Owing to getting the Xmas flu bug (after having an anti-flu jab before), there was no modelling over the Xmas/new Year period. I did, however, catch up on my reading and DVD watching!

I've just commenced the rebuild of McHale's Yard, which is something I've been considering for a while now. A decision which was brought to a conclusion on Saturday 22nd January, when I was unloading it out of the car for the C-R-M members meeting in Sandbach. Unfortunately, or fortunately - depending which way you look at it! - the wiring caught on the trestle table and some of it was ripped out.

As I'd bodged it with all sorts of different coloured wires during construction, it was impossible to sort out where each wire went and I made the decision to undertake the alterations the following day and rewire it properly at the same time.

The new track layout will incorporate a circular track, so that "roundy-round" operations can be undertaken, which can be helpful at exhibitions, as constant movement can attract viewers and allows operators to have a break!

I will also fit a right hand point at the back, so that it can be extended to another board (quite likely) in the future...

I will also rebuild the buildings to something more substantial, as I like the idea of storing bodyshells on top of the office buildings (as in the picture of the Ford Escort Mk1 on my website: www.narrowgaugemodelling.com), so it will need to be of reinforced concrete and breeze block or concrete section walls.

Perhaps, I'll just have the rarer/more interesting bodyshells stored there. I have kits for an Austin 7 and a MGTC.