Good afternoon all! I am sitting here, resting and watching the penultimate day of the action at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. This will be an update on where I am currently at on both life and the modelling front.
But, firstly,
a very big 'thank you' to Arno for not only keeping this 'build blog' going, but for the wonderful attention to detail, finish and passing on of ideas, build methods and item acquisition detail. Thanks, my very good friend, and I really look forward to when we can meet again, both this side of the English Channel and also venturing across to Europe and heading north to your lovely town and house! The last two and a half years of Covid has really not helped.
Now to my current condition and modelling arena. I am going to talk of health as I am most grateful to those who have sent PMs in the past and recently, saying that reading my 'writings' is an important part of their daily life, as they too were once where we are....building model boats and sailing them regularly. However, with the marching on of the years, life, health, physical body joints and transport problems means they now have to be content with 'sitting and watching'. Again, big thanks to Martin and his 'team' for keeping this MBM site going and providing a very useful communication 'tool' for us all.
As many will know I had a right hip joint diagnosed as being in the advanced stages of osteo-arthritis some three to four years ago. Last year a surgeon said he would replace it on the NHS, but at a private hospital, here in Canterbury by December or January this year...latest. At Christmas nothing had progressed, so I asked when and it seemed to be April earliest or even another two years! I said '...and if I 'self-fund' [pay]...', end of January was the reply!! So this I did. In the meantime my wife had the same problem with her right hip and the scenario became exactly the same, but she decided a different surgeon at a different private hospital. The result....we are both now extremely mobile and back to getting up stairs, doing our own shoes laces up, after actually being able to put our shoes on! Getting on and off buses and driving the car again; also having the joy of doing the gardens on my own and when I want to. But this has been at a cost of having to give a big priority to household 'chores ' and duties for the last three years, so that aches and pains are kept to a minimum. I am hoping that I am just about to come away from this way of life. However, making a couple of brass, 6mm threaded posts for my 1/10th scale military busts, the locking on and off of both the lathe and milling machine chucks has warned me that I am not fully there, with the osteo-arthritis in my left hand being extreme in four of the digits, including the 'pincer' thumb!! My thanks do go to a couple of my friends from the Canterbury Choral Society and the U3A [University of the Third Age] Model Boat Section who really did help with attention to my daily needs and especially transportation to and from hospital, doctors and physio appointments, both 'pre' and 'post' the operation.
So I have been continuing with the 1/10th historical military resin bust figures, as I have now developed a technique where I can hold the aluminium handle, that holds the main figure parts, without using my left thumb...marvellous....modelling can continue to satisfy my creative desires!! I submitted my two completed figures [one shown here earlier on the blog] at a recent Show organised by the Shepway Club at Hawkinge and in Category 10 [Busts of 1/10th scale and in 3D] I managed to get the Bronze award for my first completed figure of a Teutonic knight and the Silver award for the Imperial Roman Aquilifer!! Wow, was I pleased and what an encouragement for the future. I attach a few photos, even if they are not boats!! That said, I was going to have a 'live' section of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society stand at the International Model Boat Show this year to demonstrate build and mainly paint lifeboat figures....but with the Show cancelled......this might have to wait until another year. I suppose I could even start another 'blog' demonstrating my approach and techniques, but I really do want to get back to my Shannon build, spurred on by the inspirational pieces that Arno has made in the past twelve months or so.
And there we are, full circle in my 'chat' to where I started. Sorry if this is rather long, but I hope some will find it interesting and informative, Great to have you on board once again and my best wishes to each for your PMs and interest in these two Shannon class lifeboat builds. Do post your own photos here, if you too have started, are in build or completed a Shannon in recent years.
Yours,
Kim [Canterbury Coxswain]
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Topic: Shannon 'RNLB The Morrell' 13-02 [Models by Design] - a 1/12th build (Read 465079 times)