My Dad would have been 99 today! He didn’t get near having died 40:years ago. I am convinced he set me on the road to the hobby. He used to pick up Military Modelling on his way home for me from John Menzies, he took me to the NMS , then in Queens Street, where l poured over the finds on display not to mention the big model Broch and the life size reconstruction of an ancient British chariot and bought me Almark books off his own back.
We drove down and back in a day to Hadrian’s wall , a number of times, he was a keen friend of Vindolanda, where l was shown the sights and had them explained to me , to Vindolanda where he bought me Roman nails for my home museum, long gone. He also got me Roman coins from shops which l loved especially the fact they had once been held by ancient hands.
After a family holiday to Switzerland where we discovered Elastolin figures for the first time, my Dad sourced a chap in Briton who imported them and sold them from a typed picture less catalogue. I still have some of figures and the wee grey card boxes they came in.
Dad was destined to work in the family pork butcher shop but his mother, my grandma, wanted more for him and helped him to apply for scholarship exams for the Royal High School in Edinburgh which he passed and subsequently went to school there. He was the first in the family to go to university ( Edinburgh) and became a solicitor. German immigrant stock made good.
When he died we found all his Airfix kits and figures in the loft, those he had worked on in the sixties, lots of Blood hound rockets and jeeps, tanks etc all organised made and meticulously sorted into 1 to 1 scale units. The project died as I believe my mother frowned on a solicitor having such a childish hobby, so all was mothballed in the loft.
My dad loved ships, making lists of them and Jane’s Fighting Ships.
He was a great dad and husband.
He sounds like such an interesting man and you were lucky to be guided into wargaming by him.
ReplyDeleteThe influence of fathers and mothers on hobbies are incalculable. Your story is heartwarming especially [to me] the sourcing of Elastolin figures.
ReplyDeleteStephen
Hi Alan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a deeply moving tribute. Your dad sounds like he was a magnificent chap—bringing home Military Modelling from John Menzies, collecting Roman coins, and sourcing those imported Elastolin figures shows what a supportive father he was. Seeing that mothballed Airfix collection in the loft must have been quite something. He clearly planted the seeds for a wonderful, lifelong passion!
All the best, Andy
Moving blogpost indeed Alan. You had a lovely and caring Dad. Your blogpost also makes me see those Swiss Elastolin figures I posted last autumn in a brand new view.
ReplyDeleteHe sounds like a sound man and loving father Alan.
ReplyDeleteChris/Nundanket
Lovely memories of your father Alan. I also have an Elastolin story connected to my parents which I will share in a suitable blog post at some point. Considering Elastolin were quite rare in the UK, they seem to have impacted a few young soldier lovers lives.
ReplyDeleteCheers for sharing your memories Alan, your Dad sounded like a great bloke.
ReplyDeleteWillz.
OBTW was also born on the anniversary of the battle of Crecy.
DeleteWillz.
Lovely memories!
ReplyDeleteSo very lucky to have such an encouraging father! I'm sorry he died so relatively young, though, and that your mother frowned on his hobbies. A great pity!
ReplyDeleteA fine late or timeless Father’s Day account. How lucky we both are to have had such encouragement from and contact with our Dads. (I’m sure my Dad read Military Modelling first dibs on the train home from work.)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a wonderful dad Alan. My own father (also a solicitor, as it happens) was a model railway fan, and generally had something under construction throughout my childhood. He also built a few Airfix kits for me when I was 6 or 8 years old - I remember a twin engine WW2 German aircraft (possibly ME110) and HMS Warspite complete with plasticine as ballast in her hull, so she would float in the bath! He and my mum also set up a painting production line for Airfix Napoleonic Highlanders for me....but I do remember my mum quoting a bible text about "when I became a man, I put away childish things" when I was mid teens and still interested in "toy soldiers" .....it must be a female thing!
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