Hiding in the cupboard

[Guius]

I (almost) convinced a friends granddaughter that, as apprentices, we had to sleep under our benches with a vice for a pillow and got every other Christmas Day afternoon off - if we were lucky. Just can't resist the opportunity sometimes. (said granddaughter is 26 BTW)

 

Guy

[APOLLO]

Pothole on sloper road ?

There's a website about that !!

 

https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/969589

 

Brit15

[PatB]

I've generally found that people who create "stuff" tend to appreciate the efforts and interests of other people who create "stuff", even if said varieties of "stuff" are quite widely removed from each other.  For (non-railway related) example, I've had lengthy conversations with greasy custom motorcycle builders regarding the finer points of materials science as it relates to porcelain glazes. Superficially incongruous, but with the underlying theme of doing something both technically quite difficult and artistically demanding. Helps that I'm a formerly greasy custom motorcycle builder, mind .  I've also noticed, over the years, a strong tendency for artists and engineers to gravitate together, although that might also reflect a need by artists for a well paid professional partner to bankroll them .

Edited April 19, 2018 by PatB

[Jol Wilkinson]

Perhaps we don't represent ourselves very well, nor do the media usually. How often do you see a local newspaper piece about a local model railway show, featuring a picture of a senior modeller holding a loco in front of his nose for close inspection, accompanied by a rather banal caption?

 

If asked what my hobby is, I say classic cars (a 73 MGB roadster in my case, so nothing exotic) and model making. If questioned further I say I research and make models of a particular Edwardian period railway. When accompanied by my wife, if I said "models railways", the other person invariably would turn to her an ask "I suppose he has got a layout in the loft", as though I was incapable of further adult conversation.

 

An acquaintance is interested in Ferrari F1 cars and buys built models/builds kits to get what he wants.  He describes himself as a collector as he believes that conveys a more accurate/positive image of what he does.

 

So perhaps we should describe ourselves as model makers if that is what we do, as it conveys a more creative activity and positive image to the general public, or as collectors of miniature railway memorabilia if we prefer to buy RTR, etc. Collecting is often seen as a worthwhile pastime, involving knowledge of the subject and a considered approach to building up worthwhile collection of items. Unless of course you get rather obsessed with it, like the woman whose house is crowded with royal souvenirs.

[StevieD71]

Years ago I probably would have kept my interest in railways and railway modelling to myself, but now, at the ripe old age of 47. I don't care who knows or what they think. When I was at Sheffield Poly i'm sure the other metal heads I was hanging out with in the Wapentake pub and at gigs were totally unaware that I spent a lot of free evenings walking from my digs over to Beighton yard to catch freight moving through and to take crap photos of said freight, or that my favourite shop to visit was Beatties.

 

Working in "Nerd Central" (Maplin) for the last couple of years has probably made me more aware that it's ok to talk freely about my rediscovered hobby. It actually has been helpful in making sales of small components, solder, tools etc and on more than one occasion i've ended up spending time with customers showing them photos of my layout on my phone and looking at photos of their model railways,cars, boats, planes, spaceships, dollhouses.......the list goes on. It's even helped me sell Google Home speakers when I tell people I have one in my shed which I use for listening to Planet Rock radio while i'm working away.

 

I was quite surprised to that see one of my neighbours had liked a few of the photos I'd put onto the British Railway Modelling Facebook page.

Once people realise that you are talking about something more involved than Thomas on a circle of track on the living room carpet, they tend to be more interested than scornful.

[bike2steam]

Ya know what they say - 'the uneducated always mock what they don't understand', so change yer 'social-circle'.  

[Classsix T]

Divide and (by subterfuge) conquer.

Tribal Chiefs did it, the Upper classes used to do it, now the liberal meedja does it. "You think your life sucks, look at these losers-ha!"

Thus the stamp collectors laugh at the trainspotters who laugh at the bellringers who laugh at the gypsies who laugh at the...you get the idea.

An effective way to deflect attention from actual societal issues.

 

The worst example of this I know of isn't the burning of books in 1930s Germany (which under the circumstances was inevitable) but the frankly bizarre "Disco Sucks" campaign in the USA in the 70s. To the point people PURCHASED art they hated, to then destroy the vehicle (vinyl records) it appeared on! And then filmed themselves doing it. bonkers.

The undertones of hatred against the people making and buying disco music can't be discounted of course, land of the free my arse. If I don't like something I leave it.

