On our own layouts and exhibition layouts.
I have just seen and commented on Mustermarks rather excellent layout,Readin General.His latest posting/update shows he has added a Lancaster bomber and two Spitfires doing a flypast of his layout.
This got me thinking,and during posting on his thread,I added,that my layout has undergone a change of name,simply because trying to model an imaginery town called Moss Eisley might be a bit silly.So now,for the time being,or until I put the nameboards on my station which will then become permanent,is called Chatsworth.
This town is going to be right dump.It won't be a town with a stately home or owt,as Chatsworth is the name of the estate in Shameless,so it will at least have Frank Gallagher and some of the other characters in the show as well.
As a kid,I grew up watching programmes such as The Sweeney,Professionals,Knight Rider,Blue Thunder,StreetHawk,Miami Vice,Starsky and Hutch and other such tv greats from the 70's and 80's.
So,my layout will feature trains from the BR Blue era and some tv style cameo's.
An idea I have not long since come up.with is this.How many of us see a bridge and think,a bus would look great on that,so a bus is placed on the said bridge.Now as a cameo,I had the idea of having a bus on mine,cos it will have a bridge over the railway.Only thing is,it won't be a normal bus.I remember a film I saw as a kid about a nuclear powered bus.I don't recall whether it was a disaster type of film,although thinking about it now,it did have a cast of characters like those in the Cannonball Run.I believe,if memory serves me right,it was called The Nuclear Bus.
I'm sure there are excerts on youtube,so perhaps I will do a search on there at some other time,not now though.
So I'm now looking at chopping up a few of those rather nice Oxford National Express coaches,they're almost the right shape as well.
I'm just wondering what cameo's people are featuring or are going to feature on theirs,thats all.
Mustermarks Battle of Britain flypast also gave me another idea as well.In the 70's and 80's,there were no police helicopters.There was,however,Airwolf and Blue Thunder.I'm kind of thinking that Chatsworth needs both,to keep the population honest,if tou know what I mean.One other thing.
How come idea's seem to flow out when its time for bed?
It sgonna be a while before I drop off to sleep now!
Pete
:Class37: :NGaugersRule:
I have ideas for cameos on my layout, but the aeroplanes is as much finding somewhere to display them as anything. The BOB fly past of Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster is a memory from my childhood, as is much of my layout.
I will probably feature on the layoutas a boy... as a trainspotter at the end of platform 5, and maybe being chased across the railway by the transport police, and as an excited birthday boy at Eames model shop being bought an N gauge lorry.
I will have roadworks, like the GPO digging up the road with one of those little tents. House and office construction with workmen drinking tea. There will be someone changing a wheel, maybe a rear end shunt with police in attendance. I am also planning an open air swimming pool, and the Caversham lock. I figure a lock scene is a bit less cliched if you are modelling a real one, but actually i dont care if it's cliched if i like it (and i really liked Kinlet Wharf). There will be a rail repair crew standing aside to let the express go by. People at the bus stop. Stuff like that. All fairly ordinary bits of life. But i guess you have to space it out and not overdo it as it doesnt all happen all over the place at one moment...
On the less mundane side... I saw an N gauge police box and thought i would have Dr Who and maybe a dalek or two in some obscure corner. I also thought of having a DeLorean from Back to the Future and maybe references to some of my other favourite films. Back to the Future is already on my Scalescenes cinema, which is ironic given that the layout is set 10 years before the film.
But i think that you have to represent life on a layout, and generally that is done with cameo scenes. Who cares if they are cliched like the canal scene or the church wedding, if it's what you feel like, it's fine. And if you feel like a bit of tongue in cheek fun like a TV reference, then that's fine too. I would like to make it that you could visit my layout a dozen times and still spot something new.
I'm planning a fly past, a lock scene and a harbour for my new layout, the existing one has Inspector Morse's car, and a wedding.
My N-Trak modules have a Tradis which moves around the whole club layout appearing at different locations. I would love some Daleks.
The pub on my layout is called The Rivet Counters Arms.
I think that as railway modelling is a hobby we should have some fun.
:NGaugersRule:
QuoteThe pub on my layout is called The Rivet Counters Arms.
