Busy Summer/Autumn 2010 & Hectic Winter Ahead!!!

As usual 'life' has taken over the 'hobby' and Blogging so next few weeks will be some 'catchup articles' on visiting historic sites during 2010 especially those with a military nature,stuff to come includes; Forts on the Isle of Wight, Dover Castle, Biggin Hill Air Show, Igtham Mote, Sissinghurst Castle, etc etc etc!

What bit of 'life' has taken all my modelling time  ....well usual family stuff and  a knackered back& neck (on my third form of physio!!) BUT due to the economic climate and being a Funding & Community Development specilaist I have been 'snowed' under with work (The rumours are true I have been locked up in Maidstone Museum .....match funding gap in excess of £1 million......anyone feeling generous?) AND in volunteering in my local community.....Big Society is not new Mr Cameroon!!!! I have been a trustee of 2 charities, forming a new one last year (Switch Youth cafe with a £338,000 lottery grant), chairman of a small allotment association (must catch up with those responsibilities!!) BUT chiefly helping establish and acting as a special advisor to the new Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) there will be a story on this as its main remit is to save the large community centre in the centre of Canterbury, Kent from demolition by the local council (cost saving apparently). Now the Hall was constructed as a Drill Hall in around 1905 for the Territorial battalions of the 'Buffs' and East Kent Mounted Rifles.....so lots of interesting history and a great community campaign story to relate.

I have started some figure painting again & model building and will add updates when there is something worth seeing!! Read loads of historical fiction.....Low's Viking books are awesome!! and tomorrow I will give an update on 'Mutleys Models' a new shop in Canterbury (yes thats its name!!) Westgate Games and a model show in Ramsgate next weekend!!

There would be some more pictures but 'Browse' does not seem to be cooperating in the 'insert image' feature of this new posting, one pic and it's gone 'kaput' !!!

I'm back

Well due to a huge demand (cheers Geordie!) I'm posting again. After October very busy work schedule, Starting a Youth Cafe Trust for which I had succesfully bid for £335,000 from the Big Lotto, Dodgy eyes....yes that 40's something effect 15mm was getting a bit tricky, reading glasses plus macular degeneration scare, (upshot after Moorfields eye hosp ...some inflamtion episode cocking up eyesight a trifle,should be ok for a decade or 2...but just in case we'll take photos!) and getting mixed up with a campaign in canterbury to prevent the demolition of the only community hall in the centre of the city.....particularly interested as its the 'old drill hall of the 4th & 5th Buffs', plus the East Kent Mounted Rifles and Duke of Connaughts Own TA RA WW2 unit. I will post on this subject soon & enlist all my blogging friends to support us in our endevours to save it and perhaps take it off the City Councils hands. Particularly interesting photo's from the Blitz.

I was going to post sooner but my Bleeping computer had over christmas gone kaput....a nasty attack by bugs etc which freeware had not prevented led me to 'Norton' the system...this got most things working apart from Internet Explorer ...however 'Motzrela Filofax'seemed to work ok......apart from posting and adding photo's on Blogger. At whits end but finally have it sorted.

Modelling and painting little soldiers....not featured much due to watering eyes....but plastic kits seem a possibilty again will post pics of Humber Armoured Car....and various 'things with wings' on the go. HMS Belfast visit photo's will add here and some flying stuff on my  Aviation blog.

Finally for now RIP Bob Doe the 3rd highest scoring ace in the B of B with 14 victories who died at the weekend a superb gentleman who was very proud but humble about their achievements in that summer of 1940. At a book signing I attended 5 years ago he signed a copy of his autobiography 'Bob Doe Fighter Pilot' ' David, Happy Flying, B Doe' a treasured possession on my library shelf.