Hello each and everyone - some familiar names in here now. Glad you're all on board. Had a(nother!) stroke in June which rather robbed me of my career and the sight in my right eye. Been down in the dumps a bit as stereoscopic vision for painting has been non-existent and I've been missing that part of the hobby terribly (thank God you lot have kept me entertained - envious but entertained - love you all 😘 ) . Today dipped a toe back in the water.

Have been looking for a Britains Winch for my hot air balloon display for ages - didn't expect it to come with the low loader for just over £50 ! When the underslung lorry turned up, all the tyres had perished and the cab had sheered from the body in the post - the delicate lead lattice work that hangs such a heavy cab from the trailer explains why I've seen so few of them over the years); now repaired and with new tyres, I'm tempted to leave the original paint job alone and make up a pre-ww2 anti-aircraft display to go with my Taylor & Barrett AFS firemen, women firefighters and ARP stretcher bearers. So need to look out another winch now (and work out how I'm going to make up a Barrage Balloon for the display 😜).

Also took delivery of some British Bulldog 'Gloucestershire Regiment' figures which will work nicely as dismounted British Camel Corps troops with a relatively simple touching up job to do - like everything else, the figures are getting larger bases so they don't fall over in the garden next summer - if we have one. Just the bases to paint now then varnish ago-go - let's see if more goes on the figure than me 😂).

Happy times and places, good people.