Neil Corbett

ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com

Maple RidgeB次元官网网址檚 Leslie Michael was among the hundreds of millions around the globe who, in July 1969, followed the progress of the Apollo missions closely, but heB次元官网网址檚 also a unique fan of NASA.

The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11B次元官网网址檚 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 auctioneerB次元官网网址檚 gavel online, via HansonB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淚t shows the indomitable spirit of man,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淚 was in awe when I heard Neil Armstrong say, B次元官网网址楬ouston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t was history in the making.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a history buff B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檝e always been fascinated by it. Man can be a bB次元官网网址� when he destroys, but heB次元官网网址檚 amazing when he builds.B次元官网网址�

He followed NASAB次元官网网址檚 progress from the time U.S. President John F. Kennedy pledged to bring a man to the moon and bring him back safely. He didnB次元官网网址檛 have a blog, so he marked the history the way people did in 1969 B次元官网网址� with a scrap book.

ItB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淚t took me 50 years to do it,B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址� who is a career printer and also a published author B次元官网网址� felt should be included.

An example is a magazine advertisement of congratulations to America from Japan.

B次元官网网址淚snB次元官网网址檛 that beautiful? These two had been adversaries in World War II.B次元官网网址�

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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 B次元官网网址淟uney Leslie,B次元官网网址� he smiles.

He hates to part with his one-of-a-kind scrapbook, but his kids havenB次元官网网址檛 shown proper enthusiasm for the topic.

B次元官网网址淵ou know kids these daysB次元官网网址�B次元官网网址�

So he wants to bestow it with someone who will appreciate the project.

B次元官网网址淚 feel sorry to let it go, because itB次元官网网址檚 part of my life, but IB次元官网网址檓 getting old B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檒l be 82 next month.B次元官网网址�

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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.

B次元官网网址淎nybody can bid, the world over.B次元官网网址�

It will be from July 18-24.

ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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