Goodnight 2024. Hello 2025

Happy New Year, don't suppose my posts this year will be any more regular that last year, not making any resolutions to do so. In fact the last resolution I made a number of years ago was to stop making resolutions.

That said, here's how the latest panel finished the year. This panel is now going on hold whilst I work downwards on the panel above it. Once this, what will be the top right of the final piece, is nearly full this and the below panel will be joined together before being joined on to the final work.

I have measured up and there will be a small gap between these two and the last one that was attached, which is a good thing as this will allow me to add in a couple of characters that got missed from that section.

A Warriors of the Deep Sea Devil will go to the right of the Silurian once the two panels are joined as it will be slightly over the join. I also need to ensure the two shades of blue Twilley wool used here of the background are not kept together and not misplaced whilst I work on the top panel.

The top panel already has Benny Summerfield, David Warner's Unbound Doctor, Katy Manning as Iris Wildtyme along with Panda on it. Below them I'm starting on Season 18 and working down to meet up with the panel shown here.

Happy New Year

More boxes from America

Before the sun sets on 2015 and the year is shoved off into the archives of history, I thought I’d give a quick update on progress for the latest models in the coffee stick ghost town. 

To avoid making this post too picture heavy I have set up another page with some more photos which can be accessed here.

Just before I finished work for the Christmas holiday a couple more boxes were added to my collection by work colleagues, you’ll notice alongside the Twinkies are now Ho Hos and Ding Dongs. 

Christmas boxes added

Christmas itself gave a couple of interesting boxes which I’ll be using in the New Year on new models.

This pate box will be used for a roof piece of some kind.

I got a little time to work on the three models in progress, these have now reached a finished state as far as the shape and applying the sticks are concerned. 

WIP: boxes being turned inside out

They need to be rubbed down with sandpaper then painted; I think I’ll save this for the spring when it will be more comfortable working outside to sand the models. In the meantime I’ll add a couple more to the collection.

WIP: adding tube supports
before closing up

I would also like to thank everyone who downloaded a copy of 

Karl – Birth of Mystery during the period we set the book free on Amazon’s Kindle bookshop. I hope you enjoy it and if so please leave a review to help others find the adventure.

That only leaves me to wish all readers of the blog a Happy New Year.

Extra Photos

And some early shots of the basic boxes joined for the next couple of models. 

Still need to add extra shaping to the roof areas.

Starting my “New Year’s Resolutions” early

Starting my “New Year’s Resolutions” early.

As the festive season galloped towards me at a shocking pace, I found it hard to feel happy, fluffy and festive. My letter box and email inbox received more grief than good will and it came from the main service providers for banking, electricity, gas, internet and phone.

NO LONGER!

I’ve procrastinated too long in giving these people a kick up the arse or the complete boot. So now they go. Their days are numbered and in some cases their time has come.

The first to go is Eon, supplier for gas and electricity now for several years. Earlier in the year when my fixed term for duel fuel expired they moved me to a new one automatically again with a higher than average price but fixed until April 2014. As we all know they seem very quick in hiking prices but when the wholesale cost comes down we never see the benefit. This time however they played dirty.

I have just received a letter saying my electricity prices are rising in January.

What about the fixed tariff until May 2014?

It seems now that according to their records only the gas was moved to a fixed rate and the duel fuel electric was not.

My tough luck.

This is not the first time I have had cause to complain about them. Over the last few years I have experienced their inability to process their own meter readings, have at times had over two years of bills reworked several times as they entered a ridiculously wrong reading, thus sending the billing into meltdown. I received a hostile letter from them for being at work when their meter reader came, I HAD NOT REFUSED ENTRY I was just not there as I’m not psychic. When I complained about this attitude in writing to their customer service department I received no response. This has been their last chance and the switch process is already in motion.

 

Others will follow, this will be a year of change unless services improve.