A gift which sums up all the best in our hobby!

I have a theory that our postwoman only ever delivers hobby related parcels for me when I'm out. I'm such a regular at the collection depot that I no longer get asked for my ID! Come Friday, and rain notwithstanding, we had been out shopping when on our return there it was on the mat, the 'Tried to Deliver' card! So, up with the lark on Saturday and off into town before the shoppers' rush to collect what we assumed was the last of the books I'd ordered from Wordery for Sue! Not so it turns out, a ruddy big parcel addressed to me! So, off back home with said parcel and swiftly into GHQ to open it and savour its delights!
Time to confess now though; I knew what it contained as soon as I saw who it was from, I just wasn't expecting it until next week. I'll just go back in time a little, if you'll indulge me for a while. I was at Partizan on my 65th birthday and found that Laurence and Richard, urged on by Duncan, had placed birthday wishes reminders on every Games table. Consequently I received birthday wishes not only from friends but from complete strangers too! One such turned out to be one Colin Ashton, author of one of my all time favourite blogs, "Carryings On Up The Dale". We chatted for a good while and found we had quite a lot in common, all part of a grand day really. Then we met again at Claymore later in the year and chatted some more. That turned into regular exchanges and chats via the internet and the exchange of information, sources and little items that were surplus to requirements. In one such exchange recently, Colin mentioned he had an Armoured Train stored somewhere in his War Room that was no longer needed and asked if I could make use of it. Of course, I said yes thank you, I'm sure I could, steeling my stretched finances in dread of how much it might be. Well, it turned out that Colin intended it as a gift! I'd got the wrong end of the stick, but what a gesture, eh? I'm now the proud 'Fat Controller' of an Armoured Train for our VBCW games. To me this just sums up neatly all that is best about our wonderful hobby and puts those few who only carp and criticise into their true perspective. So, this post is a Thank You, not just to Colin, but to all those around the world who carry the torch for all that's best in human nature and in our little hobby! Now, here's Anthony the Armoured Train ~

You'll probably have noticed that there is no railtrack! It's being made/enhanced by Andy at The Last Valley. I hope to see at least some test pieces at WMMS next Sunday. Speaking of which, time for a list I think.