10 Sep 2023 (consolidating earlier updates from today and 8 Sep)
I'm thrilled to have received pictures of a stunning new model of the Haunted Manor made by Steve using the artwork from the back of the packet. Read - and see - all about it here. I think Steve is very modest about his own creative abilities and hope that others will be inspired by him.
Also, in an idle moment of wondering what the Spooky Story would have looked like, in between the start and finish that we had a very good idea about, I penned a few lines (now the second entry from the top in Spook Alley), pure speculation of course, but with the intention of spurring others to get creative or to jog memories.
Well, blow me down, but very soon afterwards, Steve contacted me with some newly-remembered, nicely atmospheric lines to add to the story, with the result that we now have pretty much more than half of it, all without the benefit of the cereal packet! See Spook Alley (top). Any more anyone?
19 Aug 2023
After much dithering, I'm thrilled to have a set of Luminous Spooks on display in their very own Haunted Manor and the results are amazing! See here and scroll down to the end.
18 Aug 2023
Gremlins (or Spooks) at work? I'm always delighted to hear from fellow Spooks fans, so was horrified to find that my email account (retromat 'at' btinternet 'dot' com) was - somehow - set to block all incoming email from the entire gmail.com domain! I have no idea how this happened and I fixed it as soon as I could. Looking at the emails that I have been receiving, it's possible this had been going on since last year. Have I missed some revelations about the TV advert or cereal packet (wishful thinking maybe!)? However, even if it was just to say 'hello', if anyone has emailed me from a gmail account in the past year or so and has not heard back, apologies, but please email me again and I'll respond ASAP!
And on the subject of people getting in touch, more memories of the Spooks, at the top of the page here.
10 Apr 2023
Oh wow! I'm thrilled to have received a stunning near-complete set of replica Luminous Spooks from 'Spooky' Steve! :-)
Click here and scroll to the section 'Spooky' Steve's - III to have a look and read about how they were painstakingly created!
(I can hardly believe it, but with these wonderful new replicas, I am now the delighted owner of a complete set of Spooks, comprising these, the terrific Whitie one from Stewart and an original Winnie, also courtesy of Steve and in due course, all will go on display in Stewart's wonderful Haunted Manor! Thanks so very much to both!)
Also, if you have ever wondered how many Spooks were made in 1965, information here (scroll to the Daleks promotion) perhaps indicates the order of magnitude!
Finally, I've found another picture online of parts of the SP Dalek cereal packet. It includes a couple of small 'new' pieces not in the eBay auction referenced below. Nothing to get very excited about, but it does suggest we should remain hopeful that one day we'll see more of the LS box! See the link in the previous paragraph.
17 Jan 2023
Stewart's tale of nefarious goings-on ( see The Cat and the Canary in Spook Alley) with one of his Spooks, continues with a "recently-found" courtroom transcript that made me chuckle!
As with the Spooks Sugar Puffs cereal packet, the one for the Daleks promotion the following year has been something of a holy grail for collectors, with no known examples existing, as far as I'm aware. Well, part of one is now for sale on eBay and attracting bids! It seems there may also have been a TV ad for this promotion as well, but as with the one for the Spooks, is now presumably lost. More info here (scroll to the Daleks promotion).