PhoenixII

Don't know if the situation in France is the same as over here, do know that if you have a covid injection at the GP's surgery even though there's a good chance it won't be GP staff doing it, they are making £££££ off the back.

Pete, DON'T get mad, just get even! I'd suggest a personal communication to the M.D. / C.E.O. of the company handling the payroll, explaining the fact their company have your personal information wrong. IF requested, supply a photocopy of your DoB from your birth certificate (only that part along with the header, NOT the whole document) as proof. The person may not have a clue how a 'magic box' works but has the clout to insert their boot where it's required! I think you'll find that your employer has an obligation to supply a certificate of pay and deductions either weekly or monthly dependant on your contracted terms, in either physical or if acceptable to you electronic format. I know your issued a P60 by HMRC for every year, but if you need a proof of earnings, will last years information be enough? The people NOT doing their job correctly and telling you that they know your DoB better than you are still being paid, and if the people at the top don't know.............. Remember, it's the squeaky hinge that get's the oil!

Dave, @Big Dave S and @Cadman another you may both like to try is:- http://www.skminiatures.co.uk/ Steve's an active member of Darlington Military Modellers, and is guilty of parting me from more than a few shekels! Paul

That's great @tnuag, and once again thank you for the quick reply. Undoubtedly there will be some who want the other scales, it's just that in this instance, 48th will fit in with the SIG display. I mean, I've seen a scratch built version in, I believe, 1/12th, it was R/C though! Paul

This is from a personal perpective. A 48th scale 'Cuckoo' would be, assuming the length to be in the 30' - 35', ideal for our SIG table, as it's red and yellow banded! If it's a great deal larger, we may finish up with a storage problem. Finally found some dimensions:- Length 34ft, beam 13ft, height 9ft, assuming this is correct? Once again, many thanks for your quick response. Paul

Here ya go Paul @Muchmirth, http://www.nameitplates.co.uk/ Have a gander!

@tnuag You're a gentleman, Sir. Many thanks for your quick reply. Will keep an eye on here and the Hannants web site. A 'how long's a piece of string' question, do you have a time scale for release in mind? My thanks again, Paul

@tnuag What scale(s) are you intending to do the 'Cuckoo' in, I'm assuming 1/72nd? Paul Brown, Coastal Command and ASR SIG.

Two pints? Everards? Hope you remembered the asprin! Here ya go, didn't say what scale you wanted and if it was full figure or busts. If the latter, suggest you visit the El Greco site first, UK based, mainly? resin https://www.elgrecominiatures.co.uk/ Then you have:- https://www.traditionoflondonshop.com and https://www.dixon-minis.com/shop/54mm-75mm/ Have fun!

@jeff72 On a similar vein to @Big Dave S comments, above. Should you want to try something a little larger as 'Hornet' are 54mm there's Mitches Miltary Models. They quite often have reject resin cast heads for sale, last one's I bought were something like £1 each, and as practice pieces these are ideal. Pot luck what's in the box, might be modern or ancients or W.W.II but they produce from 75mm up to 200mm so..... Better still, if you use acrylics, over an undercoat, as if you don't like the finish you wash off and start over.

Tell Mrs. Skodadriver to stop! The Daughters a Nurse prescriber, also, according to the NHS the recommended dose for adults aged 19 to 64 is 40mg of vitamin C a day. O/D on vitamin C (only vitamin you can O/D on) you can get stomach cramps, diarrhea and or flatulence. Not a problem as long as the person reverts to the normal daily dose, the human body will expel, as vitamin C cannot be stored by the body, Oh, and also to STOP listening to folk on buses!

Dave, @Big Dave S your camera's fine, just be aware of the focus point, I normally find the bit that's pin sharp is something you don't want, like next doors budgie!

Dave, only suggestion I can make is get down to the level of the figures, rather than a bird in a tree view. Assuming your using a DSLR? or is it a 'point and shoot'? If you intend to take the photos outside (snow permitting!) and you're using the garden table, put your base onto a substantial box and if you have one, use a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, for a point and shoot, rest your camera on a stack of books, with a DSLR use a book under the camera and one or two books as supports for the lens. If you are using a DSLR, it might be an idea to consider a cable release, it minimises camera shake. Paul

Don't have a dog in this fight, and I know some won't like what I'm going to say. The original post was just a rumour from another source, right, wrong or indifferent, end of. From what I've read so far it's modellers speaking as modellers........wrong. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the company, or more accurately their bean counters. The reason for a take over is because someone has seen the chance of making a profit, this is the reason for every business in exsistence now, rather than to pander to the dictats of a very small minority. There used to be a thing called alturism, sadly, that's long gone in business. Some still play 'nicely', while others are quite blatant about profit. With Airfix, ESCI, Revell etc; they have changed hands over the last 40 to 50 years many times. This means, each time, the 'new' owner has had to pay for 'company assets'. Be it moulds, (both old and new) warehousing, desks, tables, chairs, yada, yada. What it means for modellers (and boy, do we have long memories!) is always to throw back that this kit was only XXX back in the day, why is it so expensive now?....their just taking the mick! It's an old tool, there's far better from ZZZ company, why didn't they xxxxxxxxxx OR xxxxxxxxxxx (insert your own phrases) with the moulds. Reason, because with the money already invested in the purchase a fast return is needed, get 'em into production ASAP. Old moulds never die, unless stored badly or become so worn it's not cost effective to repair, meaning that should a company decide to shift their target market or go for a different market altogether, guess what, they can and will, provided the numbers crunch correctly. Somewhere in the wings there will be another company that will decide, Hmm, we could make a profit from those and so the moulds will continue to be utilised. Paul

According to one of the volunteers the intention is to reopen, if all goes to plan, on Saturday 22nd May, tickets will be going on sale shortly. Currently the volunteers are limited to six on site.

