Hooper & Co Diorama

[ATHU]

It's really taking shape now, brilliant work as always! The RR lineup looks absolutely gorgeous!!

[bbowser]

Great idea for the tank model!

[Anglia105E]

Thank you Anders, glad you like the line-up of Silver Clouds. Yes, the whole diorama is coming together nicely as we approach the day of the event.

Thank you Bruce........ pleased to hear that you like the idea for the tank model. It was lucky that I took the photograph of the large model in the display case when I visited the headquarters of the RREC, which not only gave me the idea but will turn out to be a good point of reference as I build the model of the model.

Some yellow ochre acrylic detail has been added to the building on the right of the background painting.

David

[Janne Herajärvi]

This gets better every time i came to look.. All those Rolls Royces... What RR kit is your favourite?

[Anglia105E]

Janne....... my favourite RR kit is the Revell of Germany version of the Silver Cloud, because it has better tyres than the Minicraft version. Also, the Revell version does not have chromed parts so I can use Bare Metal Foil or Molotow Liquid Chrome. When it comes to the RR Phantom II then my favourite kit is the Italeri version 1934.

David

[Anglia105E]

The 1:24 Tamiya Vespa Motor Scooter build is completed and appears here photographed alongside the largest model in the diorama, which is of course the Revell London Bus. These are the two extremes for this scale model project, as the scooter has 8 parts, while the bus has almost 400 parts. My scooter build represents a 1958 Vespa 125 cc and is finished in Ferrari Giallo Modena Yellow, with a final coat of yacht varnish for a glossy shine. The seat is matt black enamel paint with Kiwi black shoe polish to produce a realistic leather look. Chrome work is Molotow Liquid Chrome pen and the rear number plate is V3 SPA printed on thin card. Hope you like it, and for a simple small build this one turned out quite nice I think.

David

[Eric Macleod]

Absolutely magnificent. I think I need a London bus!

[Anglia105E]

Nice to hear from you again Eric....... and I believe the Routemaster bus kit by Revell is well worth the 2 months of work to build it. You can pick up the kits for around £28.00 GBP which is US $ 37.20, although you will also see prices that are double that amount. Certainly it is by far the most difficult kit I have assembled and once you start on the seats for this bus it feels like a never ending task. I converted my bus to the older type AEC bus from the 1950's which is mostly front end work. Technically if I was doing the conversion properly I should have shortened the wheelbase by taking out the middle section of the entire bus, as other more skilled model builders have done successfully.

Work in progress at the moment is this small model of a World War II Cromwell Tank that has a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine ( modified Merlin engin ) and it represents the model that is in a display case at the headquarters of the RREC. The model when finished will be an exhibit inside one of the Hooper & Co showrooms. The build is fom a kit by Airfix and is 1:76 scale to match the proportions of the real model, as opposed to the 1:24 scale tank which would be rolling down St James Street as a vehicle that was three feet longer than a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud in 1:1 scale.

David

[Anglia105E]

Something that was missing from the diorama, and a common sight during the 1950's in London of course, was the ' bobby on the beat '. In other words, the Policeman.

This is a diecast 1:24 scale figure by Corgi Icon models and measures 8 centimetres tall without the base. This Policeman figure can be placed anywhere within the Hooper & Co diorama setting and will not look out of place, and I believe will enhance the entire London city scene.

David

[Eric Macleod]

I recall hearing of bobbies in a Sophomore year criminal justice course. Great addition. I am waiting with baited breath for a look at the finished product. 

[Anglia105E]

These few photos show the continued work in progress with the background perspective painting, which is not quite finished yet. Also. there is now a new tree for the diorama..... this one is a plastic Bonsai tree and I have grafted a heavy clay base onto the tree trunk, after removing the tree from its ceramic pot.

There will be four strips of aluminium channel at the edges of the baseboard, two of which will support the foamboard panels and the other two will act as finishing strips. I only have fifteen days preparation before the big event, and I have a checklist of sixteen tasks to complete ( more than one task per day ! ) Don't panic !

David

[Eric Macleod]

Clearly this is going to be a very sizable diorama. The roadway dividers are a nice addition.  

[Anglia105E]

Hello Eric.... I posted a comment on Pat St-Martin's topic concerning the Rolls-Royce Phantom II engine that he has built so wonderfully. I noticed that you have an interest in this topic of course. Yes, the size of the diorama is trying to grow, but I need to work to the confines of whatever size table the event organisers give me on the day. They did ask me what  my requirements are, so I asked for a table that has a minimum size of 5 feet by 4 feet. This would accommodate the diorama that is 36 inches deep by 31 inches wide and 23 inches high, with a space to one side of the diorama that hopefully will be 2 feet 5 inches by 4 feet. Will need a fair amount of space to display the five Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds along with their display cards explaining what each model motor car is about. Shortly, a further diecast model will be arriving, which I am hoping to find time to prepare as Fred Astaire's 1927 Phantom I Cabriolet de Ville in Brewster Green with Black wings ( fenders ? ). This would be alongside Fred Astaire's 1956 Silver Cloud I in Velvet Green over Sage Green.

David

[Eric Macleod]

Can you tell us a little bit about the contents of the boot? That luggage looks amazing.  Henry looks the part of a well to do aristocrat!

[landman]

On 2018-05-30 at 10:29 AM, Eric Macleod said:

Absolutely magnificent. I think I need a London bus!

I agree on the magnificience. I remember riding on abus like that. We went to a racing and sports car show at the Olympia.

