Back tracking

The Man writes...it's a little known fact that the gravitational slingshot - the technique by which a deep space probe accelerates as it swings round a planet on its journey into outer space - was invented by a NASA engineer who had been trying for a week to locate the car park below Empire State Plaza in central Albany.

An interstate takes you all the way in, but next moment you find yourself coming out on the opposite side of the road having missed the secret entrance and in the certain knowledge that you won't be able to turn around before you're halfway home again.

Down below the plaza is a vast subterranean mall - although naturally everything apart from McDonalds is closed at weekends - and a large exhibition hall. When I finally found the way in, it was a great pleasure to take the Boy there again yesterday for the annual "Great Train Extravaganza".

There were actually only four model railways on display - far fewer than you would find at Shelford village hall for example - but the layouts were large and fun, and there was plenty of interesting and modestly priced train stuff on sale. When one of his best friends appeared, the Boy was delighted to take him off on a bargain hunt, and found some items that were almost as 'cheap as (McDonalds) chips'.