LOSE YOURSELF IN 1971

UNDERPOWERED ROVER

Apollo 15, the NASA mission that landed on the moon at the end of July, was the first to take a ‘Lunar Roving Vehicle’ with it. Boeing got the contract to build three Rovers at a cost of $40m. Which was quite expensive for vehicles with just 2hp (courtesy of a 200-watt electric motor on each wheel) and had a usual operating speed of 6-8mph. However, unloaded, the LRVs weighed just 209kg and could fold up to just 5ft by 20in – rather crucial to fit in the small lunar lander. The LRV was driven 17.25 miles overall before being left on the moon’s surface, like the two examples that followed it. Hope they didn’t get a parking ticket – for a whole variety of reasons! MORE MUSICAL MAGIC

As it was showing at the Odeon in our photo, let’s look at Bedknobs and Broomsticks. This Walt Disney magical musical wartime fantasy starring David Tomlinson and Angela Lansbury was one of 1971’s most successful films, grossing $17.6m upon release. Disney had originally sought Julie Andrews, but afraid of being typecast (she’d essentially be reprising a very similar persona to that of Mary Poppins), Andrews turned the role down. In fact, the song The Beautiful Briny was originally written for Mary Poppins. Although largely filmed in the USA, Corfe Castle in Dorset was used for some of the scenes, too. LIKE SPAGHETTI

Spaghetti Junction – officially known as the Gravelly Hill Interchange – opened, with ten routes becoming available to drivers. Its final two options to escape the M6 north of Birmingham opened in 1972. The nickname comes from Birmingham Evening Mail journalist, Roy Smith, who likened it to ‘a cross between a plate of spaghetti and an unsuccessful attempt at a Staffordshire knot’. There are two railway lines, two rivers and three canals below the flyovers.