Well. What a state we in, and no mistake! I hope all our members are keeping well, and I look forward to seeing everyone once we allowed to go out and about again.
News on the Cardi-Bach front is that due to the enforced lock-in, Pete Towns, our erstwhile treasurer has been able to do some sterling work in the Heritage Building.
He tells me he has put in cable trunking for the projector and sound system, and with the dry weather has been able to progress with the water ingress problem.
It is just such a shame that he has to do this unaided. Well done Pete!


On to Chuffer Duffers. Obviously we have been unable to meet, so we have missed out on Colin's homemade soups, Pats Chilli and garlic chicken, and Ty-Nant curries.
Maybe there has been some enforced modelling - we shall have to wait and see.

Mike, our long-distance Chuffer who lives up in the wilds of Llangadog (actually even wilder than Llangadog, but I have trouble spelling Llanduesant) Emailed me to say that they have started lambing.
Here is Mike, just to show you what a hard-working farmer looks like:

He attached a photograph of their first lamb:

Many thanks Mike,look forward to seeing you in a month or two.


On to other stuff.

As you probably know, I live in Llechryd, and Pat and Colin are in Cilgerran - just a mile and a half away.
At least, that was until the bridge was closed due to the havoc wreaked by the last storm. Now it's a fourteen mile round trip (or would be, if we were allowed out...)


The bridge is now firmly blocked off pending repairs - and seriously blocked off. When it was closed last year, people were just flaunting restrictions.
Now look:

The reason for the closure is damage to one or more of the supporting piers. The damage to one can be clearly seen, and there is possible scouring damage to the others.
Here are some shots of the damaged stone-work, and some of the timber that causes it:

I think it could well be closed for a while!



On to modelling.
A couple of weeks ago we set up Teifi Gorge to check it over prior to the Pembroke Dock Exhibition (sadly cancelled).
I took the opportunity to rewire a bit of the lighting circuit, and was struck by how unusual this view was:

The layout is still set up in the garage, so I put the curtain around it and took a quick snap to remind us of what it looks like:

Notice on the bench to the top left, there are some trees.
The result of a bit of an experiment passed on to us by a fellow modeller from Pembroke.

You start off with dried Sedum flower heads:

Dunk them in a solution of PVA and water, shake off the excess, and then liberally sprinkle the heads with flock powder of your choice:

Then spray them with a matt varnish. Bind some of the pieces together to make a bigger tree and make a trunk with hot glue.

Paint the trunks to suit, and you have a forest (that cost hardly anything!) Woodland Scenics eat your heart out...


Thats it for this post.
Take care everyone - hopefully back to normal soon.

Hwyl fawr,
Shaun.