My name is Tim Harris, I`m 40 and I`m a massive Star Wars Fan……..

Long time no see!!!!  Sorry about the lack of posts but I,ve been busy turning 40 and making a few life style changes but even as I get older and sort of wiser I still hold a flame for my beloved Star Wars.

I did well this year with the added additions to my Star Wars collection which included 60+ figures, signed pictures and film cells, books, comics, models, lightsabers, mugs and other bits and bobs that bare the Star Wars trade mark. My better half asks me when I`m gonna grow out of my Star Wars toys….NEVER!!!! I tell her Star Wars is my life.  I still love to read my books and comics and I still dress up in my Jedi costume and I still try in my everyday life try to keep to the teachings of the Jedi code.  There he goes again about believing in a belief first thought up by some beardy bloke but the way I see it if it works for you who cares what other people think!

Yesterday I watched the opening episode of Star Wars Rebels season 2 The siege of Lothal which was most excellent and to me this season is going to be really good and it reminded me alot of Empire Strikes back.  I cant wait for the season to start proper in autumn specially with a lot of characters from Clone wars popping up as well as to see if Ahsoka goes face to mask with her old master!!!!

With only just under six months to go till Episode VII I think this December will be the best December in history.  We are gonna see a whole new side to the Star Wars universe and with whats legends and what’s cannon everyone from die hard fans to people who have never seen a Star Wars film in their life (yes there are people out there who have never seen Star Wars in their life) are in for a treat!!!!!

It don’t matter what age you are from three year olds to us oldies (even at 40 I still don’t count myself as old) Star Wars will never get old and will always entertain us!

May the Force be with you…….  Always

Did you see the new tralier for Star Wars Episode VII?

Did you see it last night? The latest trailer for Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens came out last night and it was brilliant! We got to see some stunning scenery as well as some of the new characters and of course right at the end there was Chewbacca and a very gray-haired Han Solo.  The trailer opens on the scrap yard desert planet of Jakku.  The scenery is stunning as we track a speeder passing by a downed X-Wing fighter and then a half buried star destroyer.  We then get a glimpse of Darth Vaders melted mask and helmet which looks more like a skull, we then fade a again to see a robed figure stretch out his robotic arm to stroke R2-D2’s dome while they sit beside a fire, we then see Luke’s first lightsaber (Anakins lightsaber)  being given to someone, possibly Princess Leia, then we see an extended clip of the X-wings flying over a lake that we first saw in the first trailer.  It then switches to shots of the baddies and things blowing up.  The new Sith looks cool with a hint of Darth Raven about him plus that awesome lightsaber that he uses.  Also plenty of shots of the new stormtrooper and a new insignia for the Empire.  We then end with the millennium Falcon being chased by TIE fighters through a derelict spaceship, a scene that looks very similar to Return of the Jedi when the Falcon is flying through the super structure of the Death Star, we then end with Chewbacca and a very old-looking Han Solo who seem to be on the Millennium Falcon.  All the way through the clip we hear Luke talking, giving the same line he used in Return of the Jedi when he tells Leia that they are brother and sister. So far it looks like J.J. Abrams is doing a fine job and if rumours are true we might be seeing another trailer attached to Avengers : Age of Altron.  I don’t usually say this but HURRY UP DECEMBER!!!!!

May the force be with you…….. The Library Jedi

“Never tell me the odds!”

This week has seen rumours that if we are to belive them that our beloved scruffy looking nerf herder wont be making it to Star Wars Episodes VIII and IX.  In some ways this will be a shame but like a friend of mine said maybe this was the only way to get Harrison Ford back to play Han Solo.  Harrison Ford originally wanted his character to die in Return of the Jedi so maybe his wishes have been granted.  I know these are rumours and we know nearly nothing official about Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens but it does make me feel quite sad that they might kill him off.

