Prismatic Reflection

    The Prisoner, where did it all begin? For me it was back in 1967, as a boy of 12 years of age, my mind had been captivated by ‘the Prisoner.’ It was the opening sequence you see, so visually powerful, and the unforgettable theme music. I cannot tell you why a boy of 12 years of age was watching what is really an adult television series. I suppose the easiest thing for me to say, I was a fan of Patrick McGoohan’s former television series ‘Danger Man.’ John Drake was my boyhood hero. And he was so clever you see, that Patrick Mcgoohan, he could manipulate the various gadgets employed by John Drake, so well that to a boy’s imagination, it looked as though all those gadgets actually worked! So I suppose it was natural for me to watch McGoohan’s next television series ‘the Prisoner.’
    I remember one day, a Friday, yes it must have been a Friday, my parents always went shopping in the Village on a Friday afternoon. We lived just outside the Village you see. I had my pocket money, and I would eagerly take my pocket money of 5 shillings to the newspaper shop, they also sold toys you see. Mostly I collected Matchbox die-cast model vehicles. Anything from lorries, cars, vans, tractors, caterpillar tractors, bulldozers, and combine harvesters‘. But sometimes if there was a special model I wanted, I would save my pocket money up for it. And then one day, to my utter astonishment there on the shelf, amongst all the other die-cast models ‘The Prisoner’ Village Mini-Moke by Dinky. I could hardly believe my eyes, and I made the purchase there and then. I was in heaven. Thinking back, if only I had more money, I would have purchased two or even three of the models, but I didn’t. Do I still have that ‘Prisoner’ Mini-Moke? Oh no, that went the way of all the rest of the models in my die-cast model collection, to my younger brother at the instigation of my father. Working on the premise that being 16 years of age, I was too old for toys! However I do now have two ‘Prisoner’ Village taxis, one is a restored model of ‘the Prisoner’ Mini-Moke. The other a Dinky, once a green Mini-Moke, which I converted into a Village taxi.
    I have collected other cars, other vehicles, and aircraft associated with ‘the Prisoner’ series. Once upon a time I had a small Village diorama, employing vehicles, and small figures. But having gone through that stage, I put the majority of models away in a cardboard box. Not because I tired of them or anything. It was a phase I went through, the same as wearing ‘Prisoner’ ‘T’ shirts, and sweat shirts. Oh I’ve worn them, I’ve still got the ‘T’ shirts, only I don’t wear them so often, if at all these days. But I’ve still go three piped jackets, which I wear on occasion. Two associated with the original ‘Prisoner’ series, and one to do with THEPRIS6NER. Oh yes, I’ve got a piped jacket for that series. And my own interpretation of Two, I even have a tie exact to one worn by Ian McKellen as Two. The blue and gold striped tie.
    I also collect die-cast model cars associated with THEPRIS6NER series, so in this regard I would seem to have come full circle. I’m listening to the sound track of THEPRIS6NER as I type these words. The series may be more subtle than the original is full in the face, but it has a grip on me, that it lives with me just as the original series does. But it’s all in the mind isn’t it, isn’t that what it is supposed to be? If I really, truly wanted to, I could just let go, couldn’t I? What am I afraid of? Perhaps because without ‘the Prisoner,’ either series, I would have to reinvent myself. That’s something all the King’s horses, and all the King’s men couldn’t do. But of course I exaggerate, ‘the Pris6ner’ is not the centre of the universe, nor is the Village becoming the very consciousness of the universe as Two would have it, but then even Two was exaggerating.

Be seeing you