This has been a bee in my bonnet for quite a number of years, so I hope that 2025 will finally see me scratchbuild an aircraft from the ground up.
30th January 2025
A day away from the workshop so not a great deal to talk about modelling-wise, most of my time being spent writing for Brett and completing another chapter for my new book.
The day began as usual on a Thursday, with taking my granddaughter to school. Ten years old, she’s now taken to calling me ‘mate‘ and ‘bro‘ and then pointing out if a conversation is too boring to continue. I suggested that we perhaps drove to school in silence to see if that passes the ‘interesting’ test, but that lasted – as I suspected it would – less than five seconds. It would appear that silence is not what a ten-year-old likes in the morning, even if this 50-something is supposedly in charge! Yeah, I know, you really don’t have to spell out how the granddad/granddaughter dynamic works…
Though I enjoy our trips to school, this morning’s frivolity was brought to a jarring halt when I noticed a fellow sleeping on the pavement outside of one of shops in town. Being a small market town in the middle of nowhere, rough sleepers are not a regular sight so seeing the guy in temperatures well below freezing, hit home. If it can happen here I thought, it can happen anywhere, an ill-wind feeling like it’s blowing through society at an alarming rate. I really hope he was okay and that he managed to get some help.
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Along with eldest granddaughter, I also had the pleasure of the youngest grandkids as well, both being taken out by my wife for the morning. They really looked cute together and though I only saw them in passing, it was great to know they were enjoying each other’s cousinly company! Hopefully next time I’ll see them for a little longer.
So today was about writing, a show report that I had promised Brett at the start of the week having to be quickly dealt with, after I forgot all about it amongst the endless little jobs that seem to have occupied much of my wandering mind. The report was on the Bolton show that I discussed last week, in which I was able to present some of my personal highlights from the event. Most memorably this included James Hodgkiss’ superb scratchbuild Vickers Vildebeest. Beautifully detailed and perfectly painted, it really captured my imagination and cemented my desire to finally have a go at building something similar from scratch.
This has been a bee in my bonnet for quite a number of years, so I hope that 2025 will finally see me scratchbuild an aircraft from the ground up. Having been so inspired by that Vildebeest I set about looking for plans for possible subjects. I’m not keen to build something well-known or even military, so you can imagine my delight when I can across a whole set of plans of prewar American aircraft that had been drawn to scale during the ’60s! There were so many cool subjects, more than enough to give me something to run at, a number of them being what I would call beginner’s builds that were interesting enough, but not too complex (as with everything, walking before running is always a good idea). Just looking through the pages of the extended PDF that I found really excited me, setting my mind racing in all directions. I need a challenge and this might just be what I am looking for. When I know, you will know!
A day then of mixed emotions and future plans. I even managed to complete the second chapter of the book, so that’s further progress of sorts. I now only have to finish off the model and we will be done, but that my friends, will have to wait for another day.
See you again, tomorrow, when I hope to get back to the Anson…
TODAY’S MUSIC CHOICES…
…Or rather, lack of them! I’ve been a little too preoccupied today with other things, so music has not been on in the office or my studio. All being well, we will be back to some form of normality in the morning!
SOME OF MY LATEST POSTS FOR YOU TO ENJOY!
- A MODELMAKER’sS LIFE: ALL SQUARE IN SOUTHAMPTON…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: WHY HAVE I NEVER BUILT A LIGHTNING?
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: A TRIP TO BRISTOL…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: A RELAXING DAY…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: HOW MANY MORE KITS DO I HAVE, HALF STARTED?!
SOME OF THE LATEST COMMENTS FROM VISITORS TO THIS SITE…
Spenser Lucky to escape with 1-1 with the saints. Still very good reading your daily comments and the last book…
Wow! I built a dozen back around 1980. Entered them as a collection at the IPMS USA Nationals. Didn’t win…
Yes, stop procrastinating……build a Lightning🤣
Who knows, you might even consider publishing another bookazine on building the BAC Lightning as well?
I am glad that the man was talked down. It’s definitely hard to see without knowing the outcome, until later.…
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
oh my goodness, scratch building – something that I have admired from my earliest modelling days having watched my father build balsa flying models.
He was a superb craftsman and I was always daunted by his skills. Funnily, he never built a plastic kit and always asked me to build them for him.
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great article, when will we see more kit photos and “ how to” articles?
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To a degree most have ‘scratch built’ some parts of our models but a full subject is a real challenge as you need as much or more effort in the research and specs of the subject. Your Harrier conversion was pretty much an example of your skills so a full scratch build should hold no fear for you…
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I am really enjoying your daily posts, whether or not they be about modeling. They remind me to live in the moment, and to be mindful. Greetings from Ft. Collins, Colorado.
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Music! My brother and I traveled from Alberta last December to Liverpool to see Madness play..( long a dream to see them..1980’s anyways ) and we weren’t disappointed! I was hoping to find fabled hobby shops while over there..alas no time..searching out Liverpool FC gear for a relation..scratching..always the intention..dismal at best..but still the urge..great blog..always entertaining!
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