26 Colourful Tonka
Revell 1/72 Scale Tornado GR
“Dambusters 70th Anniversary”
by Garth NicholsonO
ver thirty years ago my
Wife introduced me to
the Island Of Guernsey
where she had family and spent
most of her holidays in her youth.
I remember then as now, that
when visiting a new place I look
for a local model shop. Now days
I rarely succeed but 35 years ago
I remember finding this small
shop in St Peter Port the islands
capital and even remember that I
bought the then new Tamiya 1/
scale Merkava (I know a tank).
This October we revisited the
Island and with a few hours to
spare I decided to see if the model
shop was still there. Surprisingly
it was and honestly looked just
how I remembered it from thirty
five years ago. And just like so
many other places on the island,
seemingly stuck in a time warp.
The same dark wood shelves
holding model kits from some
golden oldies to the new AirfixWalrus that had only come out a
few days before on the mainland.
As well as a selection of glues
and paints plus all the other
bits and bobs a modeller needs.
I was honestly shocked that it
still existed as most traditional
shops in the UK have gone the
way of the dodo and I wish I
could have bought a kit just to
do my bit to keep it open but
sadly my hand luggage only
flight would not allow it.
So if you visit the island of
Guernsey on a holiday or day
trip from Jersey be sure to seek
out this modern day rarity for
a dose of nostalgia on how the
model shops in nearly every
town in the United Kingdom
looked like in the 1970s & 80s.
And on the subject of Model
Shops in just a few weeks time
I will be attending the opening
of the world’s biggest Model
shop, well for at least two dayswith Scale Modelworld 2017.
The scale of this event has to be
seen to be believed and I have
often found myself struggling
to explain how large this event
to modellers attending the US
and Czech Nationals. This year
there will be over 160 traders
as well an equal number of
model clubs and Special Interest
groups from around the world.
What makes this show even
more amazing is that this huge
event is organised by a group of
volunteers. And as always there
is never enough of them to get
everything done once the show is
underway. So if you are attending
the event I am sure they would
appreciate anyone who can offer
them help for an hour or two.
Myself and other members of
our magazine teams will be on
the SAM Publications stand in
Hall 1 during the course of the
show. Where we will be launchingtwo new books, a Datafile on
the Panavia Tornado and a title
produced in association with
Hataka on modelling aircraft
of the Vietnam War. And this
is your only chance to pick up
a SAMi binder to store your
magazines in for years to come.
I hope to see you there.David Francis, Editor
[email protected]Subscribe
see page 5034 Big Ack
Copper State Models 1/48 Armstrong
Whitworth F.K.8 by Huw Morgan4 • NOVEMBER 2017 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL
WELCOME
Scale Aviation Modeller International
November 2017 • Volume 23 • Issue 11004-05-Contents-1117.indd 4 16/10/2017 15: