The cockpit of the current build, Bf 109 G 2 which has taken four plus hours over the last two days.

Lots of small parts, paint carefully brushed on and the fascia and dials is made from photo etched metal as are many of the small parts within the cockpit. CA (super) glue required for the metal parts and I thoroughly enjoyed this sub-assembly.

This morning I started on the next part which has shown some fit issues, not many but certainly enough to require attention so that other parts will fit smoothly as I make progress. Clamps, tape and some suitably applied brute strength has helped.

Top wing roots glued in and the lower wings dry fitted to address the fit issues and filler will be used for the wing roots. At 1/32 scale it is a large kit and it was only as I looked at the shape of it that I realised I had built one of these before back in the seventies, an Airfix kit. I can only imagine the mess I made of it with enamel paints and lots of glue back when I was fifteen. 

We are having a quiet NYE as I have no desire to celebrate a new year although I am happy to see 2023 go. No plans other than to get out more, lose weight and get some walking in as there are places I do want to visit. I have to renew my driving licence photo card next week and my passport as both have now run out so a trip to the post office to complete those tasks. 

A Happy New Year to you all and hopefully next year is a safe, peaceful year free of government interference and other assorted nonsense and you all get what you want but, more importantly, need. 

TTFN.

 This has been my default setting for the last few days having eaten too much, especially chocolate and stodgy puddings. All now gone and back to normality although New Year is coming up.

The five Gladiators completed and pictured with the Fokker Dr 1 (1/48 scale), a SE 5 and the Roland D II. All the other bi-planes are 1/72 scale which shows how small the Fokker Dr 1 really was. The box in the background is my new build, a large build at 1/32 scale compared to the others and I will pace myself with this build. A larger scale could mean larger more noticeable errors so a considered approach needed. 

I also have photo etched metal parts but I am again having problems with CA glue not sticking the parts. Annealing the metal parts with heat helps but these are pre-coloured parts which makes applying heat awkward. 

Progress so far this afternoon but all safely put away from curious paws. This will keep me busy for the next couple of weeks as there are delays securing medical and death certificates for my mum. My sister is on the ball and we are looking at a date after mid January for the funeral. We had a discussion today about where to scatter mum’s ashes and a drone scattering them over Downing Street was my suggestion. Woodland or the sea are possible options although potentially my sister is considering  a rose plant. Feels odd as it is less than a week since she died but we had Christmas in between, still slightly surreal.

TTFN.

 Life goes on and sadly people die every day. My mum's death, as it does for anyone who has a loved one die, has left a large gap in my life and in others lives. The next few days, weeks and months will be how I negotiate that and come to terms with my loss. The same is true for everyone and I do wonder whether my interest in the paranormal is part of this because I don't believe there is a god as religions tell us. I do believe the spark of energy that animates us rejoins the universe in its new form but beyond that basic premise I have no idea. In the past I worked with people who believed they were possessed or troubled by spirits, evil or otherwise. Is that mental illness? If someone is troubled and unable to live an ordinary life to the extent where they want to kill themselves or their behaviour is so bizarre they fall to pieces then yes, I would say they are mentally or psychically troubled. But I have also come across people who are not suffering mental illness yet they say they have contacts with spirits or experience unusual activity. I worked with a nurse who sees the spirits of dead people and this does cause her problems at times. Equally, I know people who have seen UFO's including Sue and she recently saw a strange bright orange orb / ball fly across the garden. I have experienced ghosts and strange activity but I regard myself as grounded. But it still raises the question: what comes next? I know that will be on my mind for some time to come but I also now know my mum is at peace and that will satisfy me for now.

Back to the modelling table today and having an early start I was able to get some hours in...

The Fokker Dr 1 is done, an oil wash using burnt umber and a yellow shade  which I applied and then removed some of it.

I also applied a dark brown oil paint to the propellor over the brown and tan acrylic paints underneath and then removed some of the oil paint with a brush and tooth pick to give a layered / laminated effect.

I am pleased with the finished build and I omitted some of the tiny decals as I will save those for a future DR 1 build. I applied some rigging to the last Gladiator build but stopped as the combination of super glue, elastic thread and clumsy fingers saw broken parts and my increasing irritation with it. That was my cue to stop, put it away and accept "That'll do". 

