Happy Birthday Saturn Junkyard!

The tenth birthday of the Saturn Junkyard, a huge milestone in website lifespans, was something that should have been celebrated with pomp and fanfare. But at the time, the blog was barely alive. Think ET lying in the stream, cold, pale and barely breathing on the day after Halloween... Or 'Flynn's Arcade' when Flynn Jr, turns up on his superbike at the start of 'Tron 2'... Or Star Fleet's finest pointy-eared Vulcan, floating through space in a state of suspended animation in 'Search For Spock'... I'm sure you get the picture. In short, it was knackered.

But earlier this year, in a crazy scheme cooked up by two slightly unhinged middle aged chaps with a penchant for gaming, the rusty old gates of the 'Yard were swung open, like Wonka's factory on the day specified on the golden ticket. Machinery was heard coughing and spluttering, cogs, once well oiled, but now rusted and seized together, began to turn once more and before you knew it, the old place was living and breathing again!

But in just one day's time we'll be cracking open a huge bottle of bubbly, to celebrate the 11th birthday of our little blog. It's back, it's primed and it's ready to run and run...

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Now, before you start to tire of my unnecessary over-use of similes (I'm like a literary one trick pony... Damn! Just done it again...) I'll get to the point. We are hugely lucky to have the 'Yard up and running again. As in days of old, this is not the work of one person, but the collaboration of many. The Saturn Junkyard is now lucky enough to have a regularly updated blog with a committed team of correspondents, an amazing Facebook community, superbly produced podcasts, it's own YouTube channel with professional quality videos and we're aiming to bring you a regularly updated Twitter account in the new year! It's turning into a multimedia powerhouse!

As the founder of the blog, all those years ago when the century was in it's infancy, I'd like to give a shout out to all of the people who have helped to resurrect and reinvigorate the Saturn Junkyard in 2017.

Tom Charnock - Founder of the Dreamcast Junkyard and the creator of our space in the  Retro-gaming/Sega Universe. As far as I'm concerned he's a rock star. My inspiration and a true original.

Jon Lee - Driving force behind the reopening of the 'Yard, star of the Facebook group, advice giver, game enabler, experience sharer, lovely chap, now sadly departed.

Daniel Turner - The first admin and moderator, press-ganged into service by Jon Lee, doing a sterling job ever since. Supported in his efforts by the newly on board Andy 'Chad' Jackson, also brought to us by Jon. They stayed on board when the Captain jumped ship!

Kev 'Wolves' Mason - first to offer to a new article to the Saturn Junkyard 2.0 - he took us back to our childhoods (my thirties) with tales of Christmas past...

Virtua Schlub /Mr. Brian Vines - the first full time correspondent on the Saturn Junkyard 2.0, and the first link with our brothers in the USA, sagely contributor to the 'Saturn Junkyard Titancast' podcast.

Gaz Cormack - Supplier of our flashy Facebook header graphic and the author of many a topical conversation-starting post over at the Facebook page.

The Southern Sega Gentleman/Mr. Samuel Myles - The golden voiced producer/director/editor/sound engineer of the Titancast, blog author, advice giver and technical wizard. Our second US correspondent! The man who took the Saturn Junkyard to the next level!

Nebachadnezzar/ Mr. Nuno Almeida - One of the original Saturn Junkyard authors was coaxed out of retirement and his return was possibly the greatest joy I've had since re-starting the 'Yard. Nuno has not only come back as a correspondent of the written word, but also as the chief video producer and is now producing video on a par with Youtube's 'Adam Koralik' or 'Sega Lord X'. The man who took the Saturn Junkyard to the next, next level!

Simon Gale - The latest addition to the writing team and the second UK contributor. A selflessly generous chap, like so many of our members. Keith Terry for example.

Leonidas Chryssinas - The nicest, most positive, enthusiastic admin and moderator on the team and the only group member I have ever (wrongly) banned!

As you can see, there are many contributors to the team and that's without the Facebook Group members. So raise a glass, put on a small paper hat, blow one of those annoying twirly things and grab a piece of cake, as we wish the Saturn Junkyard a very happy birthday! Really looking forward to 2018!