Brass0four

Trees are so bloody hard! The foundations are vital, but not pretty. If they are wrong - if there's no artist's eye for balance (an ongoing issue throughout the build) then no amount of finish will save a dodgy armature. It takes guts to keep it in spring. Summer, and you can smother it in foliage, get away with murder. I was looking at some Gravetts stuff (google Pempoul for those not familiar) and the trees seem late spring - a bit more floaty green, done with something like Woodland Scenics foliage I'll bet - Gorgeous stuff!

They're Julian's. Jaz hasn't put her spots on display yet. (why is it I can't access the list! Its all greyed our AGAIN!)

Your Dinky collection is much better than mine, Julian! But I do recall getting the Rolls Royce as a kid. If I remember correctly it is/was one of the first of its kind with chrome-plastic trim. It was awesome at the time and cost five shillings, I think. Tony.

It doesn't get more modern than that! Make one hell of a layout with loads of scratch building. But way too contemporary for my tastes. Great Northern's Peterborough North, on RMweb - I'd link it if I had the grey cells -©1958ish is more to my taste. The girder bridge is about the only recognisable thing. I'll take a liberty with a picture from the layout

I was fortunate. We had a big house with attic-bedrooms when I was kid - everything lived there till 1975 when I bought a very similar house and transferred everything. Then, when I got into childrens illustration, I filled lots of gaps, realising it was the images in the younger books that enthralled me. I could have added Story Teller to my list but that would have been cheating. By then I was free-lancing for Marshall Cavendish and illustrating them! MC were a very lucky break. Tony.

Yes, and I worry about Pratchet. To have a fine, imaginative mind and to feel it breaking down (Alzheimer's if I recall correctly) must be dreadful. Having too many "senior" moments recently I get a sniff of that horror...

C&WR: Of course you're right to be gentle with him. When I was a boy in the fifties avid reading was common, and yes, with a torch under the covers. Many of us learned to read well quite early. Prior to B&W TV it was our main form of entertainment, the pictures/flicks (movies) were comparatively rare treats so our imaginations were developed by reading. These days kids have so much more and easier stimulation, so reading is to be nurtured. As far as I'm concerned the best images are in my head! - but that goes back to early development. Tony. edit: Regarding Swallows and Amazons, I had a mixed set of stuff going back years, some originating with my older brothers, but my wife bought me a full, hard-backed set some time ago - that's how much I love them! It's the sailing and the childhood freedom. A favourite which I re-read quite recently, is: "We didn't mean to go to sea." This is actually very frightening if viewed from a small-boat sailing point of view, and the way the children handled there situation is fascinating.

You've been responsible for throwing me right off topic! I've a high, over the wardrobe, toy cupboard full of stuff I've put aside. I was sure I had some new, unbuilt Airfix. I found a Tiger, Panther, Churchill, and 75mm Assault Gun. Particularly interesting, an Academy WWII Ground Vehicle set: Light Utility Vehicle, Kubelwagen and my favourite - Kettencrad. :-) And loads of Sci Fi stuff. Tony.

Not dissimilar to what I'm doing, but I'm only using plastic for the front of layout. Papers OK for the back. Having said which, Scalescenes Brown Brick is my default railway buildings colour, but they are partially embossed. The main problem with papers is photographing "flat". If you put papers back down over very coarse sandpaper, cover with a sheet of paper and abuse it with a printers roller and a hammer. Then they photograph less flat. This should NOT be done before colour washes or the pits will soak up the colour in a vile fashion! Tony. edit: All of which is bull-ox without images to back it up, so I'll be retiring off-line (again!) to attempt some progress. It's either that or sell the ruddy lot!

I wouldn't know where to begin! Eagle Annuals; Look and Learn; all the Swallows and Amazons; Biggles; Oor Wullie; Dr Who; Toby Twirl; Rupert; Thomas the Tank Engine; Hornby Dublo; Dinky Toys; etc., etc. And of course, boxes and bound volumes of 2,000AD.

Congratulations indeed! Well done, Jason. - looking forward to the next 1,000!

All the best, Duncan! - is freebs due around now? Too much going on for my addled brain! lol

It seems nightshift commences early this evening nite nite Vicky, everyone. "by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes... "

I think you and that book would get on very well together. What you've done is superb, but all the crits I've read concerning the Gravit's(?) book have been overwhelming in their praise.

BLOODY HELL!!! (Where's me broon troosers!) I think if Foggie'd been the Skipper he'd have needed the above... What if the driver had got it wrong!)

Being (very, very) picky, Jaz, the root tips could do with burying but I expect that will happen when embedded on site. I'm trying to recall the season on Pempoul(?) On recollection it might be late Spring as there is a lot of light in the foliage but I could well be wrong. Similarly - from senile recollection - *Woodland Scenics do a light, hair/fibre-based leaf foliage which looks very good for maintaining clarity when significant work is done with branch/twig structure as you have with this example. If I had more night/life left I'd investigate both properly... *OK, p24 in current catalogue: just listed as Foliage. I have a small amount and it really can be stretched very lightly. Sorry, no photographic/scanner source, but I'm sure you are well familiar with it anyway. Tony. Later. I haven't seen the Tree book by the Pempoul guys (Wild Swan) but it is supposed to be cutting edge/bloody marvellous!

Can't wait!... Question, though : Are you fixing a season for the whole layout? (If I missed mention of this in the past, do forgive me) Tony.

Jaz: Loving the tree work - and it IS a lot of work for you, doing it and posting it! Cheers! The downside(?) is that your individual examples put the shop-bought properly in the shade. And given the size of your layout in total... (shock smilie) It is appreciated. :-D Tony.

This is a posting test... And an editing test... Later edit/explanation: Could I hell post or edit on another thread just a few minutes a go!! I was getting "no content" and "too short" as well as not posting at all. Seems OK now - but what a time waste!

What on earth is wrong with this website! Can't edit! Can't post! (everything crossed!)

"Foggy" sounds good to me! But if you want to feel comfortable with it you'll need to start signing off with it. It must be something that feels right. ;-) This is the only website with a photo (it'll probably go, shortly - as the tache already has done) and my given name isn't Tony. I do understand your thinking. Tony.

Happy Birthday! Tony. Talking about Naming Days, any chance of a nickname as an alternative to your profile initials? Bit more cumfy! ;-)