You could always try a specialist dolls house supplier. Only one I know of with a 'bricks and mortar' shop is in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Don't know if they do mail order, as the shop is very small. May be worth checking out. Paul

@Big Dave S Dave, the French rules of heraldry are similar to the English, your Knights red stripe is termed a 'bend, gules'. I don't know the reason for a bend. As far as I know it has nothing to do with when born, that being the job of a 'label' (lambel in French) , a horizontal bar with a number of 'points', normally three to five for the firstborn. For successive males this changes in both French and English to, for the second son a cresent, third a mullet, forth a Martlet and so on. Where birthright is concerned, they then have the classification of a mark of cadency, rather than a charge. I do know from the French point of view, a bend running top left to bottom right (from the point of view of the shield bearer) the sinister, is to denote the bearer being illegitimate. Paul

Dave, biggest worry will be webbing between the fingers...............or a second head!

Not wishing to 'rain on anyone's parade,' as we all know the last year has been more than a little fraught. Having been in regular contact with the local authority covid team since July 2020, I have been told that the number of new and changing rules is happening daily. The meeting indoors of more than two households / six people is scheduled to come into operation "No earlier than Monday May 17th 2021" this being under 'step 3' of the government road map to lower restrictions due to covid, with the caviate that the rules we followed, face masks, 2 Meter rule, regular hand washing / sanitizing etc. before lockdown 3 came into force STILL need to be followed. Remember also, there are different rules in force for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Worth mentioning that national museums (RAF Hendon and Cosford and IWM Duxford) CAN rather than will reopen, along with other state / council run sites, libraries etc. from the 12th April, (step 2) but the date is in the hands of those sites. The English venues that have so far been listed as 're opening' on the 17th May are currently accurate, BUT can be subject to short notice (24 hours or less) changes. Will have a word with one of our members who volunteers at the Yorkshire Air Museum what the state of play is with them, if they have a date in mind for their re opening. Paul Brown, North Riding.

@Pete F, thanks for that. Just re-read my post, pity I missed out the important words "to their insurance company", now corrected.....Doh!

Nigel @nheather do you know / did you happen to notice if there are any police CCTV cameras overlooking the car park? Having seen the images first hand from these cameras, the CSI images are a little grainy! Worth a call to the local police to find out. However, the police can do little to help because 1.) the incident happened on private property 2.) the driver of the other vehicle is NOT obliged to report the accident, to their insurance company. Therefore no report, no claim. Ask me how I know! Paul

More likely to be thermal shock. This can happen really randomly at temperatures anywhere between 95c down to 15c. Glad no one was hurt and your models seem to be undamaged.

Chris, @spruecutter96 for what it's worth, as with 2020, write off '21 completely. Covid isn't going anywhere, it's something we're going to have to live with for many, many years. We WILL find a way to do this, but it's going to take time. Outdoor or indoor events, it doesn't matter, it's the quantity of bodies in a fairly confined area that will be the problem, be that on a field in Northamptonshire or in Halls 1, 2 and 3 at Telford. With a Government minister saying this morning (Sunday 28-03-2021) that NO guarantees could be made regarding the lifting of restrictions in time for summer. My take, 'suck it and see'. If you have visited a supermarket over the last nine months (the first three months were good) most 'customers' have reverted to type, can't or won't wait etc. etc. Those that have been to a SMW at Telford will know there is NO WAY, on God's green earth, you could separate the throng that hits Hall 3 cash desks between 09:00 and 10:30 on the Saturday. The main problem is, many have had their first jab / jag / injection, and suddenly their 'Superman' and nothing can or will touch them...............WRONG! Many on here and elsewhere will have loved ones working in the NHS, don't take it from me, ask those on the front line, "what will the injection do?" I know, as my Wife works in the 'care' sector and with two Daughters working with covid positive patiences daily, believe me, it AIN'T a magic bullet. When you get the chance, enjoy meeting with your extended family. If you can / are lucky enough to be able, enjoy a break away (UK only, of course) but DO listen to your own 'self preservation' alarm. Do what's right for you AND for those around you, even though some really should know better. Paul

Ian, @Bonhoff why didn't you follow the 453, Easy off for Queens Med or Nottm. General?

Good luck with your meeting beefy, let's hope they have no reasons to put major changes into the mix. As I said to one of our members, 'the cure is getting to be worse than the disease' and that's with two Daughters working in the NHS, in daily contact with covid positive patients! Paul