ChrisM's building and bodging

[chrism]

Just thought I ought to post and comment on my lack of progress and posting, but my father past away, earlier this week. While he was under the care of a specialist doctor, nobody expected or could foresee what has happened this week. The specialist who cared for him was shocked, as was everyone at our local doctors as nobody had or could see any of the symptoms. And it was not what the problem that the specialist who cared for him, caused his death. When he was admitted to hospital on Monday, everyone there, said he would be home in 48 hours and they thought from the tests they initially did that he had a viral infection... Alas, he has dead in 5 hours; and my mother and I had some awful conversations and discussions etc with doctors at hospital. Only consolation, Mum and I were there, and he did not suffer and we would not have liked to see him in hospital deteriorating for weeks wired up etc.

Consequently this week has just been a blur. Next week will be too, but Mum and I have agreed that that by 6th July we have got to try and get back to something near normal and I plan to try and be back in my own home/bed by then.

[PaulBradley]

Goodness. I am so terribly sorry to hear that Chris. My condolences to you and your mum.

[splash]

Sorry to hear the sad news, my condolences to you and your Mum, I hope every thing goes smooth for you over the coming weeks.

Regards Splash

[JohnRatzenberger]

Very sorry to hear that, my condolences to you and your mother.

[ShaunW]

That is terrible news Chris, my sincere condolences to you and your mother.

[chrism]

Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts. Everything just seems to keep getting worse. Each day we do something and realise what more mess we are in. Last week we spoke to the bank where my parents had a joint account and that was relatively fine. Mum can continue to use that account OK, and now we have the death certificate they want to see it and take p/copy of it and will transfer account to her. Whereas we did not know that whilst both she and he had a credit card from another bank/company; the card account was actually "solely his" and now we have told them, that account is frozen .... and we will have "issues" over the fact my mother did some shopping on the account in the past week.

[ShaunW]

You have my sympathies Chris. I have lost both parents and there were some matters to untangle in very difficult circumstances following both of their deaths but we got there in the end and I hope you will be able to do likewise.

[Ratch]

Sincere condolences Chris.

[TomW]

Just caught up with your thread Chris and I offer my deepest condolences. I shall be keeping you in my thoughts and I hope that you and your mother are able to get everything sorted without too many complications.

Regards

Tom

[chrism]

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts. It does mean a lot to us both. I just cannot believe the amount of "admin" and tooing and froing we now have .... and we have not got through every organisation yet, and in most cases have still got to hear back from the head office or "sensitive accounts/deceased... or whatever they call it in that company" for every organisation we have so far contacted with death certificate and copy of will, and the actual departments who number crunch and process the info we need to obtain can take upto 28 days and that's got to happen before we can proceed onto some other horrendous forms (I thought computerisation speeded things up - everything seems to work like it did back in Charles Dickens days) ...

[chrism]

Today has been a breakthrough day. 4 weeks and day ...
We now have "Dad" back at home and I have completed the first and hopefully final draft for a massive paperwork exercise and am happy with the figures .
We are liasing with new solicitor later this week so hopefully the 2 questions I have to ask regarding my form for those "doing it without a solicitor" ie probate .. he will answer ... as we are giving him business now immediately and in coming months...

As for my modelling room ... Mum and I have been in there the last 2 days and tidied up what she called a lot of mess . the stuff she identified for bin took up 2 shop carrier bags so not really much of a mess or problem at all.

My mothers idea of mess is not mine. I am a messy b***er and I am proud of it,

I've got a reasonable little lot to do - sort out the set of figure Paul sent over to paint; and given the circumstances I am now in, I now want to dispose of the church, windmill, garage and other stuff I have (whereas before they were ultimately for final inclusion for a family layout) - so need to base them with figures I am happy to "right-off/give away " on the respective bases and arrange to handover to Beano at Farnborough or Telford.

so progress and pictures soon ... and it is Cowes week and Fastnet soon too... so it might be September before I am relaxed smiling and back at my old table/modelling bench

[chrism]

With me now back home and rearing to do something, and also with slownet (as it was dubbed this year instead of fast...) over for another 2, I can now reveal that

the figure and accessory set Paul kindly sent over have all been dealt with, and these along with all my other offerings are ready to handover in Sept assuming me and Al make it to Farnborough.



I am now agreeable to pass over and let you have the church scene, garage, windmill and pub to use at Telford and wherever. Because of Dads death, I have taken some of his old lead figures off the church scene and have made/remodelled a few other plastic figures to at least provide a wedding scene in the church grounds. I will see what I can do with others for the pub garden in next couple weeks.

so, worst case scenario - everything I have committed too - is now ready to deliver - but if I have time I will try and put easily replaceable figures with all.

the village civil re-enactment group:


the miller and whoever outside the windmill - there are a few sacks corn outside too, but not visible in that photo


pub


Church wedding scene


garage


that then just leaves the war memorial /remembrance day scene, which I posted photo of ages ago, and will be bringing up with me, in November, specifically for you to use for that weekend.

[PaulBradley]

Very nice work, Chris!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Well Done !

[splash]

Well done Chris they look brilliant, the Land Rover in the garage scene, is that the one out of the Bloodhound set?