Childhood memory ... Airfix

Childhood heaven

In my pre-teens and a bit into my teens I loved making airfix models like a spitfire or a warships they were fun to build but after finishing they never quite looked like the picture on the box.

When I was younger, the boxes of Airfix soldiers were my real love and if I had enough money, which was not that often, I would head to the shop and buy a box to add to my army. The figures were 1/32 scale in a fixed-pose and you would get 29 pieces in the box, a mix of snipers, kneeing soldiers, standing, grenade thrower and an officer.

There were other figures in the sets like the British commandos where one or two of the soldiers would have a grappling hook? why. You could also buy ready-made military vehicles to the 1/32 scale to add more to a young child’s experience. On a rainy day, it could help wined the hours away playing with my soldiers’ normally on my bed using my bedspread to make mountains and valleys. Like in real life the British always won and if somehow I messed up with the kill count it didn’t matter it was a easy fix.

I thought maybe I could revisit my childhood and acquire a box or two on E-bay but the prices of the original are pretty steep so putting my momentary quest back into my childhood on hold for now.