Retro fashion wear for nerdy types

For once in my life, I might be being cool. You see, I've just bought a retro rucksack.

Unsurprisingly, it's a Beatties bag, but doesn't it have a hint of the oh so fashionable retro look?

It's actually quite a good bag. The capacity is generous, I'd estimate 35 litres based on my workaday bag. The material is a bit nylony but the shape would accommodate a decent sized box, or boxes of kits.

The straps are the only bit that lets it down - cheap webbing - but that's what we wore in the good old days...

Fashion advice

Spotted at Guildex, the guys on the Polak scenery stand:

 

If you think the image looks familiar, it's because it is the diorama I built for BRM using Polak products a few months ago:

 

What an excellent idea. Appearing on the catwalks in Paris soon, a range of clothes featuring photos of things I've built!

Talking of excellent, keep an eye open for the Polak Scenics website to be launched soon: www.polakscenics.uk

Quick question on badges

Which badge is most embarrasing ?
	Trollybus Museum
	Bachmann Collectors Club
	Star Trek Next Generation insignia/communicator
pollcode.com free polls

I ask, because all three were seen in front of my layout at Doncaster show this weekend. Different people but each within an hour of the others.

My feeling - Star Trek. I mean it's not going to work you know. No matter how many times you hit the thing, you don't get to talk to anyone and if you keep talking to a plastic thing on your lapel, people are going to start edging away from you. At least the wearer wasn't in full Starfleet uniform I suppose.

On the other hand, a collectors club for modern toy trains doesn't seem groovy to me either.

Honourable mention: Red beard with 2 inches of growth below the chin bound with a couple of elastic bands like some sort of hair-based corn dolly. Bet there's a Lord of the Rings 8-disk DVD set at home waiting for another quick viewing.

Fashion Advice

OK, it's late. I've spent the day at Hornby Magazine live exhibition answering questions and trying my best to sound intelligent followed by a 3 1/2 hour drive. I'm tired and have to go out in the morning.

Worse, Blogger decided today's post should be considered draft instead of making it appear as expected this morning. So, I have decided it will be held over until tomorrow.

Instead, I offer some fashion advice based on my observations yesterday. I know, I know, you don't come here for that sort of thing, but stick with me.

It doesn't matter how trendy your trousers are, or how much effort you put into your beatnik style facial hair. You can never, ever, be fashionable; if you are carrying a length of Peco concrete sleepered track.

That's all, thank you. I'm off to bed.

Sartorial planning

Now this is a new one on me. I take all sorts of stuff to exhibitions but have never considered a clothes rail.

This one was seen in the centre of the Gauge 1 layout "Stanley Midland". At first it seems an odd addition to the kit but on reflection, there will be a quite a crew as they only tend to bring a couple of locos each, and they will probably all have coats. The resulting pile would be quite a mound in the middle of the layout. Anyway, G1 modellers tend to be dapper chaps and so they won't want their tweeds on the floor.

Worse, they could actually be a fire hazard - coal fired locos can chuck out sparks from the chimney so loads of cloth lying around probably isn't a good idea.

The crucial thing though is that your model engineer likes to wear a workshop overall (think a laboratory coat but in brown, like the sort of thing Arthur English wore in "Are you being served") when operating his locomotive and this is incompatible with an overcoat. Hence, coats are replaced with more suitable apparel during the operating session.

This has me thinking - maybe a stylish chap should carry all the railway kit, and clothes, in a gentleman's travelling trunk !