RIP.

Following on from yesterday's post the inevitable has unfortunately happened. 

I will say no more but in death comes peace.

Dealing with the inevitable.

 

No use in trying to be upbeat today as Mrs Woody's mum and my mother-in-law is very ill. It is unfortunately only a matter of a short time until the inevitable. We all deal with such things in different ways but as I say to people, the World will continue to rotate, the sun will set and then rise again and life will continue - just a bit differently for some of us. The important part though are the good memories - no one can take those away! Treasure them for always!

Woody's got a fan!

Well what a difference a day makes! 32C yesterday and 12C today. The heat did carry on through the night so out came Woody's fan. Bought by my parents in 1972 when we lived in Malta for a time this magically quiet piece of electrical equipment still works as well 50 years on as it did when it was new and kept me and Mrs. Woody cool over night. If only all electrical equipment was built this well maybe the landfill sites would be a little less full? Anyway it has a certain 70's style which apparently is in at the moment - Woody being in with current fashion??? Whatever next? Me finishing models? 

Chloe the cat is not sure about this wind creating machine but did eventually stand in front for a cool down.

This evening I did go out to my now cool Man Cave and finish off the DShK 12.7mm anti-air machine gun for the MiniArt T34 Egyptian tank. It looks good from a distance but these in close shots show my ineptitude with the assembly of it but hopefully once painted and part of the main tank it will fade into the overall scene. There is certainly a lot of detail including the bullet belt, sights and trigger. 

Back on the turret itself, there was a problem with the main gun breach not staying fixed in its mount. It is supposed to elevate so the breach fits into its mount without glue but for some reason that I could not get to the bottom of it kept slipping out. Not wanting this to be an issue with the finished mode I drilled through the mount into the breach and inserted a piece of brass wire which I super glued into place. It appears to have done what I hoped and all is secure in place without the elevation movement being adversely affected. Result!

Hopefully over the next few days I can get the turret finished so that I won't have to balance parts temporarily as in this shot! 

Hottest day in the UK and not the day to be model making - for too long anyway!

Here in the UK today is the hottest day this year for most of us with temperatures of plus 30C. May not sound much to some people living in hotter climates but here we tend to suffer as we are not used to it and most of our buildings are designed for wind, rain and cold! I went out for a bike ride early this morning and stopped by a local canal thinking that looking at the water might make me feel cooler! Well that didn't work out as I ended up actually feeling sorry for the two swans swimming through this pea soup looking scene.

Back at WMD HQ and a few 'in the shade' not too strenuous jobs from Mrs. Woody's never ending list saw me stay coolish and this afternoon I felt confident enough to go out to my summer sweat box and winter freezer Man Cave and have a further session on the Egyptian T34 tank. 

Today, still working on the turret, I started work on the DShK 12.7mm anti-air (and everything else that gets in its way for that matter) machine gun that is mount on a swivel mount on the main hatch. Progress has not been quick but then again the machine gun is almost a kit in its own right with about 25 parts including some of the dreaded photo etched brass parts. It certainly is highly detailed but it takes an age to build. With the heat building up inside my Man Cave I abandoned it with the gun half built waiting for my return once it has hopefully cooled later this evening. Then again I could always take a cool dip in that inviting canal water! Think I will leave it to the swans!

Light duties!

Following on from my eye issue yesterday I have been taking things a little easy today. A few light duty type jobs so that at least Mrs. Woody is satisfied that I am doing things and not just enjoying the sun! I find an hour or so to do some more on the MiniArt Egyptian T34 tank. 

I have moved onto the turret. I am guessing that if the guys at MiniArt do jigsaws they do the challenging 5000 piece one rather than the more subtle 1000 piece one. I say that as the turret is a mini kit in its own right! So many pieces but I guess that adds to the enjoyment? Well it certainly takes time but despite having a whole host of sub-assemblies that need further assembly I can at least pose the parts temporarily to get a feel for what it will look like when finished. Its looking good - to me anyway!

 

Spots in front of my eye!

I had a detached retina in my right eye a couple of years ago. I ignored the symptoms for a week or so and as a result nearly lost my sight in that eye. Despite my stupidity and the pandemic I was diagnosed on a Tuesday afternoon and by Friday morning had been successfully operated which I think shows the marvels of the NHS. 

Having gone through the above, when I started getting spots and a weird cobweb in front of my left eye on Tuesday I did the sensible thing (which is unusual for me) and contacted the local Eye Casualty Dept. and they had me in this morning. Luckily it is not bad news. I have had, as a consequence of aging, a slight bleed in the eye. The spots and cobweb are the blood cells. There appears to be no sign of damage to the retina but I do have to go back in next Wednesday and I have been told I am on light duties with no straining activities and to try to rest the eye. I have informed Mrs. Woody that as items on her 'To do' list are going to be too strenuous for me to do so I will be on light duties such as model making! I have yet to get a response to that message!

There is a deeper message to all of this which is that if you do have issues with your eyes don't put off seeking medical advice. Sight is probably the most precious of all of our senses so do look after your eyes!

As there has been no model making or other creative activities to record today I have dipped into the WMD model archives to dig out a 1/35th scale Tamiya Churchill Tank that I built back in 2011 as my second ever tank in this scale. The build was typical Tamiya - nice and simple but with good detail. I did some weathering which doesn't really show in the photographs. Despite its age it is still one of my favorite models and the Churchill is an iconic tank although probably does not get the recognition it deserves.

Dragging the drag line into the open and Egyptian T34 tank update.

A day at Rocks by Rail today and the mower and myself were reunited for another session of mowing. This time I was up by the diggers and Sundew cab. One of the diggers is the drag line excavator which is out in some rough ground. I took the opportunity to get up close and have a better look.

 It is a fascinating piece of machinery and deserves to be better displayed. So I took the executive decision to take the mower in behind the rope barrier and attack the undergrowth to give visitors a better view of this machine. Think it looks better but it is now more grass to cut!!!! However I did get a great sense of satisfaction of making something better for visitors and that is great for me. It would be nice now to now allow visitors access to get up close but I will need to suggest that to the management!

Meanwhile slow progress is being made on the MiniArt Egyptian T34 tank with the rear almost complete with jerry can rack and mudguards in place. I have also started on putting the 144 tracks pieces together - 20 so far but better than none!

Something special?

When Mrs. Woody and me went to Stapleford Park on Saturday I casually mentioned the trade stand selling model railway stuff and how some of that came home with me. Well I must admit Mrs. Woody choose one item which I may have perhaps dismissed but she obviously has an eye for the unusual and interesting and for a bargain price. 

It is obvious from the condition of the box and the packaging around the loco that this model has been kept in its box. Getting it out revealed it is more mint than a family packet of tictacs!

It is painted in a royal purple and carries the crown so obviously is not a model of a real locomotive. A bit of internet research finds it a Hornby Collector Club model and was issued in 2006 to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday. I have no doubt that it has spent much of the last 16 years in its box but I will be getting round to run it soon. It is not particularly special as a model or sought after by model railway collectors but I like it and if Mrs. Woody likes it as well that makes it all the more special to me!

Stapleford Park Miniature Railway Miniatures and Models Weekend June 2022 Part 2

Having gone through the model side of the displays it was time for a ride on the train. The Park has a long history but in recent times it was a rival to Longleat with Lions kept in the grounds! You can read the history here. 

It also had an episode of the Avengers filmed there in the 1960s when Emma Peel was tied to the tracks to be driven over by a loco but Steed managed to rescue her in time. Don't believe it? Here is the proof.... 

or if you want to watch the episode click here and the train bit is at about 46 minutes in.

Lots of trains running and as one came in the next went out. About a 15 minute ride for £3 - great value! The driver really opened up the regulator as well so it felt like a high speed train with sitting so low!

Although mainly steam locos there are some diesels.

I could put a load of photos taken along the route but what better than a bit of video to give a better idea of this wonderful line....

Stapleford Park Miniature Railway Miniatures and Models Weekend June 2022 Part 1

Somewhere that I have not been to since 2008 but longed to see again is Stapleford Park Miniature Railway and this weekend it is their Miniatures and Models Weekend. I had a great time and Mrs. Woody did as well I think, as she got an ice cream, although due to my deep pockets and short arms she did have to pay for it although no doubt I will pay in the long run!

I will talk about the railway tomorrow as there was a lot to see. You knew it was going to be interesting as we got out of the car and this went by....

There was a marque with some fantastic models in it which must have taken the builders hours and hours to make.

Outside there were plenty of miniature steam and traction engines and even a tractor or two, some with registration plates so road legal although you would not get anywhere fast and it would take a few hours to steam up just to go to the shops! However just imagine the fun it would be.

There was even a brass band playing!

In addition to all of the above and the railway which I will talk about tomorrow there were trade stalls and unfortunately one of them had some interesting  model railway items some of which I now have! Oh dear! Something else I will be paying for now!