Dave Bodley of Grand Manner has recently announced that he is retiring and that final orders for his painted resin buildings will be early next month. For full details see this link.
I first met Dave some twenty years ago at a shop in Evesham and have been lucky enough to both work with him and meet up socially. I consider him a friend as well as a colleague. I wish him all the very best for his well earned retirement.
Tony
For more information, see this link.
Tony
I just can't stop thinking about yet another narrow gauge layout build and have started to browse the internet for inspiration. I know that I should be hunkering down and progressing on some wargame magazine content, but that narrow gauge layout butterfly just keeps nagging at me.
My plan is to exhibit Yellow Pelican Mining sometime this year - in fact I'm already looking at suitable and reasonably close exhibitions that I might attend and exhibit at, but so far nothing firmly booked. I''ll keep you informed of any developments, but don't expect anything soon - narrow gauge railway layouts and particularly scratch built narrow gauge railway layouts take some time from conception to the final layout.
Tony
The latest issue of Miniature Wargames (issue 478 from February 2023) has a third scratch built Warlord Games 'Epic Scale' cottage built by me and based on an illustration in the book 1400 Days - The US Civil War Day by Day.
The model was built from corrugated cardboard profiles and thin cereal box card with DAS modelling clay and ready-mixed filler on a used CD. For more information please see the magazine or check out this link.
I thought it was a great film with my only criticism, being that it was a little dark (it could have been lit better). I'd been wanting to see this film since it's release in 2022 and this Christmas/New Year was the perfect opportunity to enjoy it.
A very well made and very well acted WWII drama and well worth checking out.
Tony
Happy New Year.
I thought I'd start 2023 with a short story and this free modelling tool tip.
First the story. We had decided not to stay up late for the New Year, My daughter Holly who was staying with us, had said that she would not stay up and we were looking for something of an early night - there was nothing on terrestrial TV that we fancied and were settling down for a late supper then a game or two before bed.
After searching Prime we thought it would be great to re-watch the Prime series Reacher staring Alan Richson and written by Lee Child. After the first episode we watch the second, then the third and then the fourth, by 12 O'clock were had made our way through six episodes and were even thinking of starting the seventh. Common sense took over and we eventually went up to bed just after 12.30am - catching up on the last one and a half episodes this morning.
We had watched the whole series when it first came out earlier in 2022, but it was well worth watching again and we might just have stated a new Harwood's New Years tradition!
And now for the free modelling tool.....
I had seen in the latest issue of Airfix Model World a neat clamp made from plastic trouser hangers. then yesterday I saw the same hangers being given away free in the local DIY store. I thought they would make a great first day of 2023 Blog post.
The hangers need the cross bar to work properly, as seen in this illustration below.
I cut the cross bars shorter and sanded the edges smooth.
Finally, we have the clamps in use.
Six plastic modelling clamps for free - my New Years gift to all my followers.
Tony