My reasons are mainly to with the Star Wars Universe.  In Return of the Jedi we see a change in Han.  When we first met him he was only in it for him self, he was a very selfish person

“Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, princess. I expect to be well paid. I’m in it for the money”

but as the trilogy goes on we see a change come across him no longer selfish and uncaring but willing to put his life on the line for whats right for the galaxy and his friends.  In the books we get to see more changes in him as he courts Leia and finally marries her and then his journey into parenthood.  It’s at this point I would like Han Solo to survive and continue a long and fulfilling life.  It was a very difficult decision for Leia to have kids.  At first she was really worried that one of her children would end up taking after their grandfather Anakin Skywalker but after reading her real mothers journals she gets to see Anakin Skywalker in another light and that persuades her to make the journey into motherhood.  In the end they have three children, the twins Jaina and Jacen and then later Anakin.  But things don’t go as planned. Anakin is killed during the Yuuzhan Vong war and Jacen turns to the dark side becoming Darth Caedus who is then later defeated and killed by his twin sister Jaina “The sword of the Jedi”  We get to see Han Solo in a completely different light as these events go on even him coming to logger heads with Luke about his kids (and Luke’s son) going on dangerous Jedi missions.  Its  sad times for the Solo family but there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a granddaughter called Allana.  Near the end of the 2nd galactic civil war the Solo’s think their granddaughter (at this point they have only known she was Jacen’s daughter for a very short time) had been killed by a nano killer sent by the moff council.  Later we learn this was just a rouse much to Han and Leia’s delight and disguised as a war orphan Han and Leia get to adopt her so she is safe from all the politics of her home world plus learning a hell lot more about life and the galaxy from the Solo’s, also not forgetting a normal childhood (well I say normal but there’s never a dull moment when you are with Han and Leia).

So in my view yes it would be nice to see Han’s character through his journey of parenthood and all the ups and downs that come with it which we may see a glimpse of as other rumours say Daisy Ridley’s character could well be Han and Leia’s daughter but if the only way we are gonna get back Harrison Ford back is to kill his character off then so be it.

I will just leave you with this quote from one of my favourite Han Solo moments.

“Had a slight weapons malfunction, but everything’s perfectly alright now. We’re fine, we’re all fine, here, now, thank you. How are you?”

May the Force be with you…… Library Jedi signing out…….

 

Its a wrap!!!!!

  Its official, the filming for Star Wars episode VII has finally finished!  An article was published showing a letter that was given to everyone who worked on the film as well as a cleanly shaven Mark Hamill!  Hopefully it wont be long till we get our first trailer and some information on what the plot is.  So what have we learned so far….. Not a lot really, rather a lot of rumour and hardly no actual hard facts.  So hears what we have learnt so far……

In a galaxy far far away……..

It has been 30 years since the destruction of the 2nd Death Star and the Empire has been beaten back to a couple of loyal galaxies.  The Galactic Republic has now taken its rightful place and Princess Leia Organa Solo is now in charge.  Han Solo and Chewbacca have both retired from service with the Alliance.  The Sith have risen from the ashes and have sent out their inquisitors to search and destroy Luke Skywalker.  For the last ten years Luke has gone into hiding on the Sith home world to try to find a way to destroy the Sith once and for all.  Mean while on a desert planet the daughter of Leia and Han comes upon a downed TIE fighter and it pilot.  She rescues the pilot who is having second thoughts about serving the Empire.  On their travels they discover a lightsaber that once belonged to Luke Skywalker.  With the help of Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Lando and some friends along the way they go looking for Luke Skywalker so they can defeat the Empire and their new weapon of mass destruction forever……..

I’m looking forward to this film for several reasons.  One I`m a massive Star Wars geek and Two most of the filming has been done on location.  Its going to be good to see all the old characters back together again and the introduction of the next lot of star wars heroes and villains. Thou I was a little disappointed that Lucas and Disney have changed what’s Star Wars cannon and what’s Star Wars legends I don’t think we will be disappointed.  Other great news that nearly had me wetting my self is the talk of a trilogy of my favourite Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi with Ewan McGregor once again reprising the role!

So with nearly a year to go till we get to see Star Wars Episode VII here’s the Library Jedi signing off for now and May the Force be with you….Always.

Welcome to the Library, I`m your Library Jedi

A massive welcome to all our new and returning students!  I hope you have all had a most excellent summer!  As the Rolling Stones once said “Please allow me to introduce my self”.  My name is Tim Harris and have been working at Brunel University Library now for well over 14 years.  I work in the library as an Information Assistant, as well as the university Mace Bearer, musician, Singer song writer and Jedi.  That’s right you eyes did not deceive you I am Brunel’s very own Jedi Knight or as most people know me “The Library Jedi”  That’s me in the picture above fending off a vicious Viking from the Norwegian Society during Human Book Day.  I write blogs for the library as well as on my own star wars site where you can follow-up the latest of rumours about the up and coming Star Wars Episode VII as well as anything else of interest from the Star Wars universe.

