The Greys

I have fond memories of building Airfix kits with my father and brother during the 1970s and 80s. Although we built a variety of boats, cars and tanks, it’s the aeroplanes – particularly the large scale Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire – that stick in my mind most. How fondly I recall the arguments over whether to build them with the undercarriage up or down and how best to paint them. And of course I’ll never forget the joy of floating small transfers in water, sliding them off their paper backing, and then finding they would rather stick to me, to themselves or, in fact, to absolutely anything in preference to the model.

Whilst Airfix and other model kits were just a fun hobby for me, Vince took them far more seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he became a professional model maker for a number of years, including a period working for the Tussauds Group (mainly doing exhibition and design models, though, not wax celebrities).

Even before then he was creating wonderful models, including a life-size reproduction of the death mask of Tutankhamun.

Unfortunately for Vince, he was unable to find a good reference for the inscriptions on the rear of the death mask, so although his reproduction looks great from the front, it’s a little too plain when viewed from behind. It also means his staff of Ra was too long, so he never did find the Ark of the Covenant. Or perhaps I’m confusing him with someone else.

Although my last Airfix kit was many years ago, Vince is still making models (and available for commissions). Perhaps you’ll recognise his current work in progress…

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