HO Scale Pavements and Pedestrians

Continued to address the problem of the pavement that stretches in front of the Gare du Nord facade. (See previous blog episode.)

I darkened the stretch of pavement further and then, using a 7B lead pencil, drew in the paving stones.

Fairly pleased with this effect.

Next, I turned my mind to populating the pavement with people making their way to the entrance of the station.

I used little plastic HO scale figures that I got from China, very cheaply, some months ago.

Wasn't sure how to fix the figures in position so tried the placing of little spots of blu tac in a pattern that I thought might suggest a lot of people being naturally funneled towards an entrance.

And then pressed each figure onto a spot of blu tac.

Quite a few unsatisfactory visual effects need to be addressed:

The colours of the figures are too garish - need some drabber colours that suggest French commuters of the 1950s/60s.

The spots of blu tac are a bit too obvious; makes it look as if everyone is wearing trainers!

Not confident that the figures won't fall down or list to one side - might need to try super glue.

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Currently listening to:

A Blast from the Past

I love the opening lines of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes:

"It's getting to the point where I'm no fun anymore
I am sorry
Sometimes it hurts so badly I must cry out loud
I am lonely....."

Here's a link to a youTube recording of same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMbuJXQCIvo

Hardy Perennial

Recently, we have been watching re-runs of the 1980s BBC comedy series, "Hi-de-Hi.." which was set in a 1950s/60s British holiday camp.

As children we spent many happy holidays in Butlin's holiday camps.

And it was from a shop actually situated within the Butlin's holiday camp at Filey, North Yorkshire, that I purchased my vinyl copy of Captain Beefheart's "Safe as Milk" - released unbelievably on the budget middle of the road record label, Marble Arch.

I can't think of  two concepts,  more widely separated, than "Butlin's" and "Captain Beefheart".

This Week's Addiction

Exhilerating

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Currently reading:

Finished

At last, after a couple of months of reading a few pages each day, I have finished this important book.

At the front are printed, the many tributes and accolades that this book has received. They mostly come from outside the running community (thank God) and they mirror my view of the book.

My view is summed up by the following quotation from towards the end of the book.

"I think ...........  , almost by definition, fell-runners are people who are ambitious neither for prestige nor for profit. Instead, they are motivated by a thirst for joy: the joy of being totally absorbed, as our ancestors were, in wild environments; the joy of throwing off the straitjackets of caution and civilisation; the joy of finding and pushing back limits; and, occasionally, the joy of doing things that one had thought impossible."

Samba drumming fulfils exactly the same role in my life.


"motivated by a thirst for joy: the joy of being totally absorbed; the joy of throwing off the straitjackets of caution and civilisation; the joy of finding and pushing back limits; and, occasionally, the joy of doing things that one had thought impossible."

This book reminds me of one I read a couple of years ago about an Englishman going to Spain to learn Flamenco guitar.

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Also still reading: