A white elephant?

On 24th October 2017, the City of Oxford reopened its Westgate Shopping Centre after several years of rebuilding and redevelopment. (Not to mention all the traffic problems and chaos for long-suffering users of public transport!) Apparently it had been nearly 20 years since it was first proposed; demolition and reconstruction did not start until early in 2015. The main mall has been given a makeover, the adjoining 1970s multi-storey car park has been demolished, and in its place the mall has been extended and linked to a new John Lewis store. The first photograph shows a three-quarter view the day before the reopening.

But is it what Oxford really needs? Is it ten years too late? Initial reports said that retail occupancy was around the 50 percent mark, but that was expected to rise in time. There has been a general decline in shops in Oxford city centre since the 1990s, especially of independent businesses catering for more specialised items.

Despite the potential benefits, it has not happened without more heritage loss to the city. The former St Ebbes district, which was levelled in the 1960s to create car parking, has had much of its archaeology obliterated -- including the site of the medieval Greyfriars friary -- when deep foundations were dug for the new developments. Ironically, the early 1970s concrete car park itself is also gone, despite featuring in one of the Inspector Morse episodes! And loss of a number of mature trees did not go unnoticed.

Predictably, some businesses from the main shopping street, Cornmarket, have already relocated to the Westgate Centre, leaving empty premises and boarded-up entrances. (It took years for the site of HMV's large store to be reoccupied.) Every week, Cornmarket Street seems to look more and more down-at-heel -- surely not a good impression for the thousands of tourists who flock to Oxford every year?

It is well known that Oxford City Council does not like motorised vehicles, and discourages them from the city centre as much as possible. (Which would be great if we could all afford to live in Oxford!) It then seems a little curious that a traffic-generating project like a revamped central shopping centre would be given the go-ahead. People tend to prefer to put their shopping in their cars, rather than wrestle with public transport. Or they go somewhere where they can more easily park and shop...

If you think that this sounds like the City Council does not do joined-up thinking, then you could be right! I would like to be proved wrong, but I predict that the refurbished Westgate Centre will not reach its full potential, and Oxford city centre will continue to look shabby and be a second-rate place to shop. Such a waste of potential!

Para's Progress

A brief update on the painting of the Airfix 1/32 scale Second World War British paratrooper figure unearthed nearly four decades ago...

As mentioned in an earlier blog posting, the single primer coat of Ronseal Quick Drying Woodstain was left to dry for at least a week. It was very glossy. It was followed up with a single coat of matt black acrylic car paint from an aerosol can, and left to dry for a further week. (This was sprayed outside in a well-ventilated garage: not a good thing to do inside a house.) Despite being matt black, this also turned out glossy! This was the base coat, forming the shadows. So far, so good, none of the paint had shown signs of cracking or flaking off.

The next stage would be a more challenging test. Using a 1/4 inch flat Pro Arte Acrylix brush, Warm Grey from the Daler Rowney System 3 artists' acrylic paint range was dry-brushed from the head downwards over the entire figure. This formed the mid-tones. The following day, grey was replaced by Titanium White from the same range, and dry-brushing was repeated more lightly to produce the highlights. The figure should now be reminiscent of a black and white photograph.

As noted above, the glossy black shadow finish made adding the grey and white layers more difficult with less of a key to work with, but remarkably the black undercoat remained intact! So the use of quick-drying woodstain as a primer on this polythene-like plastic seems to have been a success (so far).

One downside of the dry-brushing technique is that it shows up any blemishes in the figure -- mould lines, flash, and moulding defects.

Kemilway LMS 4F 0-6-0 chassis

I was recently rummaging through what is known in some circles as my maturing cupboard, trying to take stock of the number of unbuilt model railway etched kits that I have. It was more than I expected. No doubt due to a combination of a policy of buy it when you see it, and an overestimation of how quickly I am able to get things built!

Therefore, the subject of this month's posting is part of that inventory, and was probably purchased for a few pounds from one of the Abingdon (-on-Thames, Oxfordshire) model railway exhibitions in the late 1990s. I already had a Comet Models chassis kit in 00 gauge for the LMS 4F, but I had heard of the name Kemilway back in the 1970s and was curious to find out more about it.

The photograph shows what was contained in the plastic bag that I brought home. There are a surprising number of etch frets and components (compared to what I found in the rather basic Comet kit). The silver-coloured metal is claimed to be nickel-plated brass, and not the harder nickel silver that we are accustomed to today. The long copper-coloured etch at the bottom is phosphor-bronze. A multitude of bolts, nuts, bearings, washers and other small parts fill a small plastic bag. Contained within the superbly typeset instructions running to a number of pages are a couple of lengths of wire and some plastic grommets, shown in the middle.