I am now building the fifth Gladiator model and this is a decent Airfix kit which I intend to do a very good job on. Once that is completed including rigging, I will put up a photo of the five 1/72 Gladiator builds. With that completed I will make a start on a couple of kits from the stash including a large 1/32 scale kit. This should keep me occupied over the next couple of weeks as I mull over an offer from my last manager. She contacted me to work in a CMHT at a 'local' seaside town. The commute there and back will take two hours per day and they are offering time and a half payment as they are desperate for staff and this includes paid travel time for the commute. That is tempting but several things come to mind: the two hours commuting is likely to prompt me to refuse; I am likely to be one of two nurses in the team as they have no staff and that equates to a very heavy workload, lots of pressure and stress and the potential for Mr Cockup to make an appearance. Lastly, the manager is a bully but towards female staff, not to males but I despise bullies and I dislike seeing any such behaviour and I do call it out. I asked if there is any similar work nearer home and when they contact me in a couple of weeks I will again request that because truth be known, I enjoy being retired and senior managers should have dealt with these issues a few years ago to ensure staff are happy and remain working there. The bottom line is that it is not my problem and they are likely to refuse my suggestion that if I accept it will only be for two days a week for six months. Finally, from earlier this year my mums words ring in my head:

'They were prepared to sack you because you refused the jabs. They don't care about you and you're best off out of it and enjoying your life. '

TTFN.

 Merry Christmas folks!

A somewhat subdued one here as my mum died on the 23rd December but, she died peacefully and seemed to suffer no pain. It feels very strange not having her on the phone or being able to see her. I guess I am still in denial as it doesn’t feel real. That will come in time and possibly when we have the funeral. To distract myself over the last few days I focused on the inevitable model builds but I stopped because of the many errors I made as I was too distracted.

Not finished as some tiny decals needed plus a wash to bring the paints together.Today we will have the family Christmas dinner, we have opened presents and exchanged greetings with the extended family. I will toast my mum’s memory with a glass of Guinness which she discovered she liked over the past two years. She had a tough life, ups and downs including family betrayals but she is at peace now. I’ll stop there…

TTFN.

 The Fokker Dr 1 build is progressing well although I have been down the rabbit hole regarding this colour scheme. Apparently, the streaky green / olive drab paint scheme is a subject of debate fuelled by the interpretation of old black and white photographs, pieces of fabric left over from WW1 and male egos engaged in pointless arguments in the modelling world. I have opted for simplicity with the streaky olive green colour and I will brush over it a brownish wash. That'll do me because if it looks ok, then that'll do as most people don't care about recent history although they are keen to make up their own interpretation of any facts to support their crazy beliefs. The green paint was brushed on over clear doped linen using hand brushes by bored workers in factories or large draughty sheds so I think a little individual leeway is appropriate especially after said workers had a night on the schnapps! I do like this build and I am keen to do another one in a different colour scheme as these were colourful aircraft in the Flying Circus as well as generally in the WW1 German airforce.

You can see where some of the ideas for Dastardly and Muttley came from, very cartoonish for killing machines.

I might have to make a quick journey down to Essex again as the news isn't good. This blog might be quiet for a while but I am receiving updates every day so we will see.

TTFN.

 The canopy I ordered for the fourth Gladiator build finally arrived today after battling its way through the Xmas post. Decals applied and I have noticed one is skewiff from the photo and the canopy glued in place using white glue. Some tidying up required and a light weathering plus the rigging. The decals are for a Free French aircraft in North Africa in 1942. The aluminium paint on most of the aircraft is a wax that is painted on and becomes shinier when rubbed but it does also rub off. I will have to see what I can use to seal it once completed.

The Fokker Dr 1 Triplane from yesterday...

The top wing is loosely dry fitted and the plastic was originally red but sprayed white by the previous owner hence the pink tinge! I plan to mask and airbrush the aircraft before further assembly and hopefully this should be easier than building the complete kit and then airbrushing.

We popped out this morning to the local mall for some further Xmas shopping (Sue) and to investigate the coffee being sold in T K Maxx (me). Sue absolutely hates the shop so she went off on her own. I bought some Cuban coffee beans and French ground coffee but we called it a day after Sue's shopping as the place is soulless and despite it being one week before the big day, it was relatively quiet. We plan to buy the necessary stuff (vegetables, milk and bread) for the day itself later this week and then avoid the shops until the new year. Unsurprisingly, it still does not feel like Xmas for me and I shall play some traditional carols each day to try to inculcate some of the spirit of Xmas. I suspect it won't work but worth a try. 

Cats news: Sherlock attacked Maisie the other day so that she couldn't be near me; Maisie attacked Mindy and lacking any smaller animal to attack, Mindy crapped on the hallway carpet. Delightful! Happily, peace has been restored and they are back to barely tolerating each other.

TTFN.

 Now returned from Colchester to see my mum although she is at Harwich. A lot of driving and late night conversations with family. Mum is settled, comfortable as the pain is now controlled but otherwise there is little change. We have no idea as to when or if she will move to the hospice and perhaps next week will see what decisions are made. I am absolutely cream crackered with the driving, lack of sleep and I guess the emotional stress so when I returned home yesterday I had a very early night and slept like a log. The rest of this weekend will see me doing very little as I try to catch up on myself. I did receive the following kit in the post whilst I was away...

