I can find modelling tools anywhere...

The British Tarantula Show might not seem the obvious place to go to find modelling tools. To be honest, that wasn't what I was expecting when I went along. In fact, I didn't know what to expect at all, but it was 10 minutes drive and only a fiver to go in - and I was curious.

The first surprise was that although there were tables full of spiders for sale in little plastic pots, there customers also wanted creepy crawlies. Millipedes the side of a Twix finger, twice as long and with an awful lot of legs for example. Quite attractive in their own way...

African snails are quite a size too. I don't get these, I mean you can't cuddle them, can you? All you have a is a huge mollusc leaving slime everywhere. Fun for a few minutes, but after that, you've still got to feed it.

Anyway, after a fascinating chat with a stallholder about the virtues of whistling cockroaches, I found a tool stall.  

A few quid later, I'd re-stocked my pipette supply, bought some metal tweezers and a new spritzing bottle for ballast. That and some useful plastic tubs with hinged lids on top. Perfect for ballast and scenic materials as you don't need to open them fully to get a bit out. Far safer if they get knocked over!