With my furlough continuing I think I'm getting a taste of what retirement might be like and how I'll fill my time.
Since being a kid I've happily filled my time with 'stuff' to do. My own 'hobbies'. My older brother nicknamed this stuff I did as 'projects', so I'll stick with that.
Looking back these projects have probably been part of much bigger crazes of mine and gave me the crucial outlet I needed to indulge my creative side. Nowadays I suppose another word for crazes would be passions. I have no practical skills like DIY or car maintenance but I do tinker where I can. I've no passion for them though, which can be a pain.
When it comes to what I was and am passionate about it's odd because I can remember all my crazes and many of my projects but I can't remember sitting down to eat with my parents as a kid for example. How strange is memory!
Kickstarted by the being a kid in the Sixties generally and a natural sense of wonder, in chronological order I'd say these were my crazes coming right up to the present day:
1. Monsters, horror and Space - this craze lasted throughout my life and is still going strong! Comics, toys, films, everything!
2. Football - very brief childhood flirtation with footy, buying Shoot comic and collecting badges
3. Cars - die-casts and plastic like Hot Wheels, Superfast, Whizzwheels, King Size and plastic
4. Pop - centred largely around David Bowie, Elton John, Slade and Top of the Pops
5. Rock - centred on Budgie, Lou Reed, Rush, Deep Purple, PFM and Old Grey Whistle Test
6. Martial Arts - eastern philosophy, Kung Fu, Judo, Karate, weapons and Inside Kung Fu magazine
7. Music - writing songs - melodies and lyrics - formed two rock bands as a teenager
8. Birds - and wildlife/ flowers - centred on a living at the Ouse Washes Reserve for a year
9. Poetry - I began writing aged 12 and got really into poetry and poets aged about 26 for a few years
10. Toy collecting and selling - began with an old SPV in a junk shop - powered by Model Mart mag.
11. Writing - throughout my innings; poems, songs, short stories and my two current blogs.
Weaving though all of these was a desire to make something, whether it be my own monster puppet show when I was a kid, my own pop scrap books, creating chinese Kung Fu weapons, painting, drawing birds and wildlife, designing my own toy selling letterheads and so on. Drawing, writing and making things have been a constant since I was a kid and have often been the outlet for all my passions, hobbies and crazes.
As a kid I was excited about ongoing projects at home that I could hardly wait to finish school and carry on. I remember about age 12 and a Japanese scroll I was writing on a long piece of wallpaper, I could barely contain my joy at the prospect of carrying on with it and burst through our house door after school straight up to my room where it was waiting for me!
I'm like that now to be honest. Pure excitement when a project is happening like the junk Thunderbirds models I made this Lockdown and a box and boat I've restored last week. The trouble I have is the downside. The gaps in between, which I can find difficult and miserable. I've had to get used to these adult ups and downs, which I didn't have as a kid. It was one big up.
Have you had any crazes in your life readers?
The worlds of Gerry Anderson from as far back as I can remember and still very much with me. Blakes 7 was a major part of my life for many years and was pivotal in so much that I did and where I went and even people I hung out with. I was also obsessed by Star Trek, Planet of the Apes X Files and Kate Bush! Most of my interests have always stayed with me. Creatively I have always made stuff, models and artwork. I'm not to prone to down times between projects thankfully.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like me Kev. Yeah, I suppose obsessions is a good word to describe our passions. Glad you don't have downtime. Its a right pain! PS. loved Kate Bush as well. My fave album is Lionheart with the title track being my fave song. Judie Tzuke was joint tops with Kate circa 1979./80
DeleteA Christmas present in the early 1970s changed my life forever. An elderly lady, a friend of my Mother's, gave me a Biggles book one year. Once I read that (Biggles of the Special Air Police, Dean & Son hardback edition), I was hooked on aviation. That led to model aircraft kits and other types of model, that led to writing articles on models for various British magazines. Then came die-cast models in the 1990s, which would eventually lead to writing five books (so far), all model related. Writing meant learning how to use a camera so I could illustrate my articles - otherwise I had no real interest in photography. My main interests have been aircraft, military vehicles, kits, die-casts, plus films and television, especially the works of Gerry Anderson. But everything I do today goes back to Biggles, and that Christmas present from a very kind lady. Thank you, Mrs Bundock.
ReplyDeleteDya know Paul I've never read any Biggles. It just passed me by, dunno why. It happens. I've never read any Flashman or seen Jeeves and Wooster. I suppose we camt see and read everything but I'm glad Biggles gave you life's spark like monsters did for me. You'll find a fellow Biggles fan in reader Terranova47.
DeleteHi Paul, you did a pretty good job on Sarge! - Talking of which part two is due on shortly.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch Bill. It was fun to write and read thanks to Radio Celtica!
DeleteIt's interesting Woodsy that between projects you have a lull.
ReplyDeleteWhen my parents were alive and I travelled frequently back and forth from NYC to London I would reread my childhood Biggles books on the flight. These days my Biggles collection sits in Connecticut and I read them before bedtime.
So in my case between the continuing childhood practices of model building, painting toy soldiers and railway modelling remains Biggles.
Biggles passed me by Terran for some reason but I'm glad it's brought you so much pleasure. I like re-reading novels I read years ago, usually pulp horror from the Eighties. Painting toy soldiers fascinates me but I've only tried it once with two small samurai models my parents got me circa 1974. Have you got a toy soldier blog?
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DeleteIf you ever make the time or have the inclination I would suggest reading 'Biggles Learns to Fly' as an introduction to WW1 aviation.
DeleteFor me the WW1 stories coincided with Airfix kits of WW1 aircraft being released.
A later Biggles story, possibly my favourite book, is 'The Cruise of the Condor'. Written in the 30's it's an adventure story that sets the tone for the Indiana Jones movies.
I contribute to Hugh Walters blog SMALL SCALE WORLD for model soldiers, my output would not support a blog of it's own.
As a former Graphic Designer I have a need for the paintbrush, hands on aspect of modelling which was lost when switching to computers and software.
I was stunned that you have never read a Biggles book. The author, Captain W.E. Johns (1893-1968), was himself a pilot in WW1, although in bombers rather than fighters. He began writing the Biggles stories in the early 1930s. He wrote so many they were still coming out after his death. I have not reread any of mine for a long time, but I owe everything in my life to these books. It is terrible and very sad that there are people in this world who have never read Biggles.
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