The Little World

Or so we are told – by people who want to get in front of us in line at the petrol station.

It is also preached for the scale modeller – by makers who give you tank tracks made up of 6 plastic parts per link or sheets of infinitesimally small brass etched parts. Their patience wears a bit thin when you take them at their word and only build one model per year…Then they want you to bloody well hurry up!

I find the greatest stress comes when waiting for paint to dry. The expression that equates this time period with boredom is nonsense. I stalk around the workshop muttering ” bastard, bastard, bastard…” until the coat of lacquer is hard enough to touch. And then I have to wait for complete curing before it can be masked over. The family have learned to lock themselves in their rooms…

I am also tested while waiting for some decals to release from their backing sheets. The Polish makers and the Russians are fine – their decals release early and then shatter anyway, so you can get to the really sad parts quickly. Some of the Japanese and Italian ones are very slow, and you have to stop yourself from testing them until they are ready.

But I am happy to say I can come to full philosophical tranquillity waiting for superglue to set on landing gear. You can hear me being tranquil three houses down.