My name is Gareth Evans, and I live in the midlands of England. I recently completed my 50th lap of the Sun, and to celebrate that my wife Sarah took seriously my jokey suggestion that I would like the Model Factory Hiro 787B as my present, which is why I can produce this blog.
Like many kids in the 70s and 80s I was often found building an Airfix kit, usually on the kitchen table at my grandparents’ house, usually started during World of Sport, completed before the end of Songs of Praise, and usually with a huge gluey fingerprint on one of the clear parts. They were rarely painted, with just the decals (or ‘transfers’ as they were called then!) applied to the bare plastic. I continued building until my late teens, when I went off to university and simply didn’t have time any more. I didn’t pick the hobby back up again when I’d finished studying, and although my models got lost in several house builds I kept all my tools and paints. I often thought of starting again, and in 2009 I decided to have a go at a Revell 1/72 Hunter, and I was hooked again. What was most unexpected was the positive effect on my mental health. Spending several hours totally absorbed in the modelling process is a perfect therapy for an over-thinking, anxious mind.
Ten years later modelling is a daily activity, taking place in my purpose built shed at the bottom of the garden. I’ve made some great friends, and regularly display my work at shows around the country, and even been awarded medals in competitions.
My main area of interest is centred on the Falklands War, mostly 1/48 aircraft but also ground vehicles and figures. Every now and then a change of scene is needed and then I’ll pick up a Sci-Fi kit, or a racing car or bike. (I’m a huge motorsport fan as well.)
Building the Model Factory Hiro 1/12 Mazda 787B 