A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: OLD AGE AND HELPING HANDS…

Doubtless the result of age, I’ve noticed recently that my right shoulder has periods of tenderness that makes simple tasks, rather more painful than I would like them to be – even ones that most would see as trivial and easy.

8th August 2025

After what has been something of a written-off week, today was at least a partial return to something like normality, whatever that may be!

I started my day off with a little music, listening to two albums. I say listening to two albums, but in reality that involved listening to the first two tracks of each one, deciding in order that neither was doing it for me, and then reaching for the off button as musical background noise, turned into preferable silence.

It’s funny how I sometimes have these moments when music really annoys me. Despite being what I would consider a considerable music fan, there are infrequent periods where having it on just gets under my skin and rather than finding the experience pleasurable and relaxing, it’s as though fingernails are being drawn down the surface of a blackboard. Today was one of those days.

In other news, the new Jaguar books were packed in their cello bags ready for despatch over the next week or so. Not the most exciting of jobs, packing the books in this way is nevertheless an important part of the process, ion not incredible tedious, so I tend to set aside time, switch music on and then…Hmm, I wonder if the packing would have been more fun this morning if I’d not decided to belligerently work in silence!

And finally…

Doubtless the result of age, I’ve noticed recently that my right shoulder has periods of tenderness (oh, that would be a good name for a band!) that makes simple tasks, rather more painful than I would like them to be – even ones that most would see as trivial and easy.

One of those is shaking paint bottles, especially acrylics such as Vallejo where you have to vigorously mix the paint before use. That being so I’ve taken the plunge and bought a vortex mixer. This clever little machine will I hope help to mix the paint without me having to reset my shoulder after every painting session. I trust it will also remove the chance of depositing clear carrier onto my wet palette, instead of actual paint each time I come to my painting desk, when my shaking and this mixing, has not been entirely success. Such heady aspirations. Like I say: it’s an age thing…

And so on to the weekend.

This weekend sees the start of the Championship season, so weekends will once again be taken up with football. We will be off to Coventry in the morning for the 12.30 kick off against Hull City. Fingers crossed for three points and the start of what I hope will be another exciting season.

Whatever you are doing this weekend, I would like to wish all the very best and I will see you again, tomorrow.