Narses2's Blog - or what I'm slowly making progress on

[NARSES2]

Survived the madhouse that was Marks and Spencer's Food Hall this morning and that was at 7:20 am. They'd opened at 6:00, but that was too early even for me  All I can say is that some people are either catering for 50 or there's going to be an awful lot of food wasted come next week. 

Meanwhile work continues on the Beaufort. I discovered this morning that the aircraft I'm building didn't have the under nose "scare gun" fairing/turret fitted. Discovered it just after I'd spent a while masking it  Still that's life which is far better than the alternative   

[Nick]

I popped into Marks yesterday afternoon and it was a scrum. I've never seen so many people in there at once and you could hardly move. I reckon people must go upmarket for Christmas because B&M was empty for a change 

Mum discovered today at 3pm we've run out of kitchen roll so I had to brave the hellhole that is Tesco. I even asked her yesterday is there anything, any possible thing we might need before I head north for Christmas. "Oh no "she said. I had to queue behind 20 people with baskets. You'd think they were all feeding the 5000 personally. 

As for the Beaufort, well you've created a proper sneaky Whiff there with the extra turret! 

[NARSES2]

As for the Beaufort, well you've created a proper sneaky Whiff there with the extra turret! 

Nope it's still real world. I discovered it didn't have the turret before I fixed it in place. It was far easier to mask off the fuselage.

Meanwhile I do wish Airfix would include a "parts not used in this build" on one of their instruction sheet pages. I can do without a sprue map as their sprues are well laid out and labelled, but I spent 20 minutes yesterday evening going through the instructions with a fine tooth comb to double check that I hadn't missed a step or two which covered the 4 small parts left on the sprues. The alternative parts are no problem and well highlighted within the instructions, but the not used bits 

[NARSES2]

Underside of the Beaufort is  painted, just need to let it dry and then mask it prior to the top colours.

[NARSES2]

Finally got the modelling mojo up and running again over the last couple of day 

Started to get the Beaufort's top colours on, but this will take a little time as I'm using Xtracolour and we know how long that can take to dry between coats ! Got the Arsenal to a stage where I can think about painting and got the next kit out from the stash. Dora Wings P-43 Lancer, it will be wiffed, but not sure how yet. Toying with RNZAF or maybe Portuguese in the Azores ?

[NARSES2]

Progress all round.

The Arsenal and P-43 are detailed in their own threads, but the real world Beaufort has had it's paintwork done and masking removed. Took an age to remove the masking as there's a lot of it, however it did it's job (well done Eduard) and there's not much touching up to be done. Hopefully start getting markings on this week although I have a couple of Dr's appointments.

[NARSES2]

My local Post Office sorting/delivery office is one of those that has been subject to severe delays recently. Anyway this morning I got a delivery which included 2 Christmas cards and 2 months worth of 3 magazine subscriptions plus my latest IPMS Mag 

Luckily I quite often chat with some of the Posties in the local coffee shop on a morning and they'd, contrary to official instructions, told me about these delays so I hadn't been chasing the magazines subscription departments.

Hopefully normality is returning....touch wood 

[scooter]

Hopefully normality is returning....touch wood 

At least RM doesn't have a Postmaster General actively seeking to make the service more "profitable", by utilizing time honored corporate tactics...like slashing service hours, staffing, equipment, etc.

[frank2056]

At least RM doesn't have a Postmaster General actively seeking to make the service more "profitable", by utilizing time honored corporate tactics...like slashing service hours, staffing, equipment, etc.

That's because he was put in place to destroy the USPS and make it more difficult to trust mail delivery, therefore adding FUD to voting by mail (amongst other "features"). The guy also owns a freight delivery service that receives contracts from the USPS... nothing fishy, there.

[zenrat]

I'm still waiting for the November Airfix mag.  I've got December already.

Australian Post have just appointed a new head of Retail.  Her last job was with the ANZ bank adjusting its footprint on the high street.   She adjusted them from 700+ down to 570.
I can see what is coming next...

[NARSES2]

Final piece of my delayed post was received this morning. Freightdog's Mosquito improvement set posted prior to Christmas, well worth the wait 

[Pellson]

Hopefully normality is returning....touch wood 

At least RM doesn't have a Postmaster General actively seeking to make the service more "profitable", by utilizing time honored corporate tactics...like slashing service hours, staffing, equipment, etc.

This seems to be a general trend. We're just being shifted from daily mail delivery to every second day, and obviously not even the same days every week, but rather a rolling schedule.
As if I'll ever remember when to check the mail again.. 

[Rheged]

These reports make me realise how lucky I am, here in deepest rural Herefordshire.  The post lady who calls at 11:00 am (within half an hour either way) every day, is friendly, helpful and very efficient. Collections are made on time and deliveries timely. Everyone in the set of buildings of which Chateau Rheged is part take in parcels for one another.  We don't have a Post Office as such in the village, but the mobile PO van calls on Tuesdays and the chaps in it do their best for everyone; especially those of limited mobility.


I was once told that, in railway terms "The further you get from Euston, the more human the railway becomes"     My Post Office experience suggests that it's the same with this organisation, too.

[PR19_Kit]

Euston? 

Just getting there is a pain, I think it's the only main like station in London that ISN'T on the Circle Line, and 'Euston Square' station, which IS on the Circle Line, is a fair old stop from Euston itself. I try and avoid going there whenever possible,

[zenrat]

Letter delivery loses money.  The profits are in parcels, small packets, express and registered letters.

And in selling shoddy made in China crap in the post office.