Morning Gang!
Yep, it's here! The final newsletter of 2023. It's been a fun year on the whole, I think. And to be perfectly honest as I sit here at my desk on this windy Thursday morning (it's actually very windy outside… the sprouts haven't kicked in just yet), looking at the office Christmas tree twinkling away in the corner of the mezzanine, I can't really remember what's happened over the last 12 months! It's all a bit of a blur to say the least! There's been some incredibly challenging times but some blummin good ones too.
What is really clear in my mind though is all the things I still need to get done before we hang up the orange shirts in a few hours to spend some time doing absolutely naff all! There's still emails to be answered. Tina's still busy lasering to get the last few orders out. Klaire's picking & Carl's packing. Kate's somewhere in the Canary Islands and Sam's got the day off… Stu's probably busy delivering crazy amounts of food to people all around Cornwall as part of his other day job. So, it's all go until about 2pm this afternoon then it's a pasty of lunch before we turn off the lights and then that'll be it for a few days. It's funny how all the things you meant to get done over the past few weeks but have forgotten, suddenly come to mind in the final minutes… then you start to flap! But it is what it is…
We've not even had chance this year to shoot one of our notoriously cheesy Christmas videos! So, the written word will have to suffice this year… here goes.
On behalf of all of us here at Scale Model Scenery & Railway Modellers, I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU for all your support this year. We've said it before, I know, but without you guys, none of this would be possible, or worthwhile. Seeing what you create, fuels our passion and encourages us to do more of what we do. Every year we get to make more friends and build stronger relationships with those that have been supporting us since day 1. We've seen some fantastic layouts being posted in the Railway Modellers Club over the year and it's amazing watching everyone's skills develop as time progresses.
Thank you to everyone that's sent Christmas cards, emails, messages… even Christmas cakes & tubs of chocolates! We will endeavour to be more organised next year so we can send out Christmas cards too with a bit of luck! We're thinking of you all and hope you have an absolutely wonderful festive break, whether you're into the whole Christmas thing or not. Eat, drink and be merry… But not too much… don't want the indigestion to flare up! Spend time doing the things you love. If you're seeing family & friends, enjoy yourselves… and it's only a Sunday roast at the end of the day so try not to get too stressed. And if you're doing something different… whatever you're doing… have a good one! For those who find this time of year lonely or a time of struggle, we hope you find some joy, laughter and smiles along the way.
Who knows what 2024 holds… but I'm weirdly excited! I've got lots of ideas. Some very big ones! Lots of things to try. Just need to get better at distilling them from my cluttered mind and make them happen. Not a clue how to make half of it become a reality, but they say it's all about the journey don't they! Got to give it a shot at least.
Right… I'm going to stop waffling now… Because Sam's compiled a quadrivium of quality videos for our final newsletter of 2024…
Dylington Model Railway Christmas Video
Sam here again - We couldn't start our Christmas videos with anything other than the official Dylington Model Railway Christmas video, could we? From the one and only James (jeg_60 in the modellers club), Dylington is looking absolutely splendid and incredibly festive! I'm aware that quite a few of you may have seen this already, but we wanted share it with everyone that doesn't frequent the Railway Modellers community. The Dylington channel on YouTube is filled with lots of great videos to enjoy too!
Lemax Christmas Village
Our next video comes from Matthew & Coffee and features Lemax's 2023 Christmas layout. Lemax is a brand founded in 1990 who specialise in model village collectibles. This layout can be found at the Monktonelm Garden centre in Taunton and while it's more toy like than our usual stuff, it's great for a bit of inspiration for animation & cameo scenes.
Another Great Japanese Layout
Last week I featured a city layout by Japanese YouTuber NekoNekoRailway and this week I wanted to feature another layout from Japan. This video comes from Core Mulk, who I couldn't find out much about except for the fact they are great at modelling. On his channel he also features train POV videos going about their N gauge layout. I would definitely recommend having a scroll through their channel.
Knaresborough - Worlds End 4mm/ft Layout
Finally, bringing it back to the UK we have a very impressive OO gauge layout. This video comes from PILENTUM who, if you recall, is the same channel who uploaded the stunning 1:35 layout from a couple of newsletters ago. Pete Goss, the creator of this layout, who I'm sure you'll all know, has done a cracking job filling every scene with life. See more of his work on his website here.
Last Minute Stuff - Gift Cards
If you're stuck for gift ideas for the modeller in your life and you've left it too late for Mr Postman, don't forget we do eGiftCards. They're delivered be email so they're super convenient. Super easy to purchase and super easy to use. And the best bit is… unlike other gift cards, they don't expire so you can use them whenever you wish! Click here to order a Gift Card.
Next week then… Kate & Carl will be lasering and dispatching orders on the 27th, 28th & 29th. Then we'll all be back to normal from the 2nd of January. Our telephone lines are currently closed until the 2nd of January, but if you need to get in touch between now and then, just drop us a line through the help desk. Just tap or click on Submit a Ticket. I'll be monitoring emails and tickets over the holiday but please allow a little longer for replies.
And as the last parcels leave HQ… the lasers are switched off and cleaned down… all we have left to say folks is have an amazing weekend folks… Enjoy the festive season if you can… but most importantly…
Keep on shunting…
Justin, Tina, Elizabeth, Lola & The Team
P.S. This weekend's header image of course, features the wonderful Dylington Christmas Lights looking absolutely fantastic on James's layout this Christmas.
P.P.S.
Last minute restocks… in case anyone's been waiting for these… we finally have the Gaugemaster Seafoam Trees back in stock after about a 6 month wait!
P.P.P.S. Missed a newsletter? You can read all of our recent newsletters online here.