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

[The Rat]

Personally I NEVER use self-service tills in any shop, insisting on waiting in line, however long it takes, to be served by a human with a job.

Fully agree with this - my usual M.O. also.

Ditto

[kitbasher]

My home town of Croydon has been twinned with Arnhem since just after WWII, mainly because one of the Para battalions that took exceptionally heavy casualties had a lot of Croydon lads in it. We were taught about it at school and indeed we visited Arnhem as part of a school trip when I was 14/15. 

Anyway Croydon still has a church service on the Sunday of the battle and an exhibition in the town hall, but I found out today that in Arnhem they still commemorate it for a month. Well done to them

This is the Dutch programme of events of the weekend it'self, but the flags are already flying.

https://www.airborne-herdenkingen.nl/programma/2025/SAH_ACF-commemorations-program-2025.pdf

Arnhem.  Years ago an old work mate of mine mentioned hid dad was at Arnhem at what the Brits called the 'White House Hotel' in Oosterbeek.  However only last week an old school mate of mine mentioned for the first time (in 50 years!) that his dad also dropped at Arnhem - and was almost immediately captured.  Blimey.

[NARSES2]

Arnhem.  Years ago an old work mate of mine mentioned hid dad was at Arnhem at what the Brits called the 'White House Hotel' in Oosterbeek. 

Been there on that school trip. From memory they have a small permanent museum.

Anyway back to modelling 

Whilst looking at Hannants New Releases yesterday I noticed that SH have re-issued their Vautour. Now I've always liked the Vautour and indeed have 2 in the stash, one SH and the other a Hi-Tech kit, and spotting the re-issue got the brain cells working.

So, what if post WWII the Brits and French had got together and formed an actual partnership, with full co-operation in all matters, political, ecconomic and military ? I know it's the most unlikeliest scenario possible, but this is Wiff-World right ?    So the French have Canberra's in the high altitude role and we have Vautours in  the interdiction and ground attack roles ? One of mine may well get RAF roundels.

As an aside, when the ECSC (European Coal & Steel Community) was founded Churchill was one of the driving forces as he believed that if France and Germany could co-operate in these such strategic industries than the chances of them going to war would be greatly reduced. Unfortunately by the time the Treaty of Paris was signed he'd been unable to convince his fellow Brits that we should be part of it. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1951, Treaty of Rome (Common Market) 1957.

[PR19_Kit]

Arnhem.  Years ago an old work mate of mine mentioned hid dad was at Arnhem at what the Brits called the 'White House Hotel' in Oosterbeek. 

Been there on that school trip. From memory they have a small permanent museum.

They do indeed, but it's grown a bit larger in recent years. It's based the doctor's house that many Allied troops ended up in toward the final hours of the operation, and it's the same house that featured in the film 'A Bridge Too Far', so it's very topical. They have a Sherman tank parked on the back lawn, as you do.   

[NARSES2]

They do indeed, but it's grown a bit larger in recent years. It's based the doctor's house that many Allied troops ended up in toward the final hours of the operation, and it's the same house that featured in the film 'A Bridge Too Far', so it's very topical. They have a Sherman tank parked on the back lawn, as you do.   

My first trip to Holland was whilst at primary school when I was 9 or 10 ? One of my school mate's dad had married a Dutch woman post WWII (as lots of guys did, we had at least 3 others at school) and when she went to visit her family I went with them to keep my mate company. Fond memories of climbing all over, and in and out of old Shermans parked on an army range      I've some photos in the "big box".

Thinking about Croydon's link with the Netherlands, it had another huge link as well, as Phillips had a lot of facilities/factory's in the town during the 50/60/70's. So a few of my school mates went to work for them and spent time in Eindhoven. I just spent time in Ijmuiden. And I bet someone thought I was going to type "the Shrubs" 

[PR19_Kit]

........ spent time in Eindhoven. I just spent time in Ijmuiden. And I bet someone thought I was going to type "the Shrubs" 

All places I know very well from my time working there in the 80-00s.

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

[NARSES2]

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

I was taught by a nice lady called Petra. who did the job I did but for Hoogovens We still meet up once a year, and yes she does know she was named after the Blue Peter dog,    Apparently the programme was very popular in Holland.

[NARSES2]

Meanwhile a little progress on the bench. I had to find a new tail wheel for the H-75 as clumsy clot Edwards managed to trim most of the spigot from the kit's one thinking it was part of the sprue gate and it wouldn't stay attached when any weight was put on it. Finally found one in the spares box, it's tiny so it was quite a rummage to find one small enough.

The Fw 187 is now ready to have the wings mated to the fuselage and test fitting shows it to be a good fit, especially considering the age of the kit 

Won't be to much progress over the next few weeks, other things in the diary.

[zenrat]

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

Eye-meed'n?

[Weaver]

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

I was taught by a nice lady called Petra. who did the job I did but for Hoogovens We still meet up once a year, and yes she does know she was named after the Blue Peter dog,    Apparently the programme was very popular in Holland.

Could have been worse: could have been "Shep"...  

[PR19_Kit]

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

Eye-meed'n?

Nope, it's more like 'eye-mou-din' with the 'mou' as in mouse', but only Dutch people can say it with the proper twist in the 'mou' bit.

Apparently during WWII they would get suspected Nazi fifth columnists to say it, and that would 'sort the wheat from the chaff'. 

[NARSES2]

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

Eye-meed'n?

Nope, it's more like 'eye-mou-din' with the 'mou' as in mouse', but only Dutch people can say it with the proper twist in the 'mou' bit.

Apparently during WWII they would get suspected Nazi fifth columnists to say it, and that would 'sort the wheat from the chaff'. 

I was taught to pronounce it as Eye-moy-dun, and that was by people who worked in the steel works. People from some other parts of Holland would pronounce it slightly differently.

[Charlie_c67]

I bet you're one of the few readers here who can actually pronounce 'Ijmuiden', let alone spell it!   

Eye-meed'n?

Nope, it's more like 'eye-mou-din' with the 'mou' as in mouse', but only Dutch people can say it with the proper twist in the 'mou' bit.

Apparently during WWII they would get suspected Nazi fifth columnists to say it, and that would 'sort the wheat from the chaff'. 

I was taught to pronounce it as Eye-moy-dun, and that was by people who worked in the steel works. People from some other parts of Holland would pronounce it slightly differently.

   Holland? Or the Netherlands?   

[PR19_Kit]

I don't know what the Dutch word for 'pedantic' is, but it may apply here.................... 

[Charlie_c67]

Maybe  , it's not to the same level as the Flemings vs the Walloons next door, but as I understand it, there's a definite tension between Holland and the rest of the Netherlands about what the country is called!

Mind you, considering we currently have world leaders that believes they can rename and claim parts of the world on a deluded whim without recourse to the people that actually live there, perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised...