The first 50 Years as a Model Engineer

 
 

After 17 years as a centre lathe turner in light engineering, and seeing no future in it, and being a very keen model maker, I decided in November 1967 to give the customary one weeks notice to the company, and launch myself on the world as a Freelance Model Engineer.  I had over the previous 3 years, built and sold several models in my spare time, and on the 6th of August 1967 Christies of London, sold a model of the  ‘SE5A’, together with models of a 22 gun ‘Felucca’ and the Brig ‘Fame’ for me.  This and the contacts that I had made, particularly (the late) Lord Montague, who commissioned the ‘Bucklers Hard’ Model and the first of the automobile models was sufficient, I thought, to take the plunge - and thankfully it has worked out OK.  The following illustrate some of this early work, most of which was with ships, my first love, at which, after some 280 automobile miniatures, I have now returned with the ‘Falls of Clyde’ trio of models - the first two here - and the third in the making.

Further examples of this very early work can be seen here - and - here