I have been doing some card modelling in recent times. I have decided that I must fill in the blank spaces on the layout soon. Like Maggie Smith in that Hotel film who did not buy green bananas because she didn't know whether she was going to live long enough to see them ripen, I have got the same feeling about the layout. So, I purchased several Metcalfe card kits: subway accesses, wooden pavilion, platform benches (two packs) and park benches.

I have already assembled all the kits except one set of platform benches. I spent all this afternoon (including a 50 min. siesta and half an hour taking the dog for its afternoon outing) building three park benches and preparing a 20 mm strip of pavement with Metcalfe paving slabs left over from other kits. I did this on a separate sheet of card which will now be glued into place. I originally purchased the pavilion for a bare corner but when made it didn't seem to be right there. At the other end of the layout I had ripped up the last section of track of a siding to make more public space and I shall place the pavilion there, with the park benches. I don't think it will look out of place there. When finished I will post before and after pictures.

Apart from that, I have two pillar boxes, a phone booth and two static signals to install. I also have to cut holes for the subway accesses. I have a problem here, because I really need three and the kit only contains two. I have a station witth an island platform separated from the road running in front of the terrace houses by two widths of track and another platform which can be accessed from another road behind it. I (home)made a subway access which was placed beside the road, but the station platforms were lacking accesses. A further aspect is the genuine appearance of the Metcalfe accesses and the aspect of my version, which really looks like one of these concrete roofed brick air raid shelters built during the war (only the very senior members of our clan will remember these). I assume that the Metcalfe models will not be out of place with a late 1930's-late 1950's environment.