There has been this week some interesting news about the new film.  There has been some new pictures leaked from the location filming at Greenham common and there has been new plot information.  The Greenham common pictures show what looks like a new base for the republic showing several of the new design X-Wings plus a snazzy looking black and bronze X-wing as well as the Millennium Falcon.  We also had an update on what Luke Skywalker has been up to and his role in the film.  Looks like he is even more powerful than his father and that he has been hounded my the inquisitors.  The first lot of rumours about the new film made me a bit nervous as they were quite far-fetched even for the Star Wars universe but the rumours that are now appearing are making me feel much better.  If JJ Abrams does mess it up he better watch his back as Boba Fett will be hunting him down!!!!!  Also news has just come out that one of the stand alone films will be about my favourite Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi will be getting his own stand alone film!!!!!

If you want to be kept updated on the latest Star Wars news just book mark my link https://lbsrtch.wordpress.com.  Finishing on a non Star Wars note click on the following link for the Library Song video.  Written and performed by yours truly and featuring many of the staff from the library.  Have a good first week at Brunel University and May the Force Be With You!!!!!

Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?

  Just recently we got to see the new design for the Stormtrooper helmet for Star Wars episode VII.  The new design pays homage to Ralph McQuarries original art work while still looking new and original.  There are also similarities to the original Stormtrooper helmet from episodes IV, V and VI.  Going all the way back to the Clone Wars the Stormtrooper armour has come along in steps and bounds to what we see now in Episode VII.

The first clone troopers received Phase one clone trooper armour.  Twenty form-fitting plates sealed to a black body suit and resembling Mandalorian Shock trooper Armour.  The armour was a dazzling bright white and the helmet had a fin along the top.  During the Clone Wars the Phase II armour was brought in.  This armour was lighter and more comfortable to wear.  The new armour was more advanced and came with a lot of improvements such as an air filtration and oxygen system, polarized lenses and the boots were magnetized and incorporated a grav-field alternator to ensure stability.  There was also many variations to suit different environments and missions.  After the birth of the Empire clone troopers were called Stormtroopers and again there was a change in their armour.  The stormtroopers armour composed of eighteen pieces that attached to a black body suit.  Again this armour came with many of the things that were contained in the Phase II armour.  The new stormtrooper armour also contained power gloves, Manual suit seal and environmental controls, knee protector on the left to make kneeling firing position more comfortable and IFF circuitry in the back for easier identification.  The helmet contained advanced filtering systems, communications and visual aids to support the stormtrooper in action.  The utility built carried by the stormtrooper carried quite an amazing amount of equipment, including a grappling hook, four spare blaster power packs, three ion flares, rations, a spare comlink, two med packs plus a thermal detonator plus other equipment.

 

Do you need a hand?

   At the time of writing this piece a  recent article came out and we were shown what could be possibly Luke Skywalker‘s new cybernetic hand.  This has now turned out to possible be the arm of one of the main Inquisitors.  All through the Star Wars universe there are characters with various cybernetic replacements and enhancements.

Luke Skywalker

Luke’s lost his right hand during the duel with his father Darth Vader on Bespin.  After his rescue by Lando, Leia and Chewbacca Luke had a cybernetic hand fitted to replace it on board the rebel ship Redemption.  During their escape from Jabba the Hutt Luke’s cybernetic hand was damaged by a shot from Taym Dren-garen.

Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader

During the first battle of Geonosis Anakin and Obi-Wan followed Count Dooku to his secret hanger.  During the dual there Anakin lost his right arm just below his elbow.  He soon received a cybernetic replacement but decided not to cover it with synthflesh instead wearing a black gauntlet over it.  As Darth Vader during his dual with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the planet Mustafar Obi-Wan bested him and in one blow chopped off Darth Vader’s surviving arm and both of his legs.  Leaving Darth Vader to die on a laver bank the resulting to him being burned alive.  It was only his strength in the Force that kept Darth Vader alive.  Darth Vader was rescued by Darth Sidous and was taken to the Surgical Reconstruction Centre on Coruscant and was rebuilt and a life support unit built into his suit to keep him alive.

