Thanks for replies.     I have answered a number of threads, and one even visited North West Model Shipwrights on account of our exchanges here.     I have probably been saying things like this a lot more than five years.    I am not a prophet of doom, as you say, because whether the hobby revives or not over the country, or the whole world, it will not affect me in any way, because I am finished with model shipbuilding.   Not by choice, but allergic to glue fumes.    I  am unlikely to offer encouragement or comments to subjects that I am not interested in, but I do take your point that it works both ways, so I can not really expect many comments from members not interested in my models, so, as you say, why persist.    I suppose it is for “old times sake” because many years ago,my writing career began with the Model Boats magazine in the 1960s, and continued on and  off until fairly recently (2019)   I  was asked by the editor to do more, but was not able to oblige at that time, as I was awaiting eye surgery (viscocanalostomy).   Anyway, it was 100% successful, but by the time I was back in service again, the editor (Martyn Chorlton) had gone, so that was the end of that!      In view of this, I will “bow out”   and not bother you any more.   This is not “sour grapes” because I will still be here, and may occasionally reply to someone if the subject interests me.      I am now devoting all my energies to writing and drawing, and that will all be out of the public eye, and published by myself in the form of downloads  At the age of 81, I am pretty much washed up, but my writing skills and brain are still working at 100%     More eye surgery coming up shortly, but only cataracts this time.

Bob 

But someone does, having sold just over £65,000 worth of them over the last 30 years, (and paid tax on them) I feel more than  amply compensated, and I am certainly not miserable.     In fact I am feeling rather relieved that it is all over –      

Well that is OK, because I am off.   But when I looked at the topic lists, the replies to anyone were few and far between – weeks, months and even years.    I suppose it is because as a full time model shipbuilder, I was fed up of being taken advantage of, and always ending up the villain.     Example, I had a call from one of my clients for whom I had not even started their model, to be asked when it would be ready.   I said that I had not started it yet, only to be asked “Can you speed it up, I have already sold it?!”    They didn’t have to tel me they had already sold it, did they?

Sold another for £400, and the buyer sold it a few days later for over £1,000.   

I just accepted things like this, but over the years it wore me down, and I am more than happy that it is all over. 

But as I said, I will not trouble any of you again, although I will still speak when spoken to. 

Bob 

That is very true, but cash was never king with me, I just wanted enough to survive, and a fair price,  and I rarely got the minimum wage, and didn’t even ask for it.    I was burned out as far as the sea was concerned when I left in late 1992 after 31 years.   I was on a very good salary, doing voyage on, voyage off and getting paid all the time – 5 to 6 week voyages, on a brand new British passenger liner, and wife could travel free whenever she wanted, but increasing electronic technology was getting me down, where each modern improvement was harder to operate and harder to repair than it ever had been before.   Leaving was like recovering from a long-standing illness that one had got used to.    And now model shipbuilding has gone the same way.    Enough is enough.    Writing is great, and I never ask for feedback, as the payment is enough!    No-one knows what I am doing until I publish it! 

Bob

Hi Ray,

I could have done, but my glue allergy prevents me from building them any more.    And regarding my so-called non-participation, my message box shows in excess of 350 conversations.   I have always stopped everything to help fellow model shipbuilders, with information, and supplying free plans and photographs – (I have a vast plan archive , with permission to use as I will, of merchant ships over the last  150 years).     And I have said this numerous times – I seldom get so much as a simple “thank you” by e-mail for the help I have given over the years!

Another thing I have noticed – I often get requests for information and advice via e-mail or private message, where I would prefer them via the forum so that  more members could benefit from my replies.     This has created the illusion that I never interact.     But it is an illusion, I assure you.

I can’t remember if I have told you all this before, but I gave this model away free of charge, and it took months to build, complete with electric motor and rudder linkages for radio control.   The recipient sent  a friend to collect it –   Guess what?    Not even  a simple phone call or  e-mail thank you – nothing!   The paving slabs it is standing on are 18 inches, so that gives you some idea of the size.

Bob