29-31 Hampton Street. London's East End....Sept. 1940.

[spanner570]

For a while now I've fancied building a London 'Blitz' scene. Due to space confines, it will be in 1/72 scale.

Our garden is sorted, winter's dark nights are really here, and to get away from the mayhem that Christmas has become, this is the right time to have a go at one.

To start off, and for a bit more interest, I've decided I need the backs of a row of terraced houses, rather than the perhaps more bland frontages.
This morning I roughly drew up the backs of No. 29/31 Hampton Street - and a bit of 27/33! Then drew it sort'a proper like, ready to cut it all out.


....I'm not going to look at photos of the Blitz, I'm goin' to try and do mah own thing.

This is a far as my planning has gone.

So off we go, yet again into the unknown.
Time to crack a can, sit back and just hope to gawd summat weedles itself into me nut! Usually this requires radical binning of original ideas. That is the crazy, mixed up world that is dioramarerering.

Cheers.
Mr. D. Stroyd

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Sounds like a fine idea to display your talent. I assume we are looking at a Blue Peter type approach - cornflake boxes, pizza bases and washing up liquid bottles.
Jim

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Jim.

Minimum talent - Maximum luck!

Bits n' bobs at the ready....

 

[adt70hk]

Lovely idea Ron!

ATB.

Andrew

 

[scottie3158]

I'm in mate, sounds like a cracking idea.

 

[Mini Me]

Me too........much "finger" bombing and maybe some Fire anticipated as this progresses 570. Rick H.

 

[langy71]

omg, I'm in for this one.. looking forward to another masterclass..

 

[spanner570]

Thanks boys. Glad to have you in my back yard...

Chris. The way this has started I'll just be giving out the pencils and then sitting in the corner of the classroom....

No. 1 alteration.....
The wife has just come up into my den and suggested the windows are way too big for a terraced house of the 30's/'40's. More like the 1960's...and do you know? She is right!

.....more paper for the log burner!

All good fun, eh?

 

[Mini Me]

Women "Know" things..........

 

[Jack L]

Looking forward to this. A little Anderson in the veg plot?

 

[Tim Marlow]

Nice idea Ron. Should be a fun build. As to the windows, I lived in an Edwardian terrace like that for a long time and I would say they should be deeper and thinner, basically turned on their side, not necessarily smaller. They would be sash windows as well.

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Women "Know" things..........

Usually the things that you don`t WANT them to know!!
Andy

 

[Mini Me]

Tell me about it Mr. Smiff!!

 

[spanner570]

Good crack boys.

Jack. The tin roof is already bent and ready to go.

Tim, yes indeed, most openers at the time were sashes, the remainder were what we called 'fixed glass'
Re- size, I've simply reduced the windows by half, width ways. They have been accepted by the management.....
I made many a one when I was 'At the bench'. The 1st. floor woodworking machines were mostly belt driven, which shows how long ago it was. Try setting out a window when the whole workshop building is shaking!
If anyone is expecting me to make 12 sash windows, the size of my little finger nail, they are sadly deluded. I'm do this just for fun with no pressure. Anyway most could well be blown out - Who knows?

Thanks for the initial interest chaps. All good stuff.

 

[JR]

Me too........much "finger" bombing and maybe some Fire anticipated as this progresses 570. Rick H.

Ooh I do hope so Rick .

 

[JR]

570.
Front seat please , and if possible FIRE . Thank you .
453
Bed 6
Block 9
Broadmoor.

 

[Mini Me]

So Ron,........yer telling us that the sash windows won't go up an down?? that is, if you WERE going to build them in the first place, which you are not, coz it wouldn't be fun?.....and then here comes JR and he want's to see the whole thing go up in smoke........MATRON!!!!

 

[Gern]

Oh goody! Another demolition job!

 

[spanner570]

453. Good to read you are away from the allotment and back in Block 9. However please note, any more veiled threats about showing off your fire razing skills will be met with fierce resistance. Possibly employing an Assistant Matron direct from her duties as bouncer throwing out time wasters in our local A&E.

Rick. After making far too many full size sash windows when I was on the tools, to even contemplate making miniature versions would reduce me to a burbling wreck and even worse, end up in Bed 5 next to 453!.....No thanks.

Dave. Good to read you are up for more demolizing. Sucker for punishment eh?


Right, back to more mundane activities. - The build.

I've had me a go at making a section of 1/72 brick wall.
As pizza bases seem to be no longer available, I'm using 5mm foam board.
I scribed the bricks with a modelling knife (What a ball ache!) then gave the resultant surface two coats of slightly different shades of brick red/brown and let the paint run where it will. A surprisingly quick and straight forward painting process which I'm happy with. ....Anyway, early stages, but the basics are laid down. Plenty of time for a fiddle!

The photos are of the same section of brickwork. The camera thinks otherwise.




Where the windows and doors are to go, I need to model brick arches and cills. Heaven help me.....

Now where did I leave my runny eyes?!

Yours.
B.R. Iklaiyor

 

[adt70hk]

Ron

That's brilliant!!! Top notch work all round!!

ATB.

Andrew