I like it!! :smiley-laughing: I just might open another one on my layout. ;D
If your modelling the 70's, don't forget all those planks that used to spray Ford Cortinas and jack up the rear suspension to try and look like "General Lee" from the "dukes of Hazzard" ??? I'm sure Chatsworth residents would have done that sort of thing! ;D
But put a bit of thought and imagination into it please!! There is a fine line between an amusing cameo and a tedious, silly, repetitive, cliche...
Why does every layout with a blue police box have to have a darlek hidden somewhere??
Does every Church really stage weddings 24/7 (just occasionally will someone model a funeral instead please!)
In reality very few bus stops are on bridges. Just look around - all the great railway stations were built next to bus stops!
Paul
:NGaugeForum:
Does every layout with a blue police box have Daleks? I must admit I've only been to a few exhibitions but I've never seen any Daleks.
As it will be my layout and rule no.1 applies, I'll have as many tedious, silly, repetitive cliches as I like!
I try to get as much as possible prototypically correct but I still believe this is a hobby.
Quote from: silly moo on May 29, 2012, 09:07:14 AM
:NGaugeForum:
Does every layout with a blue police box have Daleks? I must admit I've only been to a few exhibitions but I've never seen any Daleks.
As it will be my layout and rule no.1 applies, I'll have as many tedious, silly, repetitive cliches as I like!
I try to get as much as possible prototypically correct but I still believe this is a hobby.
Quite right too! Although the Cybermen are my favourites as the are 'cooler' than the Daleks ;D
You might find some funny ideas here, sadly some of his pictures are not showing but the majority are :thumbsup:
http://dddioramas.webs.com/ (http://dddioramas.webs.com/)
cheers John.
Those are excellent, I really like the corny names too. There's probably no hope for me as I love corny names and puns and have a whole list of them for possible use on a layout.
:D
Quote from: Pete Mc on May 29, 2012, 03:18:50 AM
On our own layouts and exhibition layouts.
I remember a film I saw as a kid about a nuclear powered bus.I don't recall whether it was a disaster type of film,although thinking about it now,it did have a cast of characters like those in the Cannonball Run.I believe,if memory serves me right,it was called The Nuclear Bus.
T'was "The Big Bus" featuring, amongst others, Larry Hagman and Ned Beatty!
Quote from: Pendy on May 29, 2012, 09:14:05 AM
Quote from: silly moo on May 29, 2012, 09:07:14 AM
:NGaugeForum:
Does every layout with a blue police box have Daleks? I must admit I've only been to a few exhibitions but I've never seen any Daleks.
As it will be my layout and rule no.1 applies, I'll have as many tedious, silly, repetitive cliches as I like!
I try to get as much as possible prototypically correct but I still believe this is a hobby.
Quite right too! Although the Cybermen are my favourites as the are 'cooler' than the Daleks ;D
Does anyone actually do Daleks or Cybermen in N? :) (although can see Cybermen via viable with normal figures a bit of Milliput and some silver paint).
Thanks griffo,I knew someone'd know the actual name of the film.
Also,keep your cameo idea's coming,some.may be wprth nicking!
Pete
:Class37: :NGaugersRule:
Quote from: PLD on May 29, 2012, 08:47:53 AM
Why does every layout with a blue police box have to have a dalek hidden somewhere??
Heathen... 8)
Anyway trying finding a 2mm scale Dalek ?
Quote
In reality very few bus stops are on bridges. Just look around - all the great railway stations were built next to bus stops!
Other way around.. all the bus stops were built next to the great railway stations and in some cases that's a very modern change. The bus station and the railway station were frequently miles apart and run by rival companies who hated each other and certainly didn't want people using the rival transport system.
Im going to have some reference to terry pratchetts discworld novels on mine, Im thinking death and binky walking away from a figure lying down and a police man running over, also maybe a reference to one of Edward Marstons railway detective novels too.
Pendy, i prefer the Cybermen too... I think the cybermen would be impossible to tell from ordinary people and the daleks would be more obvious from viewing distance, but meybe that is the point.... You'dhave to look harder to see they were cybemen.