What stands out, is that this comes from the earliest days of UK model railway etched kits: note the use of the term chemical milled. (The frets are all marked Copyright 1976.) It might be expected that things were a little crude and basic 40 years ago, but not a bit of it! This is clearly a quality production, put together by people who had really thought about what they were doing. The kit was designed to be driven on a fixed rear axle with a motor in the tender, and the leading two axles were compensated with what is effectively an equalised springy beam. It must have been a state-of-the-art kit at the time.

My internet searching has suggested that the story behind this range should have had a happier ending. Tony Dyer and George Pring were the pioneering enthusiasts behind the Kemilway name, but at some point the decision was taken to withdraw the range from sale as apparently a few competing suppliers were copying the kit designs and selling their versions. (This sounds like copyright infringement, but I am not aware of the details.) It seems that George Pring died in unfortunate circumstances; Tony Dyer passed away in 2016.

Nevertheless, the Kemilway Bulleid pacific chassis seems to have been a reasonable seller in its day, evidenced by listings of built examples on eBay. And the Kemilway name lives on.

I would like to think that one day I will find the time to do this kit justice. (Was that a squadron of pigs I just heard fly over?!...)

Buying too much...

I am sure I am not alone in "going overboard" on a hobby, and end up buying items that I will probably never use. In some hobbies with small specialist suppliers, the principle of "Buy it when you see it" is almost essential, as you can never be certain that the supplier will still be trading six months or a year later. To illustrate my excesses, look at the items in this month's posting's photo: a number of Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour pads, Pro Arte brushes and a couple of Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box sets. They are all in as new condition. Will they ever be used? I don't know yet...

The watercolour paper pads date mostly from the time I was attempting to dip a toe in the water. I can't remember why I got the large pad of 90 lb Not paper, but the small pad of 140 lb Not paper was bought in case I needed to entertain myself on a day trip to beautiful Quebec City. (I spent a wonderful day with old friends visiting old haunts instead!) The 140 lb Not block is more recent, and seemed like a good idea at the time, but I have since purchased other makes of papers to experiment with.

Many of us like (what seems like) a bargain, so the pack of Pro Arte Renaissance brushes (front) seemed a really good deal for a small selection of Kolinsky sables. Given the convenient pack, it is not unlikely that I will use at least one of them for some detail work in the future. At present though, they are invisibly marked "For rainy day use only".

The medium-sized Pro Arte goat hair wash brush may also get a run out one day. I am not convinced that I am using the ideal wash brush yet, so I have a couple of other wash brushes lined up, and even a household sponge may get the nod. I think I need something that holds a good quantity of water/wash, makes broad strokes, but can also be controlled fairly precisely. Probably too many things to ask for in one brush, especially if I am also expecting change from a ten pound note!

Finally, the pair of Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Boxes (back). As mentioned before, although they have their limitations and faults, I really like them. Therefore, when my favoured supplier had them on special offer, it was too much to resist. I have four of them now, only one of which sees regular use at present. But this gives me options if I want to experiment with other palettes. (Sure, that's what they all say!)

A well-travelled miniature figure

People of a certain age might recognise this fellow as being part of the range of Airfix 1/32 scale military miniature figures (model soldiers). They were sold in boxed sets of around two dozen pieces, although several poses were repeated. This example was from the British Paratroops set. Being moulded in a polythene-like plastic, they seemed practically indestructible, and would stand up to all sorts of abuse from the likes of small boys!

My subject was discovered by my mother in the late 1970s, in a flower bed of the family home in a suburb of Quebec City, Canada, of all places! I can only guess how it got there. (It wasn't me.) Given a scrub to get rid of any soil, it was almost as good as new. At some point it ended up in my toolbox and travelled with me to Montreal, and ended up in the U.K. in the early 1990s.

Coincidentally, I owned this very same set of figures -- I think I still have it packed away somewhere, in company with German Infantry and British Commandos. The Commandos set reminded me of youthful enthusiasm in the mid-1970s, when I attempted to paint a couple of these figures with Airfix Enamels. Alas, I soon discovered that this combination of paint and plastic did not mix, and the coat of brittle paint cracked and then flaked off to my dismay. Many years later, I learnt that the trick is to coat the figure with diluted white glue (PVA) first and let it dry before applying any paint...

More recently, I came across the idea of using quick-drying wood stain rather than dilute PVA; so having a couple of tins of the former, I though I would give it a try. I started by scraping off any flash I could find with a small, sharp craft knife. Then the figure was scrubbed with an old toothbrush in warm water and shower gel, and left 24 hours to dry. The second photo shows the paratrooper after a coat of Ronseal Satin Dark Oak quick-drying wood stain. Hoping to save a bit of time, I dipped the figure head-first into the stain up to his knees. However, after removing excess stain, I think it would have been quicker to apply the stain with a small brush! Hopefully, future blog posts will show whether this method is a success, and document progress using my glazing technique for miniature figures...

