I am an inveterate mud lover.  By which I mean I miss the ting, ting, ting of rigging against masts, the popping of the mud worms' bubbles, the lapping of the incoming tide against a hull.So I gravitate towards semi maritime scenes, not necessarily anything to do with railways, but in this case it is, as the old Harbour line ran along the backs of all the Fisherman's Huts at Southwold.  The 3 foot line was supposed to deal with all the comings and goings of the harbour trade, but silt and a bar across the mouth of the Blyth that was for ever shifting put paid to the line's best wishes.
However, we don't let that sort of thing bother us, do we?  No, we model on like all's well with the world because, as with most of life, the fiction suits us better than the fact.
So, I am planning a set-piece that will show a short section of that harbour branch appearing and disappearing twixt huts, shed, boats and general impedimenta.

Starting with some sheds:-
Here's a couple of smaller Fisherman's Huts.  A well cared for one, whose owner has been trying to flog that dinghy for a long time and a rather uncared for one that is well overdue a good tarring.


Both seen during construction.  Both made from Foamex, which has been impressed to represent either shiplap or vertical boarding.  Painted with enamel paints and detailed with designers' gouache paints, my favoured combo.


Finished huts.  Weathered with ground chalk pastels (cheap as chips from Lidl's).  The windows of the uncared for hut have bits of junk inside, like some nets, a wooden block (carved from a tiny bit of steamed Pear wood and an old notice from the Harbour Master.  Hinges and lock hasps made from very thin brass shim.
These were made with mitred corners, so that the boarding could appear to go all round without visible joins. I just lay the scalpel back against a steel rule and guess at 45 degrees.  Then the walls are glued with Evo-Stik or UHU Por, whichever is to hand. Triangles go in at floor and roof level to strengthen the structures. Roofs are 30 thou. styrene sheet, because I was given a load of it a while back.  They're then covered with wet'n'dry paper to represent roofing felt, laid in scale yard wide strips.  Once again, weathered with chalk pastels scrubbed on a bit of 80 grit paper as needed.  Sometimes I draw direct on the building with a pastel, but always soften that with an old brush.  Painting a semblance of wood grain on the Foamex sounds long winded, but actually is immensely satisfying and well worth the extra trouble.  Then the last vestiges of tar are put on with a very dark grey, almost but not quite black. Tar starts perfectly black, but then goes a bit grey and slightly brown too if the weather doesn't eat it as fiercely as salt water.
I should point out that these are 7mm scale.

Cheers,
Martin

I like the huts..very well modelled,



I also enjoy the Southwold Model railway show (if I can get there).



The owners of the sheds can't be far away I can't see the padlocks.







Those Boat owners should frap their rigging, to stop the ting ting ting….





STARBOARD!!!

Thanks Q,the owners are fetching in the fish for these people:-

The smokehouse and fresh fish stall.


Tarred ply sheets outside.  Varnished ply inside.  Removable folding doors will be suggested inside and something informative written on the A board soon.  Nail heads done with a rivet impression tool intended for countersunk rivets on 32nd scale model aircraft.
The only kind of frapping I know is what Glaswegians do on the door knocker.

Martin

Ah, now would that be (loosely) based on…





The Sole Bay Fish company Southwold…





Frapping…. To tie the halyards (bits of string to pull things up the mast) to the shrouds (AKA side stays, that hold up the mast) so they are way from the mast and don't go ting, ting. ting all night

Very loosely, Q, yes, though I've never seen that view.  More of "the idea", than "based on".

Frapping sounds a good idea as the ting, ting could be a pain when trying to sleep on a boat. Eventually I did get used to it.  I used to live aboard a Victorian cutter at Burnham-on-Crouch.  I also had a Glaswegian lodger who once told me she "was frappin' at the dooer, greetin'.  Which loosely translated means she "was knocking at the door, crying".(her love life was a mess).  From Frapper, French for to knock or tap.  Strange language, Scottish, because "ken" is German to know.

Mind if I pinch that picture?
Cheers,
Martin

A lot of Scots language is effectively a regional dialect of old English, the area south of the Forth and Clyde rivers, area to a high percentage is Anglo-Saxon genetically  as England, particularly the eastern side, as Edinburgh south / east wards was the Kingdom of Northumberland. Much of old English is made up from old Germanic and Scandinavian derivations.

Just pronounce Church with hard C's and you get the Scots Kirk.

 The picture isn't mine but actually on the companies own advertising.

Nice modeling Martin. Thanks for detailing the build. I too like Foamex - very versatile.
Looking forward to more of your work.

Shaun.

Thanks, Shaun. I've just put a thread up about Lantern Yard, which contains details of the Cafe and the wooden narrow boat.  The Lengthman's hut in my "new Member's" post is also on there, next to the lock. I'm a bit of a serial builder of set-pieces. Now all in Foamex.

Q, my son lives in Berwick and despite his other half sounding broad Scottish, she insists on being English, but I told her if you quack like a duck and waddle like a duck, a duck you definitely are!  She whacked me one

Martin

My Sisters and Brother speak with a central Lothian accent, My brother is a fluent Gaelic (scots) speaker. me I speak south of England somewhere…I can't do Norfolk as I used to speak west country…

Are you travelling up to Spalding for  the Show? I'll be there on the Saturday Morning Visiting.. (I won't be wearing one of my kilts…)

Q, I don't think I'll be going. Not enough known quality to enjoy. I went once on the off chance and had a lovely chat with Gordon Gravett who had Ditchling Green there. That was worth the entry price on it's own, but 7 quid for unknown?  No, I'll stay home and order some cheap static fluff off the 'net.  I need that more and my nearest model shop seems to think a tenner a bag is reasonable!

Martin