PLD there was a layout featured recently witha funeral, i think in the NGS journal. Nice littlecameo, and if I was going to have a church there would be a funeral rather than a wedding, but i dont want a church.
I love the Rivet Counter's Arms. Great name.
Cameos... The more imagination and originality the better, but cliche or not, if it makes you smile, why not?
I always wanted a phone box disappearing into the ground with a few buzzes of electricity like in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, never got around to doing it before, but might try it now, dont think it would be too hard, just cut the bottom of the box off, put in a couple of figures and try and fashion some sort of aerial on top, a couple of think lines of blue paint on the ground to indicate the electricity and there you go.
As far as general cameos, i have no problem with them, i think it's perhaps not wise to go overboard (unless you're doing a harbour scene and have a Goldie Hawn figure) (sorry) but they add life to a layout, more please.
Quote from: Mustermark on May 29, 2012, 01:00:16 PM
Pendy, i prefer the Cybermen too... I think the cybermen would be impossible to tell from ordinary people and the daleks would be more obvious from viewing distance, but meybe that is the point.... You'dhave to look harder to see they were cybemen.
They'd just look like someone had forgotten to paint some white metal figures. I've got several cybermen on my layout waiting the paintshop !
On Kilnevan I've planned to have the cliched wedding outside the church. Catholic, not Protestant.
I'm also planning to have the bus stuck behind a flock of sheep (its rural Ireland after all!) and two nuns
by a car thats been pulled over by the Garda (police), probably for speeding!
Quote from: moogle on May 29, 2012, 05:44:23 PM
On Kilnevan I've planned to have the cliched wedding outside the church. Catholic, not Protestant.
I'm also planning to have the bus stuck behind a flock of sheep (its rural Ireland after all!) and two nuns
by a car thats been pulled over by the Garda (police), probably for speeding!
At first i read that as... A bus stuck behind a flock of sheep and two nuns.
Was trying to work that out when i realized the nuns were connected to the next bit, not the sheep. :smiley-laughing:
Maybe the nuns were taking their flock to church :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
i find the noch 'sexy scenes' quite disturbing...!!! the 'lovers in action' ones especially so...
example here 'nude modelling' (x rated).... http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-37481201299324_2213_84299762 (http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-37481201299324_2213_84299762)
i'm not really a fan of 'cameos', i'm especially opposed to house fires, road traffic accidents and cricket matches... a brake-down or some more mundane scenario is acceptable though!
anyway i can't argue with the fact that at exhibitions people do seem to enjoy these cameo scenes...
the faller road system seems popular now, that's not really a cameo though... just a novelty.
tim
Hi,
If your going to put a lot of effort into the scenery side of your layout then I think you also need something of interest as well. I wanted to have some trucks being unloaded, cars in a garage being serviced, that sort of stuff.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/alexcrawford2008/N%20Gauge/100_8804.jpg)
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/alexcrawford2008/N%20Gauge/100_8780.jpg)
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/alexcrawford2008/N%20Gauge/garage4.jpg)
Alex :wave:
Inspirational modelling as usual Alex. I really like the first picture with the plastic and the label around the items.
Hi Pendy,
Thanks. It's simply blocks of balsa wood wrapped in cling film. The pallets are scratchbuilt from scraps of plasticard.
Alex
Quote from: Pendy on May 29, 2012, 09:26:12 PM
Inspirational modelling as usual Alex. I really like the first picture with the plastic and the label around the items.
Me too, great curtain side. :thumbsup:
I'm all for cameos if they are well done. To me, a great and clever example is this one from the North of England Line.
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/nobbynewport/Blackpool%20North%20Fylde%20Exhibition%202011/NorthofEnglandLine9.jpg)
Quote from: Mustermark on May 29, 2012, 09:47:07 PM
Quote from: Pendy on May 29, 2012, 09:26:12 PM
Inspirational modelling as usual Alex. I really like the first picture with the plastic and the label around the items.
Me too, great curtain side. :thumbsup:
Thanks,
Here's the link to my scratchbuilding thread. The curtainsider starts at page 6.
