Hello and welcome to my new blog! This site will now be the new home of THE SCALE MODEL HANGAR, my place on the web for showcasing my builds, commission work and my musings about this wonderful hobby of scale modelling.

My interests are WWII and modern military aircraft, armour, figures, science fiction and diorama subjects in various scales. I tend to work mostly in 1/32,1/35 and 1/48 scales.

I am for the most part a solitary modeller and I refer to myself as a “scale model artist” I use this term as for me this hobby is an art form just like any other. The debate over modelling as an art form will go on and on, for me, it is. You can read my musings on that subject here:First Post.

I research, build, paint and finish a work that will capture a moment in history, tell a story, spark someone’s imagination or just make someone smile. At least that’s the idea!

My journey into this hobby began when my wife and I took a stroll through a small parade of village shops where we used to live and she noticed a shop front with lots of model aircraft in the window.  Knowing of my love for military aviation she guided me over and we went inside. We ended chatting with the owner and I left with a cheap 1/72 Typhoon and some Humbrol paints which next I duly began playing with the next afternoon on our dining room table. I enjoyed building this model so much I went and bought another one, now in 1/48 scale. Next came modelling magazines and more builds and before I knew it, I had commandeered the spare bedroom in our house as my own hobby room.

Life went on with its highs and lows and I went through losing my job, finding a new career and relocating to another part of the world. We were blessed with the arrival of my son and my wife asked me to find another way of painting without using smelly paints and noisy compressors. It was common sense, spraying in a room next door to a nursery is not a good idea. The solution was to take my hobby outside of the house so I built a hobby studio in our garden. There I built, painted and showed my models on forums and made new friends. Two of my closest friends are scale modellers. Thanks to them I have shared some amazing experiences and I have learned so much and laughed so hard. It’s been an incredible journey and I owe them so much.

After suffering a severe spinal injury in 2015 I was left without the use of my right arm and often without sight in my right eye. I was in unspeakable pain and scared that I would lose my life as I knew it. I was extremely fortunate to be seen by an excellent doctor who sent me to a hospital that would be able to operate on me  in the hope of easing my pain. Seven months later I made a recovery and I was able to use my hands again. It was a long , hard road but eventually I returned to work and managed to put my life back together with the love and support of my family and friends.

Due to my injury I found  myself with a disability that has changed my life. I have to take medication every day, do physiotherapy every day and I have to struggle everyday to do things that are easy for most others. I live with pain every day but I manage, because I have to. With all of this I came to the conclusion that life is too short. It certainly is!

Returning to my studio that had lain empty and unused for so long I knew I would need to make some changes to accommodate my needs. I put a call out to my mates and over three days last summer we worked our socks off to renovate my studio and we renamed it “The Scale Model Hangar” Now I can enjoy my spare time building models for myself and for others by commission in a comfortable and peaceful environment. That’s my dream, to enjoy building models and for others to enjoy them too. This place is my sanctuary, where I escape the daily grind and enjoy my hobby.

I a not the greatest modeller in the world-far from it! I’m just a guy who’s lucky to be here and be able to do what I do. With each build I seek to better myself and my work.

I hope you enjoy my models and my musings, take care and Happy Modelling!

Darren.