The Little World

I had a consultation one day with the technical adviser…my friend Warren who was in the Air Force. He ran an eye over the mockup of the model airfield and I explained how it was evolving. At the time there were large sheets of paper down representing major structures I wanted to build, as well as a number of commercial models that were already finished.

Like a lot of ventures, it was easier to envisage when there were things in place – I had spent some time telling myself the story of what was there and wanted to see if it ran past his experience in any sensible order. He helped me with a number of suggestions. One of the phrases he used when we were discussing the access to a specific structure was ” back story “.

I’ve heard the phrase connected with television news programs and it seems that it is entirely appropriate for any of our Little Worlds. It connects our ideas to the past – even if there is no past – and can enable us to incorporate the models and structures we really want to build. Of course we may lack the skill to do them, but the will is there and that’s a start.

My back story was the first evocation of this airfield – on a smaller table in another room. it was set in the 1940’s and I tried to make the thing as logical as I could for the time. I’m moving the time on to the 1960’s and as I have double the amount of space on a permanent base I can leave a great deal of the former structure in place – just as real life builds upon former structures.

I have planned to remove what would have been pulled down, move some things that can be economically moved, and leave some that really never move. And then build the new civilian structure on the old military base. This is exactly what has occurred on the real airfield I take as inspiration, and as I can Google Earth them to see what they are doing, I can get a good idea what I can do.

Warren is now part lessee of place as I have named an aerial survey company after him. He has to come up with the aircraft and tasks that his company will do and I’ll build him hangar space for it. There’ll be some in-depth research done.

Note for other Little Worlders – your own back stories can also add additional depth to your layouts, vehicles, planes, ships, etc. Take the time to research a story connected to your models and then tell it to yourself in some detail – write it down if you can. Whatever you make will take on much more reality in your mind and it will show in the realism you achieve. At the very least you’ll be able to steer yourself away from howling errors in the early stages.