Anyway, hope this year is good to you all and I will be adding a lot of new content in the next month or two as I polish off a bunch of half finished reviews and pick up the glue again as soon as the house is no longer knee deep in teenage girls.

Have a good one and be careful out there, don’t drink and drive, don’t text and drive, especially if you live in the Waikato, it’s embarrassing enough that we have an increased road toll this year when the overall National toll is well down on last year.

So for those of you out there that celebrate it, as the Red Baron said to Snoopy, “Merry Christmas My Friend”.

Just click on the images for more information on each book.

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]]> http://militarymodels.co.nz/2011/12/05/a-quick-look-at-a-few-modelling-books-and-dvds/feed/ 0 http://militarymodels.co.nz/2011/12/01/a-virtual-walk-around-the-book-depository-the-best-place-to-buy-books-online/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://militarymodels.co.nz/2011/12/01/a-virtual-walk-around-the-book-depository-the-best-place-to-buy-books-online/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:28:26 +0000 Dean http://militarymodels.co.nz/?p=24236 Continue reading →]]> Those of you who know me know that I like to research my builds. Research, research, and a bit more research. I also like my books, there’s just something about having the hardcopy in your hands. My favourite online bookstore is The Book Depository, an online store based in the UK with free woldwide shipping and prices that are around half what you would pay for the same book on a bookstore shelf in New Zealand. As my wife is an affiliate via her website I figured I’d help her out by giving them a plug over here. You’ll find the link on the sidebar on the right.

This is just a sample of some of the books and their prices ( keeping in mind the prices wil change as the NZD goes up and down against the British Pound ), and I’m going to add in a new feature where once a week I hunt out a few related titles and give them a plug. If you buy them via the link on this site we get a small percentage as a commission so we do have a vested interest, but at the same time I’ve always found this to be my first stop when looking for a book I want and the prices are good, the shipping is free, and their delivery is really fast.

$10.11 NZD                                   $27.77 NZD

$34.03 NZD                                   $80.21 NZD

$19.83 NZD                                   $19.83 NZD

When: – 12th and 13th of November 2011
Where: – Taylor Street, Cambridge

As part of the weekend’s fun Waikato Scale Model Club run a model competition that is open to the public, where the public can bring their models and the public get to vote on the ones they prefer. A trophy is given to each of the 3 class winners there are also 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes in the form of vouchers to spend at Frankton Models
This year WSMC have been given a bit more of a free reign to enlarge and improve the competitions and displays etc.
Starting this year we are going to be organising the competition differently, we will keep the overall Public competition but we are also introducing a larger number of competitions with almost 30 trophies to be awarded across 9 categories ( provided by Kiwi Modeller ). 

The new Categories are as follows:

- Best 1/35 Scale Military Vehicle
- Best 1/72 Scale Military Vehicle
- Best 1/48 Scale Aircraft
- Best 1/72 Scale Aircraft
- Best 1/32+ Scale Aircraft
- Best Naval Model
- Best Sci-Fi or Science Model
- Best Diorama
- Best Junior (15 and under)

Each class has the usual 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies. This year it’s completely open and anyone can enter their models for free, next year we are planning to have a nominal entry fee of around $5 so that we can provide real prizes to the winners as well as the trophies. So if you want to enter your models and win a trophy and some real bragging rights bring your finished master pieces to Cambridge. 

If you want to enter please make sure that you have your models on site by 12:00 Saturday at the latest as judging will commence in the Afternoon.

Armistice in Cambridge – An Overview

Armistice in Cambridge began back in 2001 when a small committee got together in an attempt to raise awareness of Cambridge’s link with its sister-town, Le Quesnoy in France. As the last battle of the First World War in which New Zealand troops took part was the storming of the walls of Le Quesnoy, a week before the war ended, it was decided that a special service should be held publicly at the Cambridge Cenotaph to commemorate Armistice Day.

Armistice Day marked the end of the First World War, on the 11th of November 1918. It is commemorated every November 11th around the world, and also known in some countries as Remembrance Day, or if held on the closest Sunday to the date, Remembrance Sunday. 

Not many places in New Zealand mark this day with much accord, simply because we have our own special day of remembrance for our war dead, ANZAC Day on April 25th. However Cambridge has revived the tradition and we celebrate both important days, ANZAC Day and Armistice Day.

Here in Cambridge the special commemoration is marked on the closest Sunday to the 11th of November each year. This year’s upcoming weekend-long event falls on the 13th and 14th of November 2010.

From small beginnings, Armistice in Cambridge has grown to become a big affair. As well as the commemorative service to formally remember those who served in New Zealand’s Armed Forces, there is now a large scale educational aspect to the event. Groups from all across the country bring military vehicles, weaponry, aircraft, museum collections and uniforms to demonstrate to the public, especially the younger generations, just what it was we are remembering. Each year battles in which New Zealander’s fought are recreated on a small scale by very professional re-enactment organisations, not to glorify war, but to bring to life this country’s war stories that we can usually only read about. 

There are military vehicle parades, aerial demonstrations by warbird aircraft, live firing demonstrations of weapons, plus static displays in marquees from museums across New Zealand, military model displays and competitions, and even the chance to purchase military collectables. This is all designed to allow those who have never suffered the horrors of war to gain a little understanding of what it was all about. After all, there is no point in saying we’ll remember our war dead and what they did unless we actually have some knowledge of what we are remembering. 

As well as the Saturday and Sunday public events at Memorial Park which hosts a multitude of activities, there is also the Saturday night Victory Dance in the Town Hall, as well as the all important Commemoration Service at the Cenotaph on Sunday morning.

Armistice in Cambridge is planned to be interesting to all the family, and there is something there for everyone to see and be entertained by. It’s not all just warlike recreations and education about our war heroes. There are helicopter rides, steam engine demonstrations, vintage car clubs, marching bands, and much more. 

Courtesy of Armistace in Cambridge - www.armisticeincambridge.co.nz