The Little World

And queens. This is an even-handed hobby.

The annual scale model exhibition always includes a competition for builders, and it is large enough to require a separate hall. They set out tables and cover them so that the visual presentation is neutral – the lighting is that of the hall, but more on that…

There are many categories of model – more varieties tan Heinz makes soup – and the judging system introduced this year means that there can be more than one gold, silver, or bronze winner in each one of them. It must be a nightmare for the committee to provide all the trophies…but they have faithfully promised to do so. The task of judging can be no easy one, as the standard of modelling is high.

I cruise the aisles early on when there are less people to interfere. The distance the models are set at means only a small zoom lens is needed, but the hall lighting sometimes doesn’t show them to advantage – I depend on a flash unit to show the real colours. At least I have the assistance of a waist-level LCD screen to frame with and need not continually bend at ze knees.

Perhaps they will find another means of illumination in future years.