THIRTLE BRIDGE CAMP

[Wizzel]

Good afternoon all,

as you know, I don't get chance to bring much to the table, but of late I have been engrossed in this diorama of Thirtle Bridge Camp that the chap who runs Withernsea Lighthouse has asked me to do for their Great War Centenary exhibition.  I thought that while I remembered about the website, I may as well post a few pictures of how it is coming along.

Thirtle Bridge camp, built in 1916, was located on the Roos to Withernsea road and was used as a convalescent hospital, a training camp for the Lancashire Fusiliers and was also home to a coastal defence battalion. 

The initial stages were spent chatting with Tony at the lighthouse and finding out what exactly he was after and what sort of size he was looking for.  The area he had allocated was 3' x 4', so I then made contact with Stuart, the chap who lives in what used to be the Officers' Mess.  He was kind enough to get permission for me to walk the ground, which is now farmland, view the other remaining building and give me some copies of old family photographs from the 1950s showing the Mess more or less how it was back then.

I decided that as not much information was available about the camp itself, there would be a lot of artistic licence involved (I use the word "artistic" in the loosest sense!) and based much of the building style on photographs of Clipstone Camp near Mansfield which was used between 1915 and 1920.  I also decided that rather than try and build the whole camp (with very little information on layout etc) which would mean a rather small scale - less than 1/144, I would go for 1/72 (approx.) which meant that I would be able to build a section of the camp with a reasonable amount of detail in it and also be able to add figures and vehicles to generally give it a bit of life.

It is one of those projects that will be finished but never completed.  Having chatted with Tony, he quite likes the idea of it being a "living" diorama that will change over the months as I intend to add to it as I make more little bits to out in there.  I am also planning on some small cameo diorama in a larger scale to sit on stilts above the camp to depict activities connected with the camp that took place in the local area; eg - the gunnery practice at Rolston, a bunker on the sea front for coastal defence and so on.

Things are going well so far and I am immensely enjoying the project.  It is entirely scratch-built so far and I hope to remember to add to this post as I add to the camp.  Now, here goes the attempt to attach some photographs.....

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[zak]

Great work, well done Dave.
Dave

[Bigkev]

Hi Dave,
Nice to see your great work, look forward to seeing more of the diorama items in the future.
Well done that man!
Bigkev

[councilman]

Good work Dave.
Interesting history brought to life with some good modelling.
Andy.

[Wizzel]

Okay, things have progressed quite rapidly in the last couple of weeks - nowt like a bit of pressure to get yourself moving.  The Lighthouse bloke wants to display the model for the Easter opening, so, what with my few weeks off badly and in hospital, every spare moment has been spent cutting, gluing and painting bits of card, plastic and various other household objects together...

With less than one week to go, there is a mild feeling of panic - partly due to the arrival of the display case which, I was originally told was to be 3' x 4' (36" x 48") internal dimension and was simply going to be a Perspex hood which would either sit just on top of my base-board, or my base-board would go just inside it.  This has now turned out to be a glass and steel box with it's own fitted base-board so mine would have to slide inside through the hinged side.  internal dimensions being 33.5" x 44".  BUGGER.  As I had already started to add to contours (packing foam and mod-rock), I had to carefully turn it upside down on a pile of old sheets then mark out and saw off a couple of inches from each side.  this worked fine but left me with an scale area of 15' x 24' LESS than I was expecting.  Oh well, it would still work, the building would just be a little closer together.

This weekend saw most of the buildings now virtually complete; 5 accommodation huts, 1 x kitchen, 1 x admin block/arms store/drill shed, 3 x shower blocks, 1 x guardroom, 1 x sentry post and the perimeter fence and gate along the front.  Although far from perfect as construction goes, I have seen things improve in terms of quality and speed as I have got used to working with card, balsa and superglue and my confidence has grown.  I am particularly pleased with the Mk 1 perimeter fence.  The mesh is net curtain painted with natural steel acrylic.  The pattern on the mesh meant it was easier to get continuous strips of horizontal/vertical mesh.  For the Mk 2, I am making 45 degree mesh - smaller panels due to the pattern - and adding outward leaning post toppers with barbed wire strands along them, but this will be a slower time task.  For now I just need a fence in time for the display to go up, but the gate at the entrance is a taste of what it will look like.  The barbed wire is single strands of the net curtain with bits of the cross threads at either side and then twisted.  To me it looks spot on as barbed wire!  My other jewel is the guard room.  Still a few small bits needed such as fire buckets, but the door and booking out hatch (complete with upwards hinged window and shelf with booking in/out folder on it were great fun).

