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I think I was around 8 years old when I made my first kit, the Airfix Saab Viggen. Soon after, I got into 1/72 wargaming & could turn out an Airfix Panther from opening the blister pack to last decal in an hour, including 2 colour camo! I've still got all those old tanks boxed up, but almost all the other models from those days were scrapped long ago. As I got older and school work increased, the model making fell by the wayside.

Around 30 years later, having become fed up of falling asleep in front of the PC or TV, I decided I needed a hobby where I actually had to DO something. As it happened, Amazon recommended a model kit to me. Why not? Some of my later kits from the old days were getting quite decent results.

So in January 2015, I bought the Soar Art 1/35 Dora, because I can't do things by halves! That's on hold until I have decided where it will live when finished. In the intervening time, I've got very good at buying kits, but far less good at getting on with building them.

What has been noticeable is the changes in the kits over the years. No longer are the kits just plastic parts. Now you get resin, photo-etched brass, aluminium & whitemetal parts, either in the kit or as additional options from third parties. Paints have been supplemented by filters, washes & pigments. There's a lot to learn!

Having read a lot of kit reviews, I've seen a lot of reviewers complain about a variety of perceived flaws in various kits, whether ejector pin marks, fit of parts or whatever. Whilst I can't deny that they're often right in what they say, my view is that the challenge of our hobby is to be able to turn even the poorest kit into something that looks good. That's the mark of a true craftsman, rather than simply a kit assembler. That's what I'm trying to achieve. Looking at my stash, you will notice a wide cross section of manufacturers of varying qualities and kits dating back to the sixties. Several kits have been started by others, several have broken or miscast parts. The challenge is to take what is flawed and create something good out of it. That's the challenge of the hobby to me. Every kit is a learning experience. A plane needs a different skill set and approach than you need with a tank or a car. I'm looking forward to the next lesson.