[Anglia105E]

Glad you like the luggage Eric, and it was a small box of Preiser luggage in G-scale which as you know is 1:22.5 scale, so slightly too large for 1:24 scale. There is a large suitcase inside the boot of the Franklin Mint 1955 Bentley S-Type which is finished in Burgundy over Gold. I selected the other two items of luggage to match the colour of the suitcase. I agree that Henry does look very distinguished, as indeed he must have been in his day. Previously, this mini-diorama within the bigger scene had included the lady in the long evening dress, and one of the five Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds that I have built. I tend to move models around a bit when I am taking photos to establish where things are going to be placed. Although I like the idea of the Bentley or Rolls-Royce pulling up outside the Hooper & Co building where a chauffeur appears to be loading or unloading some baggage for a distinguished owner, I have to keep in mind that this is not a hotel ! Why would a Bentley owner like Henry Ford be arriving at Hoopers with a boot full of luggage? Surely he is not intending to stay overnight at the coach builder's premises? Mr Osmond Rivers, the managing director and chief draughtsman of Hooper & Co would suggest that Mr Ford should seek to book into a high class hotel nearby, of which there are several well known establishments in the Piccadilly and St James's area.

Thanks Pat, and I think most of us have fond memories of travelling aboard an old London bus. This is such a traditional element of the whole diorama, along with the London black taxi cab and the Policeman on the beat, the red telephone kiosk and the old Bedford lorry that I had to include these elements within the setting.

David

[Eric Macleod]

David, your logic is good. On the other hand, one could be dropping tghe car for service before attending a meeting of vital importance.  The helpful staff of Hooper and Co. would only be too happy to arrange for ones bags to be taken to your suite. In either case (pun unintended) I am going to need a set of suitcases for use in my '30 Ford station wagon.

The diorama continues to evolve in a suburb manner!

[Anglia105E]

I believe you are right Eric.... that scenario could work, whereby Hooper's staff would arrange for their client's luggage to be taken to the nearby hotel. Brilliant!

You could use a set of Preiser luggage like this for your '30 Ford station wagon and I'm sure it would be just fine.

Here are a few more photos, showing the new tree in place, some brickwork around two sides of the roof area, a new signage panel at the top of the A2 photo to the left of the Hooper & Co building. Also, there is a woman walking a German Shepherd dog crossing the street near the Keep Left bollards.

This is the final phase of the exhibition preparation with only eleven days to go.

David

[Eric Macleod]

Glad to be of service David. The more ai look the better all of this gets. This is absolutely my favorite posting on this forum and it just keeps getting better every time I look.

[ATHU]

Nice progress David, looks great!!

[Anglia105E]

Thank you Anders in Denmark and Eric in Michigan....... All the positive comments from the friendly folks here on these forums keep me motivated when the pressure is on. Lots of good advice from scale model builders who really know their stuff is most encouraging, so I do appreciate your interest and your opinions too.

Nearly ready to post some photos of the second Fred Astaire motor car when it is completed, which is a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Cabriolet de Ville. This car was ordered in England by Fred Astaire when he was performing in London so it is right hand drive, and also the bodywork was by Hooper & Co Ltd as featured in my diorama. The Silver Cloud he owned in 1956 is the one I have built shown below.

David

[Anglia105E]

Here are some photographs of the Fred Astaire Phantom I, which is very close to completion. The only work remaining is further detailing and this may have to wait until after the show at Burghley House in Stamford, which is now only 6 days away. The bulk of the modification work on this build has been the Louis Vuitton luggage trunk, which is entirely scratch built by myself, using a G-scale Preiser luggage case as the starting point. The LV pattern material is printed to scale and the case is painted in yellow ochre acrylic over the existing brown paint. I removed the original black and chrome plastic trunk that was attached to the Franklin Mint diecast model car, made up a balsa wood base for the trunk and fitted the LV trunk on top. The paintwork of this Rolls-Royce is Revell Aqua Color Dark Green and this matt finish is coated with yacht varnish. The wheel covers are from an Italeri Phantom II and at the moment these are standing proud from the wheel rims, when they should be flush. This will be corrected later, but not until after the show. The real car as owned by Fred Astaire does not have bumpers ( fenders ) at the front or the rear, so I have removed both from the model. The rear licence plate is shown in some photos as being on the offside ( RHD ) and some show it on the nearside. I decided to go with YE 9080 and mounted on the left-hand side, nearside. The car had the bodywork crafted by Hooper & Co in London, before being shipped to the United States, where Fred Astaire owned this car from 1927 to 1950 so it is entirely authentic for my diorama setting as part of the Hooper theme. This is the first time that I have dared to modify a Franklin Mint diecast model car and the process has shown me what can be done with these excellent models. I like to think that you can't tell the difference between the Franklin Mint diecast conversion and the built kit in polystyrene of the Phantom II from Italeri also in 1:24 scale.

Thanks for looking guys.

David

[landman]

She is a beauty. Old Fred must have had the bucks to indulge like this.

[Anglia105E]

Thanks Pat..... oh yes, Mr Astaire certainly had the financial resources to do things in style! Every part of this 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I shows his attention to detail, even down to the flowers inside the passenger compartment and the contents of the Louis Vuitton luggage trunk. I am hoping my scale model of this famous motor car will do it justice, once it is completed with the fine detailing.

David

[Anglia105E]

The Fred Astaire Phantom I is seen here alongside the 1886 Daimler-Benz carriage, resplendent in the first floor showroom of Hooper & Co. There are also a couple of shots of the brown steering wheel having been changed to the correct black finish. Apologies for the scale of the Daimler-Benz carriage, because I have to admit that this is actually a 1:16 scale model from Minicraft. Despite extensive searches I could not find a 1:24 scale carriage of any sort to fit my diorama.

David