I have some work to do on the terrain and a few more small buildings to complete, then the really small details such as the lamps above the hut doors, goal posts for the sports pitch behind the guardroom, flagpole on the parade square and barrier for the sentry but these will be done with the help of my son, visiting for the week.  pictures of the finished (or rather, presentable - it will never be really finished as I intend to continue building and adding to it) diorama will be posted on Saturday.

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[Bigkev]

Hi Dave

EXCELLENT WORK!!

It looks really good and I really like the way you have created some of the diorama items from ordinary household items and given them a new purpose. Think I'll have to crib some of your idea's...............

Well done that man!

Bigkev

[zak]

Superb stuff Dave, you have been very creative in your use of other stuff. I look forward to seeing the real thing rather than photos.
Dave

[Wizzel]

Well, I now have the hobbies room back - or rather DCOS does.  The diorama is now at Withernsea Lighthouse and she has regained 3'x4' of floor space back - plus most of the work tops that I had commandeered for the duration.  The last few days saw me completing the buildings (with the exception of the Officers' Mess which will follow) and tidy up the terrain.  Friday night/Saturday morning (I got to bed at 0200) was putting the "foundations" around the buildings so they didn't look to be just planked on the ground and Saturday morning proper was the final touches on the terrain, the flagpole and just moving thing about for the sake of it.  We got it to the Lighthouse at 1400 and thankfully, the dimensions worked as it slid into the glass case a treat.  I left my little World War 2 German tank commander on the parade square - I had been using him throughout for sizing the buildings etc - just to give people an idea of proportion.  It will be interesting to see how many members of the public spot this.  Now for a short rest, catch up on the ironing and next week, I shall start something for myself before embarking on some bits and pieces to add to the camp and bring it to life.  If anyone has any knowledge of 1/72 scale model vehicles that are available from that era, civilian or military, I would be grateful.  Photographs will follow: as I was just about to upload them, the battery went dead on the camera!!!

[zak]

For vehicles etc. look on the Landships II website there is all sorts that might make your juices flow!

http://www.landships.info/landships/index.html

Hope this helps.

[Bigkev]

Hi Dave,

I shall make sure I pop into Withernsea Lighthouse and look at the display when next in town. I'll be glad to say 'I know that clever chap who made that'
Bigkev

[Wizzel]

Thanks Zak, I was on the site yesterday and although it gives many of the vehicles, it's getting the models (in 1/72) I'm struggling with.  May have to have a go at that scratch-building malarkey from the plans there though!

BigKev, if you're through on a weekend, let me know and you can come over for a brew.

Anyhow, pictures attached for your pleasure - or otherwise!

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[zak]

For vehicles etc. look on the Landships II website there is all sorts that might make your juices flow!

http://www.landships.info/landships/index.html

Hope this helps.

Try here
Looking good, I will also try to see the model at Withernsea.

Try this website for a list of models, you may need to translate it.

http://www.diorama1914.com/Pagina%20definitiva/lista%20de%20kits.htm

[councilman]

Now that's what I call a diorama. Cant wait to see it in the flesh.
Well done.
Andy.

[Wizzel]

Hello again.  Well stage 2 of the camp is just about done now.  I brought it back home a couple of weeks ago to add to it in time for the Lighthouse opening again for the new season today, so with just less than 12 hours before it has to be back, I thought I'd update you.

I've had trouble locating figures to populate it with, but wouldn't you know it, in the last few days I've found some but they aren't here yet!!!  That's not a big thing really though as I can get them ready at home and fix them in place on the camp in the lighthouse, so what I have managed to do in time is to build and install the Officers' Mess and shower annexe, add the barbed wire toppers on the fence and get a few figures done for the showers and the hut that is under construction.  The former were converted from Italieri Barbarian Warriors - I got me Dremel out and carved away the grass skirts and wild hair and the latter are the crew from the HAT Royal Horse Artillery set which are modelled in their shirt sleeves so ideal for grafting on a hut and I though the poses could easily be worked into that scenario.  Pictures of them will follow as the varnish is still drying on them just now.

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[Bigkev]

Hi Wizzel,

That looks really good matey. Love the showers, adds a touch of intrigue and humour into the diorama/model.
Keep at it.
Bigkev