The Little World

One of the exhibitors on our stand at the recent WASMEX model show put out a series of delightful 1:48th scale fighter planes. They were RAAF and Luftwaffe types of the WW2. I cannot say who moulded the kits but by the time they had passed through the hands of the modeller, they were beautiful. A very fine finish on the paint and surfacing.

Unfortunately he made a typo on one of the Luftwaffe labels for a Messerschmitt – his finger hit the “4” key instead of the “3”. Look on your own keyboard and see the close spacing. An error, but really…if we could park our cars or hit a rifle target with only such error we should be doing very well indeed.

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Not, however, good enough for the anorak – the chap who fronted the stand and complained about the label. ” I think you’ll find that…” and I knew instantly with whom we were dealing…

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While only a spectator, I steeled myself for what might come. I dreaded being told that the anorak was a person who had once seen Bluey Truscott’s cousin on Swanston Street in 1946, or that he had personally known Clive Caldwell’s barber. Because I knew it would lead to a long speech about the accuracy of Foliage Green paint under Antarctic conditions…

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As it was, I needn’t have feared. The modeller who’d made the typo laughed and said ” Oh, did I make a mistake? ” and went right on gluing a plastic dragon together ( as one does in these social situations… ). The anorak’s claws briefly scrabbled against the shut social window and then he fell away.

It was a lesson for us all; if we cannot type straight, laugh it off. I shall do the same next time when I make a typing errur.