I would have photographed my own but Sherlock is on the table and he won't leave my side. He has already chased Maisie down the garden to stop her receiving any attention from me! I think he has missed me. The kit had been started although minimal work done so it was cheap as chips, less than the cost including postage of two pints of beer in a London pub (apparently).  Unsurprisingly, I have already made a start on the cockpit and internal structure and I plan to paint another scheme, not the red baron all red paint scheme.

The journey itself there and back was straightforward and in reasonably dry weather taking just over four hours each way. As I drove directly to Harwich going down I passed nearby Walsham le Willows and I was tempted to stop off but I did drive through Ixworth where the old abbey ruins are situated. I will do that visit next year when the days are longer. What I did enjoy was having no social media for three days as I refuse to have it on my phone. My sister does not use social media although she watches all the bbc news and their various 'entertainment' programmes. It reinforced my desire to continue being free from any of the mainstream propaganda programmes. Mindless drivel...I prefer to choose my own sort of mindless drivel!

TTFN.

 

A quick entry…no, stop it Finbarr Saunders. 

My mum has been admitted into hospital again but this time a ‘cottage’ type hospital at Harwich. I am heading down there for a couple of days and the plan is to move hero the hospice once a bed is available. I don’t think she will be returning home again so we are doing what we can to make the best of it and for her. I shan’t say much more but thanks very much for your support, it is much appreciated and I’ll be back in a few days. Having said that she might be going strong a few weeks from now! 

The above photo is of a build I started but set aside for a while a year ago. 

TTFN.

 I deliberately went shopping for presents for nearest and dearest at what I thought would be a quieter time...Nope, mayhem and chaos so I took my time, bought the necessaries and left them to it. I even managed to find a parking spot near home on my return much to my astonishment. Unless I absolutely have to I shall avoid the shops between now and early January as I really can't be doing with panicky people with heightened emotions. Madness!

To restore some balance I have started on another build...

A 1/35 scale M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage and yes, it really was small although the model I have learned since commencing the build is apparently too short! Assembled, base coats airbrushed on and some figures assembled and brush painted. Next job is to apply decals, washes and weathering. A change from the aircraft builds and a quick and enjoyable build. Hopefully I can get this finished for the weekend and in the meantime consider what to build next? That might have to wait as my mum is not doing well at home and I will pop down to see her before Xmas. More of the same problems that we anticipated but comes as a surprise to the GP and social care, although the carers themselves are good and they are saying she now needs 24/7 care.  I shall leave that there as I want to avoid a rant.

As a distraction my current read is the above book recommended by a shop assistant last week when Sue was shopping for a present for me and it makes for a fascinating read. I also ordered the following reference books for some of my future builds...

I had a quick shufti at the contents and I am delighted to have acquired these and at a good price. I have put a stop to buying models for now and I suggested several books to choose from as Xmas presents as apparently I am difficult to buy for! I have more than enough to build and I will now only buy tools and modelling materials such as paints and glues. 

TTFN.

 Another build completed apart from the inevitable weathering. I think I have three completed builds awaiting weathering so I shall devote some time to that task over the weekend as the sleet, rain and freezing fogs descend upon our region.

A nice build, straightforward despite losing some of the tiny resin parts which I had to scratch build from the spares box. The clear parts canopy was a nuisance and white glue had to be cleaned up as it decided to adhere to all sorts including my fingers.

I will have a look through the stash for a large build next but no hurry as I want to tidy up and rationalise the table to make space for the build. 

Yes, the weather is very cold and the pavements are extremely slippery as Sue and I ventured into town for shopping and her medication. We were informed there is a national shortage of several medicines and she might have to wait for a month to fulfil her prescription! Not only is the infrastructure falling apart but councils are going bankrupt with more to follow. Homeless up, the NHS and social care failing, SME businesses closing and the borders are open and welcoming more and more people to fill the thousands of vacant houses and jobs that don't exist. Shambolic is one description although I can think of a more apt description for this government and the equally vacuous opposition. However, the advent calendars are open and it is the run down to that time of the year. Small tree up and it has already been savaged by the smallest cat! The shopping mall was very busy and after a coffee we beat a hasty retreat. The madness has begun and Sue questioned where are people getting the money from? Credit cards and debts...I have watched two versions of A Christmas Carol already and will look out for the others as I do enjoy the movies and I will listen to the audio version on-line, I never tire of it.

My mum is discharged from hospital and the problems were encountered within the first hour as my sister received two hours notice. She is unable to stand or mobilise, the emergency pendant was lost and then found and we have concerns about the medications. Carers are going in more often and family in every day and we will see how it pans out. I am not optimistic and I will make arrangements to go down again soon. Sue has no news about her operation and her pain comes and goes so I am trying to balance out both visits to mum and being here at home. C'est la vie...

Now to fix the tree and we haven't even put lights and baubles on it yet. Pure savages these felines.

TTFN.