I am a 'born again' plastic modeller. I grew up with Airfix kits in the '60's and '70's and built anything I could get my hands on, usually aircraft, usually 1/72. My favourite movie of the era was 'The Battle of Britain' and I remember thinking I had died and gone to heaven when somebody presented me with the Airfix 1/24 scale Mk 1 Spitfire for a birthday. I was known to constantly (and most annoyingly I suspect) correct my Dads' colleagues, when they got their facts wrong about various aircraft. My Dad being in the Fleet Air Arm afforded me the opportunity to get up close and personal with the real thing. We would attend the annual 'Air Day' at my Dads base, HMS Daedalus, where you could sit in actual operational aircraft. I remember being instructed "not to touch that yellow and black striped handle between your legs son".

Modelling came to an abrupt end when 'other interests' took over.

After settling down with a family, I would take my 2 boys to Duxford. Whilst there I would lurk around the plastic models in the shop. Finally, after many visits and much lurking, I bought a 1/48 Revell Spitfire Mk. IX and upon opening the box was transported instantly to that happy plastic place of my childhood. This led to two more Spitfires which I happily slapped together and brush painted, with no real worries about accuracy.

My 'Road to Damascus' moment came when I stumbled upon a certain website, and was gobsmacked at the quality of the models on display and by the number of after-market goodies you could buy. I thought to myself 'I can do this'. From that day I have been hooked.