The Cotman Pocket PLUS

Having already mentioned the shortcomings of the Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box (limited mixing palette space and the risk of losing the pans), the slightly more expensive Pocket PLUS appeared to have addressed these issues -- so I thought I had better investigate for myself. The packaging of my example probably dates from around the time that Winsor & Newton were acquired by ColArt, as the half pans were wrapped in cellophane only.

Upon opening the box, it is clear it is different from the more compact Sketchers' Pocket Box. For starters, it is made out of a thinner plastic and does not fit together as snugly as the Sketchers' Pocket Box. The white case resembles a clam shell and is hinged with a section of blue plastic, and thus does not open flat like the Pocket Box. Inside the lid are two separate mixing palettes, one of which will clip on to the base of the box. There are three cassettes made up of four half pans that snap into the base of the box. A short-handled Cotman No. 5 brush is also supplied.

The cassettes will take either four half pans or two whole pans -- but only Cotman, Winsor & Newton or Daler-Rowney pans appear to fit. (Other brands are too big.) This may be an issue if you like to fill empty pans with tube paint. There are lugs in the base that the cassettes snap into to hold them securely, but of course there is still the problem that the watercolour cakes may not be well-attached to their pans!

The Cotman half pans mine was supplied with were Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Cadmium Red Pale Hue, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue [sic], Sap Green, Viridian Hue, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, and Chinese White. The inclusion of Cobalt Blue is a little strange as this colour should be a mix of Ultramarine and white, rather than the more expensive pure pigment. (I would replace it with Cotman's Intense Blue, which seems to be a well-regarded paint.) Also, there is not much of a difference between Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue and Cadmium Yellow Hue...

There is certainly more mixing area available: up to three times that of Sketchers' Pocket Box in fact, as the lid can be used if you can manage to get it flat. I find the blue plastic hinge annoying, as it prevents the Pocket PLUS from lying flat on a table -- but this is just me, as it is designed to be held in the hand and the hinge is supposed to be a finger hold!

This is a better choice of watercolour paint box for plein air painting, notwithstanding the comment about loose pigment cakes in pans.

Rosacea

Preparations for a wonderful holiday in Italy have delayed this month 's posting. While not of a creative nature, the subject is nevertheless an important one for those who have to deal with it on a daily basis.

Rosacea is a skin condition that is often mistaken for acne vulgaris (the bane of many a young person going through adolescence), but it is different in a number of ways. For starters, it is not about raging hormones, blocked pores and over-production of sebum. Almost the opposite, as it tends to be a condition in older people. It is also limited to the face and eyes, whereas acne can also be a problem on other parts of the body, especially the back.

Although the exact causes of rosacea are not well understood, and a number of explanations can be found on the internet, there seems to be a link between age and genetics. Fair-haired and pale-skinned people into their 50s and beyond are more likely show symptoms. These may include swelling of some parts of the face, redness of facial skin, the appearance of tiny veins on the face, spots resembling acne, growth and swelling of the end of the nose, and redness in the eyes.

Some symptoms (types) will come and go in response to triggers such as stress, weather, temperature, chemicals and even diet, but others such as spider veins and swelling of the nose cannot be reversed without medical treatment. Rosacea sufferers will try to control or minimise their triggers based on a process of trial and error, to prevent uncomfortable and/or embarrassing flare-ups. Some products (e.g., cosmetics) can be used to hide some of the effects of rosacea.

I was diagnosed with rosacea in my mid-40s. I had endured acne since becoming a teenager, and had managed to control it for the most part, but I was never entirely free of it in 30 years. Perhaps it was in my genes that I would develop rosacea; but I think that my long-suffering face had been subject to too many acne creams, gels, lotions, and soaps. Not to mention topical antibiotics, unprotected sun exposure and 18 harsh Canadian winters!

It seems that I get occurrences of most of the the rosacea types, thankfully not too severe. I have since had low-dose treatment with Accutane, and undergone rhinoplasty to improve the state of my nose. I use Metrogel fairly regularly to help control any inflamed areas.

I try to avoid getting any sort of product on my face, as this generally causes irritation and inflammation. I have to be especially careful about shampoos and skin cleansers. (Anything with a fragrance is usually trouble!) In the summer, over-exposure to the sun is a problem, so it is a juggling act to find a gentle sun screen coupled with a gentle cleanser to remove it afterwards. I am still trying to work out which ingredients are most irritating...

When all is said and done, there are many people worse off than myself: I will never look that great -- especially up close -- but it is not a life-threatening condition.