BRING SOMETHING BACK

This years holiday in Cyprus was mostly taken up with wedding preparations, but there was still time for a little fun. In one of the big department stores was a huge range of pool toys, such as inflatables, boats and diving aids. 

One such toy was a set of four weighted rockets or torpedoes, which were designed to be thrown in the pool and then retrieved. At only €2, I snapped up a set, not that I would be diving in the deep end to fetch them, but as they were perfect fodder for modelling! 

So after a few dips in the pool by the grandkids, I collected them from the poolside on the last day and popped them in my case to bring home to Blighty. The black and army green ones were very reminiscent of the German V2 rocket, so that informed my idea of what to do with them. 

A good spray of black primer and a little silver dry brushing hid the decals and soon had one of the torpedoes looking nicely rocket like.

Shortly after, I decided to take my spare Airfix Gun Emplacement parts and make a rocket test base. I had already made a start on the base earlier in the year, so I added a gantry and a couple of covers on the trenches, to make it look more like a bunker. 

As I was looking for some figures to put on it, I came across a 00/HO man in a business suit and another figure in pinstripes and a bowler - immediately, I was put in mind of Bernard Quatermass and the ‘man from the ministry’!

So the rocket became Q1, Quatermass original test from the rocket group and the bunker became a British Rocket Group Secret Base, somewhere out on the moors.

Some Corgi garage staff were drafted in as maintenance technicians to ready the launch.

I recalled the Matchbox Volkswagen Camper that Quatermass arrives in at the start of the Quatermass Xperiment with the radio set in the back in lieu of the engine! “Q1, Q1 Caroon, Green, Rechenheim - can you here us, over?”

 

The Airfix Gun Emplacement set as it should be and the 1/72 scale wooden version my dad built for me in the early Seventies.