Tuesday, 9 December 2014

Christmas is coming

It is difficult to think that the Christmas period will be over in a matter of weeks, and we'll all be thinking of the New Year and all the resolutions it will bring with it.

Every year MrsJ and I have difficulty thinking of things to buy for each other, but this year we are both happy with our choices (we've had to liaise, so no surprises, though I have got something tucked away in the shed (she'll never look there) for the morning in question. She asked me if I'd get her engagement ring enlarged, as her finger is now too big and she wants to wear it next August during daughter's wedding. I was happy to oblige and suggested a reciprocal arrangement whereby she got me something I really wanted. Both sides happy.

My choice is

 a 1/350 scale model of the Flower Class corvette 'HMS Pennywort', known to my late father and his shipmates as 'The Fighting P'. He served in her ,during the recent spot of bother, for all his wartime service, apart from some time at Whale Island at the end, mostly plodding backwards and forwards across the Atlantic shepherding precious cargoes to our shores. Pennywort is one of the ships mentioned in Martin Middlebrook's book 'Convoy'. Unfortunately my father died just before a letter arrived from Middlebrook requesting an interview. I know he would have found the tales interesting - I did, when he was chinwagging with his mates of the RNA when they came round of an evening.
Anyway, I came across this little model advertised on Amazon and it will soon be mine - only a couple of weeks to wait. I shall really enjoy the construction of it, and will be taking extra care over the finish.

That's enough waffling from me, it just remains to wish you all the complements of the season with all the best to you and yours.

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4 comments:

  1. The Good Soldier Svjek10 December 2014 at 02:57

    A Merry Christmas to you and yours , Tony

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  2. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com10 December 2014 at 06:12

    I wish you much joy of it. Whst a wonderful connection to have.

    Now when I hear corvette I think HMCS Sackville now restored and part of the Maritime Museum. When I worked downtown in the 80s and 90s I would often see her on my lunch breaks but before that, before she was restored, when I was a young Subbie doing Harbour Control Watches, she was a working Government research vessel under our control. It is a VERY tenuous connection to those hardy sailors who guarded the convoys across those "cruel seas" but it still tickles me a little.

    ReplyDelete
  3. joppy10 December 2014 at 10:44

    It seems very strange how few of the class survived when you consider how many were produced at the time. It also seems amazing to me that these (mostly young) lads spent so much time in such small boats in such dangerous waters.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Syari27 September 2018 at 19:29

    love this blog!
    brio

    ReplyDelete

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