Sunday 28 August 2011

Shops & Façades

Well that’s the Shop Fronts and Façades done. All of the fine detail for the shops are done and in place. All I’ve got to do is build the roofs. Although that might not be as easy as I think, as a couple of the roofs have dormer windows.

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This build has taken longer than I had expected and I’m panicking now that I might not have it finished for the Bowburn Show next Sunday.  I chose the Low Relief Shops as I thought that the Low Relief bit meant only half the job, how wrong I’ve been! It might have been OK if it was one shop, but no I had to build five!!

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I had to choose “Doggarts” for one of the shops at Wynyard Lane, because it holds a special place in my upbringing. For you see Doggarts was a department store here in Seaham were I’ve lived all my life. It used to fascinate me as a child when my Mother would pay for her goods, the shop assistant would take her money and deposit it in a capsule and put it in a vacuum tube and off it would go to the cash office. Minutes later it would return with the receipt and change in it. Brilliant. But maybe the best part of the Doggarts tradition was an old local saying. If you didn’t believe that someone wouldn’t do something or say something, you would say “If you do that, I’ll show my ar&e in Doggarts window! I don’t know if anybody actually did, but I’d like to think someone did.

Anyway I digress, here is the Shops and the Façades awaiting their roofs…..

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These are the roofs under construction. It is a little fiddly, but the effect is brilliant. just like a tiled roof…..

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With the roofs in place it is definitely coming together….

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As you can see, I’ve even managed to make the dormer windows……

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Only the chimney stacks to make and hopefully it will be finished for Bowburn.

Until next time……

Chris

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know Chris i really love this project its so ambitious and you are brave to do it but its looking amazing so well done !!
Oh and .... we had a Doggarts store here in Darlington too. Ohhhh the memories lol ... mam used to get vouchers for Doggarts whenever us 4 kids needed clothes lol
hugs June x

Tracy said...

So Amazing, your so talented.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

Shirley said...

that is coming along fabulous Chris.
I think anyone from the northeast over a certain age will know the Doggarts name. I certainly do as I worked for them.
Hugs
Shirley

Maryann Laursen said...

This is really an absolut stunning project, and I sure admire your talent to make it look so real. It´s a pleasure and a n homor to watch all this grow up from the ground. So amazing work, thanks sooo much for sharing it here.

Mad Mary said...

Absolutely fantastic Chris, this sure is a labour of love. I am sure you will be finished it in time..

Mary x

jordiegirl said...

Fabulous Chris.

I don't know of Doggarts but I remember a shop in Blyth, Northumberland near where I was brought up and they had the chute for the money to go in too.