10/22/2024
I made a trip to Europe last week with an outstanding group of gentlemen we affectionally referred to as the “Battlefield Detectives”. We stomped around storied grounds in four countries (the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and set foot in Germany on their side of the river L’Oure) the first day there! I can’t thank John Bonanni and the rest for including me in the trek. For more and better details than I can put down, see recent posts from John Bonanni, TJ Haller, Jackson Stanton, Jensen Taylor, Mikkel Petrich, Angel Garcia-Ablanque-Ablanque, and my roommate, Timothy Holland. I saw so many beautiful, awesome places and historic battle sites during those three days, but none moved me as much as our stop in the Ardennes between Bastogne and Foy, where the 101st's Band of Brothers made their stand during that awful winter. I must admit stepping away from the group as I was choking back some tears of emotion. I’m still getting goosebumps as I think of it.
Saturday and Sunday, I repped Modellers Without Borders at the Scale Model Challenge show in Eindhoven with my fellow Board members Tim Holland and Bruce Worrall. Again, there are far better recounts of the show than I can post from my band of battlefield detectives noted above. Suffice to say that this was the most memorable of the many scale modelling shows I have attended in my 50+ years in the hobby. I met so many wonderful people that I have only known through the internet until now. I won’t remember every name, but John Murphy “Spud" and the rest of the Four Corners Modelling Club, Robert Blokker, Chris Meddings, Bas Slaats, JC Windels, Maarten Vlutters, Marco Lips, Martin Hulst, Bart Teunis, and many others. Thanks for your warm welcome and fellowship at the show. Robert Crombeecke and his crew throw a hell of a modelling party that goes off without a hitch. I wish I had been able to take more time to wander through the figures and marvel at the art on display. Those of us putting together Modellers Without Borders learned much from our time in Eindhoven at .
Lastly, (not to brag, but incredibly proud of these) I managed to bring home some hardware from this storied exhibition. The quality of work at this show is legendary. I had no expectations of any awards consideration. I only wish I had time to find the judges for standard small scale armor and beginner figures for some feedback on my entries there. I am glad to be home, and stoked with mojo to get back to the modelling desk with my build night buddies tonight, but will be telling stories from this trip for many years to come. Huge thanks to JB for putting up with this old guy.
