And the depression begins!

 T’other night, I was doing something vaguely useful (but distinctly masculine) in the kitchen when I noticed it was pitch black outside. So I went to collect Smaug from whatever destructive activity she was engaged in to take her for her bedtime Jimmy Riddle, when I noticed the time: 20:05.

Ohhhhh, FFS. Summer has buggered off and the days are slowly descending into darkness and November, the most depressing month of the year.

But it is ‘Spray September’, so while there are some decent days left it’s time to get out and prime as much as you can. In my case, this means digging out some desert stuff to do over Christmas, which enables me to look at sunny photographs, even if they are black and white. Nearest I can get to the seaside.

So I have wrestled some RUBs full of 1/100 tanks down from the loft and have begun sorting them into Rapid Fire formations.

The old family picnic table fits nicely on the green bin!

I’ve probably gone OTT again. The Stuarts are drying in the garage.

Joining them will be some new Humber Armoured Cars from Tabletop Workshop which I bought from Bovington a few weeks ago. These are lovely little kits and take me back to my Matchbox version, which was the first vehicle kit I made from start to finish, including decals and scenic base. That was exactly 50 years ago! I already have some TW Matildas and they are nice models. Bit fiddly in places (probably because they were initially designed for 1/72) but a little bit of patience brings great reward. Photos will follow later in the year, but you can catch a glimpse in the top photo.

Meanwhile, here is my test chart of sandy something paints. I'm going to have to go a shade lighter than I did for my 1/72 (and 1\56) so I will need to play about before mass production. I’m trying to avoid mixing, although the big blob on the left is Richard Marsh’s recommended brew for Italian armour; a 50:50 mix of Vallejo Dark Sand and Middlestone. I think it looks rather nice, so will find my half empty tub of Dark Sand and squirt some Middlestone in it. I will probably use Beige instead of the (excellent) AK light stone, otherwise all Caunter colours will be from the AK box.

Do this sort of thing on plastic card, not paper card. Paper card makes the colours darker, so you don’t get an accurate match.

If you are wondering what has happened to the WSS, they are all prepped and ready to go in October, when I'm due to undergo my fourth and final knee operation. Hopefully, it will not be so painful that I can’t slap some colour about. But that’s what I thought before…

Onwards and upwards, Mes Braves!