Quiet Mike

More distractions from modelling. It was good to get back to France after nearly two years though. Those fancy red tyres that meant funds were diverted from the modelling pot performed very well. The 130km Authentic 1868 ride at Anjou Vélo Vintage by Mike, on Flickr Anjou Vélo Vintage, Abbey Cyclette ride on Sunday by Mike, on Flickr The 130km Authentic 1868 ride at Anjou Vélo Vintage by Mike, on Flickr The 130km Authentic 1868 ride at Anjou Vélo Vintage by Mike, on Flickr A busy couple of weekends still on the cards. A favourite weekend away at our friends festival in Wiltshire this weekend, Vintage Nostalgia Festival, and then Goodwood Revival, helping out on the Eroica Britannia stand promoting their event next year. Got to get the youngest to Falmouth for uni in among all that lot too. Hopefully the Stranraer will get some attention towards the end of September ...

My brain keeps telling me this build can not be this small, and that matchstick is actually one of those joke pens. I couldn't get this good in 1/48!

Trés bon @Louis

I can't let my better half see this photo, it's a touchy subject. I have a rather natty 1950s armchair in my 'den', unfortunately I'm a rather untidy soul, and my other little lockdown project of making reproduction french army bread bags with a cycling spin means it's burried under bolts of canvas and and linen, also piles of books on the arms ... I really need to sort it all out, to give the mutt somewhere to curl up if anything! Glad the camper is getting use too. Ours had 12 days in Suffolk and Norfolk, and is busy most weekends in September too. (Goodwood Revival. Can't wait!)

Excellent build

The attention to detail on this is off the scale, love it!

A stunning little build

What a beautiful build

Late to the party, sorry. Anyone else judge people by their bookshelves/library? 10/10 Ed.

Apologies again for the lack of updates! The Stranraer now has it's lower wings on, and is a mass of fishing line and dry fit engine nacelles and spars. I'm resisting the urge to crack on with the wing assembly as I want to weather the paint a bit first. I had no success with a salt wash (my very first attempt though) so may try an oil pin wash next to add a little interest to the camouflage. (Again, another first attempt!) The roundels @Vulcanicity kindly sent are on and looking splendid! No photos yet, as we've been away in the camper on a little tour of East Anglia. We managed to squeeze about 4 holidays into one! Staying loosly on topic, I did manage a look around the Muckleburgh Military Collection as we were camping nearby on the coast. It's a varied collection so will have something to suit most people there. Plenty of models as well 4 days in East Runton, Cromer by Mike, on Flickr 4 days in East Runton, Cromer by Mike, on Flickr Other points of interest on the trip - we stayed with an old pal who lives on a barge on Martlesham Creek, and walked the 6 miles to Sutton Hoo (and back) with the mutt. A superb exhibition and well worth a visit. Next up was a vintage camping and hiking weekend with friends near Theberton, where L48 crashed in 1917. The church was locked, but you could peer in through the door and see the massive relic of the zeppelin in the porch! This is the life! by Mike, on Flickr 4 days in East Runton, Cromer by Mike, on Flickr While we were camping in East Runton near Cromer, I took a cycle ride into town to check out the model shop there, one of a couple local with a heavy leaning towards model railways (there are two vintage railways nearby) but also a very useful stock of modelling supplies and a modest little plastic kit section. It was an oasis of calm from the very busy seaside town centre. (There's also a great second hand bookshop in town too) https://www.facebook.com/buoystoysandmodels/ Our campsite was next to a car boot, and early Thursday morning on the day we were elaving I could hear them setting up, so it would be rude not to have a quick walk around. I found one guy selling a pile of Scale Aircraft Modeller mags for 20p each, and took a handfull. I'm now kicking myself for not buying the whole lot, but I'd already filled our little camper up with second hand books and my other half, who doesn't read, and begrudges every old book I bring in the house and leave on arms of chairs, had already made several comments about pushing my luck We finished off our holiday with a volunteer working weekend at https://www.greatwarhuts.org/ working on 1:1 scale First World War amry huts that are lovingly restored in an army camp setting, as a memorial to this once common site in our landscape. Now sadly become quite rare as they were never designed to last over 100 years! Great War Huts Volunteer Weekend by Mike, on Flickr So, I'm hoping to get a couple of evenings at the workbench soon, but next weekend I'm off again, to Anjou Velo Vintage, so it looks like another month will go by again before I post a decent update

Picked up this at a car boot in Sullolk last week on holiday, halfway through it and it's well worth recommending. It was a steal for a £1!

Top work on the French door repair @The Spadgent! Hope you're settling into the new modelling den. My youngest is 18 and now towers over all of us at 6'2" (The last 5 years went very quick btw!) With the eldest cycle racing in France and his younger brother heading off to Falmouth University, I wonder if it's too early to think of relocating out of my modelling 'naughty corner' yet?

That's a beautiful build, I'd struggle to believe it was scratchbuilt if I hadn't followed this post!

Looks like it's going well so far!

This is looking great, I love the post war colour scheme. I am planning a similar approach to the rigging with the Stranraer, but the other way around. My lower wings will be fixed.