General Grievous

Grievous nearly lost his life in a shuttle crash orchestrated by Count Dooku.  His whole body was replaced with cybernetics just leaving his brain, eye’s, heart and stomach.  The technology used to rebuilt Grievous would later be used on Darth Vader.

Clone Commander Wolffe (CC-3636)

During the Battle of Khorm Clone Commander Wolffe lost his right eye to Asajj Ventress.  It would later on be replaced by a silver cybernetic one.

Sith Lady Lumiya

During a dog fight her fighter was shot down by Luke Skywalker.  Her barely alive body was discovered by Darth Vader who had her rebuilt using advanced cybernetics which left her more machine then woman.

Lobot

Lobot was the chief administrative aide to Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian on Cloud City over the planet Bespin.  As a young man Lobot was arrested and convicted for stealing.  Lobot was sentenced for 15 years involuntary service to the citizens of Cloud City.  He had a Biotech Aj^6 Cyborg head band fitted to his skull and connected to his brain.  This made him connected to the main computer of cloud city making him very intelligent and able to communicate with the city computer and all its systems.

 

 

 

From the Forest of Dean too County Kerry……

An article on the BBC news site reported that filming for Star Wars Episode VII has started on the island of Skellig Michael in County Kerry.  A couple of weeks ago there was also reports that filming for the new film was being shot at Puzzle Wood in the forest of Dean.  Its good to see that JJ Abrams has gone back to the old school way of filming in real locations instead of just filming on green screen.   While special effects nowadays look real you cant beat actual real locations.  I have been to puzzle wood when I was a teenager and its an amazing place and you can see why JRR Tolkien got his inspiration for the forests of Middle Earth.

Puzzle wood is found in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, UK.  There is a mile of track that takes you through amazing forest and rock formations and natural caves.  Puzzle wood was created by erosion of the natural underground cave system which was then uplifted and exposed to the surface.  It was mined by Iron Age settlers and then the Romans.  In the early 1800’s the land owner open a mile of track opening the forest to his friends and family and it was not till the 1900’s that the forest was open up to the public.  In 1848 a group of workmen removed a block of stone and they found a small cavity and hidden there was three earthenware pots containing 3,000 Roman coins.  The forest is home to a number of tree’s , plants and wild life.  You will find Oak, Beech, Ash, Lime and Yew trees there as well as Soft shield fern, Harts tongue fern, Bluebells (late spring) and wild garlic.  If you are lucky you might catch site of badgers and foxes and there are plenty of different wild birds.  Also Puzzle wood is home to the endangered Greater Horse shoe bat.

Skellig Michael in the larger of two islands off County Kerry in Ireland.  The island was probably first inhabited around the 6th century and the monastery was supposed to be founded by Saint Fionan. There are six beehive cells, two oratories, a medieval church and a number of stone cross’s and slabs.  The monks that lived  there (around 12 plus the Abbot) lived on a diet of local caught fish, meat and eggs from the local birds and they grew their own vegetables.  They also created a very clever system for collecting and purifying rain water which was then collected in cisterns.  The monastery was occupied all the way until the 12th/13th century.  In 1826 two light houses were built on the island and the island gained world heritage listing in 1996.  Tour operators run 13 boats to the island each day, weather permitting!

Like i said you cant beat the real thing!  Also filming at real locations brings money and jobs to these places which means these places can carry on for year and years too come!!!!!

If you ever get the chance visit these wonderful places.  May the Force Be With You!

 

 

 

Am I the only one getting put off the new film by all these plot details?

Sitting out in the back garden yesterday having a coffee and a cigarette I come across the new plot details for episode VII and a near animal growl animates from my mouth!!!!!  If you haven’t heard the news the latest plot is as follows

After the opening crawl updating us on what’s been happening since Return of the Jedi the camera pans down not to a space ship but a severed hand holding a lightsaber.  This hand and lightsaber some how survives re entry to a desert planet and are found by Daisy Ridleys and John Boyega charcters.  They know the lightsaber is a relic of the past and decide to try and find the owner.  In their travels they come across Han Solo and Chewbacca who are no longer piloting the Falcon????  Han recognises the lightsaber as the one Obi Wan Kenobi gave to Luke Skywalker.  Han has not seen Luke since the battle of Endor so they all go on a hunt to find Luke.  Meanwhile what’s left of the Empire are building a new secret super weapon on some ice planet.