 

C6T.

[scouser]

Of course the really sensible people spend loads of money on booze, so they can prove they are stupid and suffer the after effects.

Question, have you ever managed to have an interesting conversation with one of the mockers?

A hobby requires intelligence, being cool does not.

[Northmoor]

I'm 45 and it's probably only in the last ten years I've been happy to talk about my interests with most people.  At school (where I failed to get on with most people for most of the time), I almost never talked about model railways for fear of (more) ridicule.  More recently even some of my in-laws thought it worthy of mocking, until they grew up a bit when they reached their 40s.

 

Johnster is right about obsessiveness about football apparently being perfectly OK - and I have never met quite so many strange people as at football matches - but as well as the aforementioned Daily Hatred, I think there is a culture which has grown in parallel with the growth in broadcast media.  There were very different attitudes to "hobbies" when there were only 3/4 channels, but now that there are hundreds, there has been tremendous growth in promotion of the next Must See programme.  What will you talk about to your work colleagues if you haven't seen it, etc.  Well I've never seen Breaking Bad, The Wire, Game of Thrones, anything on Sky Atlantic and I still manage to function normally (some might say otherwise).  I like watching TV, I'm not a snob and might be interested in watching these series one day, but I'm in no hurry.

 

There is a pervading sense that you will miss out if you don't consume the TV product (just like promotion of many physical products).  So the media make out that being obsessed with watching the latest TV series - and you must watch them NOW, in fact here's an extra Pay-per-view channel we have so that you can see them 24 hours before anyone else, thank you, can I please have your card details? - is perfectly understandable, but being even mildly interested in doing anything else, except perhaps football (Premiership only of course, why would people support anyone other than the top teams?) is considered weird.  It isn't because television people believe TV is the most important thing.  They believe it is the ONLY important thing.

 

Rant over, thanks for listening.

 

Rob

Edited April 25, 2018 by Northmoor

[Bill_J]

I see you can now get a box that will record six programmes while you watch a previous recording. My box can record two channels while i watch a third and I can't keep up with the recordings I have made. I struggle to find time for my various hobbies; with my working hours, family commitments and all the general day to day life maintenance tasks. 

 

I am at a stage in my life when I no longer care what anyone else thinks whenever I mention my model making hobby. To be fair, I have met with varied responses, from a distinct lack of interest, through to confessed similar interests. But, have never felt ridiculed in the slightest. So I say, come out of the cupboard - and bring your models with you. You might be pleasantly surprised at the response.

 

Regards to all

 

Billd

[Flyingscotsmanfan]

I'm 45 and it's probably only in the last ten years I've been happy to talk about my interests with most people. At school (where I failed to get on with most people for most of the time), I almost never talked about model railways for fear of (more) ridicule. More recently even some of my in-laws thought it worthy of mocking, until they grew up a bit when they reached their 40s.

 

Johnster is right about obsessiveness about football apparently being perfectly OK - and I have never met quite so many strange people as at football matches - but as well as the aforementioned Daily Hatred, I think there is a culture which has grown in parallel with the growth in broadcast media. There were very different attitudes to "hobbies" when there were only 3/4 channels, but now that there are hundreds, there has been tremendous growth in promotion of the next Must See programme. What will you talk about to your work colleagues if you haven't seen it, etc. Well I've never seen Breaking Bad, The Wire, Game of Thrones, anything on Sky Atlantic and I still manage to function normally (some might say otherwise). I like watching TV, I'm not a snob and might be interested in watching these series one day, but I'm in no hurry.

 

There is a pervading sense that you will miss out if you don't consume the TV product (just like promotion of many physical products). So the media make out that being obsessed with watching the latest TV series - and you must watch them NOW, in fact here's an extra Pay-per-view channel we have so that you can see them 24 hours before anyone else, thank you, can I please have your card details? - is perfectly understandable, but being even mildly interested in doing anything else, except perhaps football (Premiership only of course, why would people support anyone other than the top teams?) is considered weird. It isn't because television people believe TV is the most important thing. They believe it is the ONLY important thing.

 

Rant over, thanks for listening.

 

Rob

I keep up to date with shows that are the next big thing purely for the fact I don’t want it spoiled for me. A lot of people these days seem to forget that not everybody has seen it yet and talk loudly and openly about it or splash major story spoilers all over social media and the internet.. there really is no getting away from spoilers these days unfortunately.