Neil Corbett
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
Maple Ridge害羞草研究所檚 Leslie Michael was among the hundreds of millions around the globe who, in July 1969, followed the progress of the Apollo missions closely, but he害羞草研究所檚 also a unique fan of NASA.
The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11害羞草研究所檚 moon landing is coming up on Saturday.
On July 20, 1969, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon.
In addition to watching celebrations of the anniversary of that storied moonshot, Michael will be following the rising fortunes of a piece of personal lunar mission memorabilia which is going under the auctioneer害羞草研究所檚 gavel online, via Hanson害羞草研究所檚 Auctioneers in Derbyshire, England.
Michael has always been a history buff and in the early 1960s was inspired by what was obviously going to be a great moment for humanity.
害羞草研究所淚t shows the indomitable spirit of man,害羞草研究所� he said.
In July 1969, he was in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, watching with thousands on a giant screen as the lunar lander touched down on the surface of the moon.
害羞草研究所淚 was in awe when I heard Neil Armstrong say, 害羞草研究所楬ouston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
害羞草研究所淚t was history in the making.害羞草研究所�
He remarks that it took such little time to go from the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903, to walking on the moon.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 a history buff 害羞草研究所� I害羞草研究所檝e always been fascinated by it. Man can be a b害羞草研究所� when he destroys, but he害羞草研究所檚 amazing when he builds.害羞草研究所�
He followed NASA害羞草研究所檚 progress from the time U.S. President John F. Kennedy pledged to bring a man to the moon and bring him back safely. He didn害羞草研究所檛 have a blog, so he marked the history the way people did in 1969 害羞草研究所� with a scrap book.
It害羞草研究所檚 been a labour of love, regularly updated, and signed by two astronauts: Aldrin, the second man on the moon, and Eugene Cernan, who was the 11th and final man on the moon.
害羞草研究所淚t took me 50 years to do it,害羞草研究所� he said, noting the autographs only came in 2010, when the two astronauts were in Vancouver for the Olympic Games.
The scrapbook is 60 pages, and full of the information that the editor Michael 害羞草研究所� who is a career printer and also a published author 害羞草研究所� felt should be included.
An example is a magazine advertisement of congratulations to America from Japan.
害羞草研究所淚sn害羞草研究所檛 that beautiful? These two had been adversaries in World War II.害羞草研究所�
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There is also his own title to an acre of moon real estate Michael purchased from a U.S.-based lawyer who believed he was exploiting a loophole in international space law, along with a map showing his.
When he bought that, his friends started calling him 害羞草研究所淟uney Leslie,害羞草研究所� he smiles.
He hates to part with his one-of-a-kind scrapbook, but his kids haven害羞草研究所檛 shown proper enthusiasm for the topic.
害羞草研究所淵ou know kids these days害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟
So he wants to bestow it with someone who will appreciate the project.
害羞草研究所淚 feel sorry to let it go, because it害羞草研究所檚 part of my life, but I害羞草研究所檓 getting old 害羞草研究所� I害羞草研究所檒l be 82 next month.害羞草研究所�
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There is an opening bid of 拢 120.
Michael notes, however that a page from the operation manual for the lunar lander that Armstrong and Aldrin used to touch down on the moon is expected to go for $7-$9 million, by Christie auction.
Those figures have got his head in space.
If the bidding for his scrapbook can get rolling, then the sky is the limit, he supposes.
害羞草研究所淎nybody can bid, the world over.害羞草研究所�
It will be from July 18-24.
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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