition of Meccano.

Emma Eden, Meccano Marketing Manager, says: “These are no ordinary models, they are fantastic large scale Meccano replicas brought to life by enthusiast Philip Webb. He has invested hundreds of hours in their construction and shows that if you want to make it, you can build it with Meccano”

“The iconic Eagle from Space 1999 is over five feet long and constructed from 1000s of Meccano components. It took Philip the best part of five months to build it and he’s kindly allowed it to make its first earthly landing in The Hildreds Shopping Centre for everyone to enjoy. Alongside The Eagle there’s also a gorgeous little VW Camper van that’s my personal favourite,”she added.

Visitors to SkegEx 2014, the UK’s premier Meccano exhibition - will also be treated to an extraordinary Meccano model this year. TV celebrity James May’s Meccano motorbike which starred in BBC Toy Stories programme, will be on show in The Embassy Theatre foyer for the duration of the exhibition.

The 15,000 piece Meccano motorbike constructed using standard components was designed and built by Sim Oakley for the ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’.

It completed a full 38-mile circuit of the world famous Isle of Man TT course ridden by James May and accompanied, in part, by celebrity Oz Clarke.

Geoff Brown, SkegEx organiser, says: “The fantastic display in The Hildreds Shopping Centre is just a taste of what visitors will get to see in The Embassy Theatre and we’re hoping it will whet everyone’s appetite for more”.

“And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s the Meccano motorbike which is an equally amazing example of what can be achieved with what is essentially a children’s construction toy. It takes centre stage at this year’s show and is just one of a number of stunning large scale and mind-boggling Meccano models that will be on display in the exhibition hall for visitors to enjoy,” said Mr Brown.

“There will be over 150 exhibitors from around the world showcasing their creations alongside a series of interactive ‘Build n Play’ workshops for children to get their first hands-on experience of making things with Meccano.”

SkegEx is organised by the North Midlands Meccano Guild and runs from Friday, July 4 to Sunday, July 6 at The Embassy Theatre, Grand Parade, Skegness, Lincolnshire PE25 2UG.

Admission is £3.50, children £1.50, families £8.00.

For more information visit www.skegex.nmmg.org.uk 

www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-leisure/meccano-replicas-of-star-wars-craft-and-cult-movie-convoy-to-be-displayed-at-hildreds-shopping-centre-1-6127860

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Base Films@basefilmsuk 7 Jul 2014
Today we're at a top secret facility in the north of England with a toy and @mrjamesmay . You know what that means. ;-)

[Flying Lady]

Eeeeeee! Very excited. Very excited, indeed.

[RedMoon11]

Base Films@basefilmsuk 21 Aug 2014
Today we were here with @mrjamesmay . Enough said

---

Henry Dalton@henrydalton 9 Sep 2014
Done done done-di done done done. #Goodbyeeeeeeee

[RedMoon11]

James puts an iconic toy to the most ambitious test ever attempted. The challenge: to build a motorbike and side car entirely out of Meccano to take on the Isle of Man's legendary TT circuit. But designing a machine capable of carrying James and his passenger, wine expert Oz Clarke around the daunting 37 mile course is not a task for the fainthearted. A mind-bending 15,000 pieces of Meccano must be assembled to create a full size, road legal motorcycle that James hopes will be more than a match for the treacherous twists and turns, steep climbs and dizzying descents of the world s toughest race circuit. And if that isn t hard enough, as in the real TT, the bike must race against the clock. It s the ultimate test of man and machine. The challenge pushes this 100 year old toy and its riders to the absolute limits. Breakdowns, crashes and unforgiving terrain vie with design genius, good humour and sheer grit to produce a nail biting film which brings Meccano roaring back into the 21st century to inspire the inner child within us all.

Format: PAL
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe.)
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Spirit Entertainment Limited

DVD Release Date: 2 Jun 2014

Run Time: 60 minutes

amazon.co.uk/James-Mays-Toy-Stories-Motorcycle 

[RedMoon11]

*No air date announced that I could find*

Programme Information for BBC Two this Christmas.