 

Ive got one or two problems with this!!!!  How does a hand survive re entry through a planets atmosphere???  If the lightsaber Han recognises is the one originally built by Anakin Skywalker then how did it survive the fall through the planet Bespins core????  and then reach outer space.  Also a Jedi’s lightsaber is not indestructible and again that begs the differ on how it survived re entry in a planets atmosphere?  Also what’s been happening since Endor?  At the end of Return of the Jedi everyone from Bespin to Coruscant to Naboo were celebrating the fall of the Empire! so its sounds like everything did not go quite to plan for the Rebellion.  Then there the new superweapon that’s being built.  Its much smaller then the Death Star but it can destroy whole solar systems not just planets.  This smacks of the Sun Crusher which was not a very large ship but could take out whole solar systems just by making the systems sun go super nova.  The story also smells like a revamp of episode VI with very similar characters on a very similar quest.

But again all these rumours could be false just a red herring to taste the waters of all us Star Wars fans out there.  I`m gonna keep reading the rumours as they come up even if they make me mad and want to send Boba Fett after JJ Abrams.  We will just have to sit tight and wait for when the movie hits the cinema and probably all these worries will be for nothing.

On other news yesterday we got to see the new design for the X-Wing which many of us (even my good self) mistook for a Z-95 Head Hunter!

Till next time. May The Force Be With You!!!!!

 

 

My top five favourite Star Wars characters…. Whats yours? Number 2 Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

At number two of my favourite Star Wars charterers in the former slave boy turned podracer champion later Jedi knight and then Dark Lord of the Sith Anakin Skywalker.  When we first met Anakin he was the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader way back in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope.  Back then we didn’t know his true identity only that he had supposedly betrayed and killed Anakin Skywalker and then the shocking truth revealed its self in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker!!!!!

Darth Vader: “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.”

Luke Skywalker: “He told me enough! He told me you killed him!”

Darth Vader: “No, I am your father.”

I don’t know about you but those three lines had me on the edge of my seat when I was a kid and even now I get goose bumps!  At the end of Star Wars Episode VI The Return of the Jedi Anakin redeems him self and brings the prophecy of the chosen one to an end when he saves his son Luke and sacrificing him self when he killed the Emperor.  Later on when George Lucas returned to the Star Wars universe with Episodes I, II and III we get to meet the young Anakin Skywalker and watch his full to the Dark Side.

Luke: No, my father didn’t fight in the Clone Wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter.

Obi-Wan: That’s what your uncle told you. He didn’t hold with your father’s ideals; he felt he should’ve stayed here and not gotten involved.

Luke: You fought in the Clone Wars?

Obi-Wan: Yes. I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father.

Luke: I wish I’d known him.

Obi-Wan: He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand that you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself.

Obi-Wan: And he was a good friend.

In Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace we meet a young Anakin, a slave for the junk dealer Watto.  He helps out Qui-Gon Jinn and Queen Amidala winning the parts for their space ship as well as being freed from slavery.  After the death of Qui-Gon, the Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi takes him on as his apprentice against the wishes of the Jedi council.  Its not an easy partner ship for the pair but always in the back ground is Darth Sidious manipulating him with lies and dark Sith magic..  Its Sidious who arranges and pushes Anakin and Padame in to a forbidden romance and its Sidous who tells Anakin to use his emotions.  And in the end Darth Sidious gets his way, turning Anakin to the dark side and giving him the Sith name of Darth Vader.  We learn in the book that Anakins birth by the midi-chlorians was caused by Darth Sidious’s master Darth Plagueis.  And it was both Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious who realized that if Anakin was trained by Qui-Gon  then Anakin would be lost to them as a possible Sith Lord.  How different would of Anakins life had been if he was trained by Qui-Gon.  It would have been a wholly different story if he had.

Anakins story is a sad story full of lose and hurting partly caused by Darth Sidious.  Even when he is Darth Vader he knows his whole life was manipulated by Sidious to become his apprentice and it takes sacrificing his own life to save his son to bring him back to the light.