The SM posts that irk me the most are those that are a bit like those awful ‘live, laugh, love’ signs that some feel the need to pop up in their homes…oft repeated ’inspirational quotes’ can do one thank you…🙄

I love travel literature & have read hundreds of books of this genre. I’ve loved books from Theroux to Bryson & everything in between. A bit of serious to a bit of funny…what I dislike is authors that ‘preach’ their world view at me…I want an interesting journey with some laughs & learning #booksky

Next read… not entirely sure what to expect but I am intrigued for sure… #booksky

It was a bit of fun…a romp through some of the odder stories associated with the game…it’s not designed to be anything more than that and I enjoyed it… #booksky

This will arrive at my bench tomorrow…huzzah…🥳👍

These look pretty good…👍⚽️

Didn’t/couldn‘t watch it…but listened to much of the second half…need to book three weeks away on a no internet, no radio island retreat as I can’t deal with it these days…jeez…🤯😊

This is why I just can’t watch these games anymore…and I’m not…ffs though…here’s some nice colours to help…it doesn’t help does it…🤦‍♂️?

Harumph…still waiting on this…might have to get started on the other bits for the diorama…although I’m wondering about subbing out the Italian officer for a British guard and making it a POW football match…🤔

Some older railway based builds…

I finally got my copy of this…👍

Same, same different or whatever…

Up for an adventure and a step into the unknown I have ordered this set…no idea what they are like…but it’s all the fault of @traindriverdave.bsky.social if it goes well or ill…✊😊

There’s a lot of new books about various aspects of football out at the moment for obvious reasons…however, there’s also a lot of older books about football that I’d highly recommend….here are a few… #booksky

An approximation of ‘Italian flag green‘ from Tamiya…any better suggestions in either a lacquer paint or from Tamiya…i.e. not a pure acrylic?

Waiting for this to arrive from an on-line shop in Poland…I want to build it next so hopefully it’ll appear in a day or two…🤞👍

All done…if AK release any more variants I’ll end up building a third one at this rate…

7 parts. 🤣

Out in September and I know I’ll be buying it…🙄 #booksky

Still not watching the World Cup, although I did ‘accidentally’ see some of the Spain vs Cape Verde game…it was an interesting watch for 20 minutes but my mind kept drifting to that MapTap game/thing…ffs…Cape Verde…somewhere off the west coast of North Africa…🤦‍♂️🥃?

I probably photograph my builds too ‘close in‘. Usually as close as I can to fit them in the frame really or even worse, subsections of a big build. I think it’s because I try hard to get everything nice & tidy so it can be scrutinised closely but of course it never is as nice as I’d like it to be…🤦‍♂️

I reckon this has some nice civilian possibilities too…I have built one of the older versions of it…’repairing on the road‘ I think it was called…

A lovely delivery from my favourite diorama supplier in the NL…if you haven’t had a rummage around at DioDump you really should 👍🤔

Achingly close to finishing the Trabant…matte varnish on (I think a Trabant looks nice in matte 🤷‍♂️), windows in & working on the lights etc...nearly done now…but refuse to rush it…👍

Seems an unusual but interesting publication for Cambridge University Press…I am intrigued at least & will probably order a copy #booksky

I’m not a political animal really but he was one of the better ones…RIP… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

For a decal that I had binned and was literally folded up on itself for several hours in the bin I have to be pleased with this outcome…so if you build this kit don’t make the same mistake that I did and do read the instructions…👍🙄

Next read is this…a distraction from the World Cup perhaps…although it seems to be quietly passing me by anyway…I cannot muster any enthusiasm for it all…🙄 #booksky

A small win…bin rescued decal now on styrene sheet as per the instructions that I didn’t read. The sign can end up a bit battered and even a tiny bit rusty on its edges maybe…🤔🙄

Well…it’s a brilliant book, generally well written and tells the story in more than enough detail for me. I’m not a ‘mega-fan’ but I am a fan. It’s very ‘warts and all‘ but honest...there is no judgement to be passed on the guy…as for the book…10/10 #booksky

Got the remaining decals on, apart from one on the radiator that I just couldn’t get to sit right…🤷‍♂️. They will ‘neaten up’ a little after a matte varnish…😊👍

Russia can do one… www.maptap.gg June 14 95👑 99🎯 99🎯 96🔥 68😕 Final score: 884

I have to say I like the new ‘up to eight photos’ thing…really good for the end of a big build at least…could also be used for a ‘how I built it’ type post which has been really hard to do in four photos and long threads never seem to go down very well…so it’s a 👍😊 🍻 from me….

Just seeing if this posting more than four photos thing works…🤞🥃

Decals are going on OK…I’ve done the ones on top and will let them settle before tackling the rest…

If I had a trillion in most currencies I would keep a few million for model kits and my family and then help the world somehow with the rest…just saying...🤷‍♂️🙄

A left field thought from someone who just likes building model kits…I feel ‘sort of‘ OK about building WW2 Italian vehicles more than I can ever do about building WW2 German vehicles…I‘m probably being hypocritical…I mean a fascist is a fascist right? It’s a bit of a dilemma for me….🤔🤷‍♂️

Book update…just over half way through & Big Country are just taking off with Harvest Home, Fields of Fire, In A Big Country & Chance from the album The Crossing so 82-83. It was all going so well and then…🤦‍♂️

This is the first kit I bought…over five years ago…it still frightens the bejesus out of me but I think I will build it this year at some point 🫣😊🥃

Why are scale modellers so in love with Nazi vehicles, tanks, figures & scenarios? Maybe build them rusted, defeated or contrite...many modellers claim to have an interest in history but let’s not celebrate Nazi history with our builds so much perhaps? Each to their own but I don’t get it…🤷‍♂️

Back to the idea of posting my coloured vinyl 7” singles…it‘ll take a while to sort out but I reckon doing it chronologically might be fun. One of the first would be I’m An Upstart by the Angelic Upstarts on lime green vinyl from ‘79 or Milk & Alcohol in 3 colours by Dr Feelgood from the same year…

Six days in…two or three to go perhaps…👍😊

Sanded down some areas of the paint, resprayed and after several hours drying added a gloss varnish. Will leave that overnight and start on the decals next…

One of my uncles died today…so my dad lost his older brother. As you get older these things seem to increasingly come at you in waves…no surprise really (old 🤷‍♂️) but it is quite hard to keep taking the ‘knocks’ I think…anyway thoughts go to others in a similar place…❤️

First dose of XF-18 on and will let that settle down before probably sanding and going again in places tomorrow. Then gloss and a lots of decals…

This is quite a nice rust effect I reckon…🤔👍

I think I like painting scenery more than I do vehicles tbh…not sure quite why…maybe because there are very few ‘rules’…🤷‍♂️😊

The upper body is mostly together and the chassis too. Decided to prime with a dark grey lacquer paint as I’ll be using a Tamiya acrylic on top. If you are planning on building this note that parts A30 & A31 are labelled the wrong way around…they are mirror images of each other so it matters….👍

Wondering if the apogee/peak of scale modelling is attempting to say something that moves others with a build or a diorama…if so I’d maybe suggest that ‘military vehicles driving past stuff’, however beautifully built/painted, doesn’t quite do that for me at all…

Thinking about some vinyl record posts…trying to find an interesting angle and wondering if coloured vinyl might be a place to start…it’s a bit random but it’s always quite pretty and sometimes interesting…might be a cause for some discussion…I have a fair bit of it…I think…🤔🤷‍♂️?