Date: 25.11.2014

James May’s Toy Stories

In perhaps the most challenging Toy Stories so far, James attempts to rehabilitate one of Britain’s most derided toys by seeing if it’s possible for Action Man to do what no toy has ever managed - and travel faster than the speed of sound.

For decades, Action Man, despite his name, has been a disappointment. He promised so much with his eagle eyes, his gripping hands and his natty outfits. But what has he ever achieved? Nothing...yet.

After half a century lazing around the back of the toy cupboard, he must prove that he has The Right Stuff, redeem his shattered reputation and boldly go where no Toy has gone before.

The challenge is daunting. Breaking the sound barrier and returning Action Man safely to the earth will test James and the team to the limit.

In an action-packed series of attempts, James battles high speed physics, unforeseen explosions and catastrophic design setbacks (which account for a large number of Action Man volunteers) before settling on an experimental supersonic vehicle made entirely from scratch - a vehicle that threatens to send Action Man and the team into oblivion.

In a gripping final act, Action Man must not only succeed and survive intact, but go faster and higher than a rival supersonic attempt led by his arch nemesis: Sindy.

Will Action Man redeem himself? Will he survive Mach 1? Or will he lose out to a doll?

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/xmas14/bbc-two
"
...there will be a brand new episode of James May's Toy Stories, in which he attempts to rehabilitate one of Britain's most derided toys, Action Man;
www.live.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/xmas14

Toy Stories: Season 5, Episode 1
James May's Toy Stories Action Man at the Speed of Sound
www.imdb.com/title/tt4216978/

[thestig]

they kept that quiet!

[dit]

He's rapidly becoming a Christmas tradition, isn't he? They'll have him doing the Queen's speech next.

(In high-pitched voice) "My fellow Top Gear presenters and I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas...hic!"

[RedMoon11]

Flight Club
Sun 14 Dec 2014 19:00 /7:00 PM
 James May looks at the nation's childhood love affair with the model plane. (R)
BBC TWO EXCEPT NORTHERN IRELAND, SCOTLAND
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0121zyj/broadcasts/upcoming


Flight Club
James May's Toy Stories

In this epic Toy Stories Christmas special, James gets to the heart of the nation's childhood love affair with the model plane and sets out to achieve what seems an impossible dream: the first cross-channel flight ever achieved by an engineless, homemade supersized toy. If it survives the perilous 22-mile journey, James's classic toy glider, lovingly built from over 1,000 pieces of balsa, will smash the British distance record.

James's mission is dedicated to making the dream of flight come true for the generations of children who, like James himself, slaved for hours over balsa and glue only to see their fragile and much-loved planes smash tragically on to the unyielding concrete of reality.

During his quest, James turns Indiana Jones to unearth surprising new evidence that identifies children as the true pioneers of flight and wrestles with an underperforming glider that threatens to barely leave the ground. And what starts as a simple yet noble aim, takes James in many unexpected directions - to a mysterious and barely inhabited island, to helicopters lost in the fog and missing speedboats, and what can only be described as the world's first flying coffin for gliders.

Throughout, James is beset by a series of dramatic problems requiring inspired solutions, near disaster and breakthroughs which culminate in a thrilling and visually stunning last throw of the dice.

Underpinned throughout by James's own infectious passion for flight, a passion he's had since he first put glue to balsa as a ten-year-old, Flight Club is an epic journey into the unexpected.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pmbmx
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0121zyj


 

[RedMoon11]

James May @mrjamesmay 4:55 PM - 2 Dec 2014  
Silly picture to plug James May's Toy Stories, Christmas day, BBC2, 5.10pm. #HoHoHo

James is wearing a Belstaff jacket

[RedMoon11]

JAMES MAY'S TOY STORIES - ACTION MAN AT THE SPEED OF SOUND






www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/31060/james-may-s-toy-stories-action-man-at-the-speed-of-sound
www.madman.com.au/catalogue/stills/31060/james-may-s-toy-stories-action-man-at-the-speed-of-sound