Done...

... almost. The Grant refurb that is. Chips, weathering, dust, pennants, all that is missing is crew for the turrets. I have a Matchbox Humber armoured car chap waiting, and I'll search about for another likely fellow. I know I have some Britannia 8th Army tank crew, but they are a bit bulky for Airfix armour, so I'll see what I have in the way of plastics. Anyway, here they are (at last!):

Looking at them now, I am reasonably pleased with how the refurb turned out. What didn't work, however, was the idea that I could do it quickly. It probably didn't take much less time than if I had done them from scratch. However, they've been given a new lease of life ... after nearly 40 years!

On another note, I was working at home today so I could enjoy coffee and pipe breaks in m'garden. The apple blossom is looking good:

Unfortunately, I can't remember the variety of the tree above. I bought it as a maiden in a bag (a gardener's term!) from Woollies, so it is 'the Woollies' apple'. However, I can remember this one:

It's a russet, which is, quite simply, a marvellous apple with rough khaki skin and very white flesh, and it keeps as well!

Today was one of those wonderful April days - bright sunshine (see above), then sudden, very heavy rain, a brief thunderstorm, more sunshine, and cold with it all. This is a good time of year, and, in the past, when I was a poet (!), one of my published efforts was:

'Familiar Aprils' appeared in NAVIS, Winter 1994/95. A much lamented (at least by me) magazine. I had to blow away dust and cobwebs to find a copy. We are like the grass...