— POSTSCRIPT 2 —

SUNDAY ALREADY. The days get shorter and just slip past. As we had a clear (and Chilly) night on Friday, there were high hopes we'd get a sighting of Mir as it passed over Romiley yesterday evening. But the cloud cover didn't break up overmuch at the due hour and we were disappointed; we will try again tonight.

Took time off to watch the Frost prog covering the Evel Knievel abortive rocket-assisted attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon—part of the "Evel Night" show celebrating the Great Man's 60th birthday. I couldn't recall if there was much coverage of Bob Truax, who was called in as advisor on the attempt, but there was only the odd glimpse of him and passing mention of his part in the fiasco.

Was amused at all the religiosity of the proceedings, and Frost's persistent questioning of Evel at the start (when they were running behind schedule), and after the rescue, when Evel looked as though he needed the attentions of the medical crew more than having Frost persistently plaguing him with not so relevant questions as he was whisked away...

The programme had no afterthoughts on the attempt. However, Ed Regis, in his Great Mambo Chicken & the Transhuman Condition, reveals that many years later a retired Evel wanted Truax to redo the stunt for his son Robbie, also a death-defying motorcyclist...

"I don't think I will," Truax is reported as saying. "They always want to do it on a cheapo basis—you know, nickel and dime you to death—and that runs the risk that I'd kill the poor kid. I don't want to participate in anything that's going to be real hazardous."

And later: overcast skies this evening. No chance of a MIR sighting. So it goes.

Letter to Brian Varley, October 1998