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=961.0 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=961.0)
Alex :wave:
Quote from: newportnobby on May 29, 2012, 09:55:07 PM
I'm all for cameos if they are well done. To me, a great and clever example is this one from the North of England Line.
(http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j454/nobbynewport/Blackpool%20North%20Fylde%20Exhibition%202011/NorthofEnglandLine9.jpg)
Jesus and 3 of his Disciples crossing the road.........now that is original........ ;) :thumbsup:
Quote from: Dock Shunter on May 29, 2012, 10:19:56 PM
Jesus and 3 of his Disciples crossing the road.........now that is original........ ;) :thumbsup:
John Lennon did say they were more popular............ :-X
Quote from: newportnobby on May 29, 2012, 09:55:07 PM
I'm all for cameos if they are well done. To me, a great and clever example is this one from the North of England Line.
Have to agree with that Nobby.
The Abbey Rd one is a good one.
Quote from: newportnobby on May 29, 2012, 10:22:08 PM
Quote from: Dock Shunter on May 29, 2012, 10:19:56 PM
Jesus and 3 of his Disciples crossing the road.........now that is original........ ;) :thumbsup:
John Lennon did say they were more popular............ :-X
True.......
I don't think a cameo of people burning Beatles records would be good though..... :-X
just know that right now someone somewhere will be 3D printing an n gauge dalek :smiley-laughing:
Quote from: dr deltic on May 29, 2012, 10:53:55 PM
just know that right now someone somewhere will be 3D printing an n gauge dalek :smiley-laughing:
and placed next to a staircase to fox it no doubt!
I can see why certain cameos would start to get annoying to some, the road accident with a plethora of blue flashing lights really has been done to death it seems. But then if people want it on their layout that's their business ;)
I don't have any permanent cameos in mind for my layout, however I have a large gravel car-park that will be practically empty most of the time but leaves the opportunity for the odd cameo if I feel like it. Occasionally it might see an impromptu car enthusiasts meet, another idea is a scene with BBC vans everywhere filming an episode of the favourite TV programme in our house - "Spender". Making a generic N gauge figure look convincingly like Jimmy Nail might prove a challenge though! ;D (No comments about melting the face please ;) ). Might be corny but hey, we're only playing trains after all :)
Regarding corny names I invented mine to fit the other passion in our house, namely Ford cars. So that's why the first part of the layout name is "Hasford" (which is short for "Helen and Sophia the Fords - mine and the misses cars that were the reason we met!), the branch line goes off to "Great Cosseworth" (Cosworth), and the main town offscene where passengers can connect with Intercity services is "Exarton" (XR-town) ;)
Paul
Hi all,
Read the whole thread this morn and the whole 'dr. who' thing made me smile.
Was working (on my own) so mind wanders and was trying to think what, if any cameos I might do in the future. I have a french/spanish border layout so thought maybe some sort of regional independence demonstration as they love that sort of thing. Flags, banners , drums etc.
No bulls!!!
Then saw a small tin of 3-in-1 oil and thought that the lid looked a bit like a dalek. Its 1 cm high so not too much taller than a human, has a rounded top, tapered body and thought would be a good base for a scratchbuild if anyone is serious on this subject :)
Might have a go myself for a laugh as me (and the spanish) have run out of money! :wave:
Cheers Weave.
Just read message back and really meant 'no bulls' not 'no bulls!!!' if you know what I mean! :thumbsup:
One idea I had was to have BT or whatever they were called working on telegraph poles but have not yet found any suitable figures for working up the poles.
Oxford Diecast van and landrover would be used as road vehicles.
Don't want to go the hole in the road route.
Quote from: Oldman on June 01, 2012, 09:24:27 PM
One idea I had was to have BT or whatever they were called working on telegraph poles but have not yet found any suitable figures for working up the poles.
Oxford Diecast van and landrover would be used as road vehicles.
Don't want to go the hole in the road route.
Don't forget to put an N gauge Busby on the line :smiley-laughing:
Quote from: newportnobby on June 01, 2012, 09:47:40 PM
Don't forget to put an N gauge Busby on the line :smiley-laughing:
Had forgotten about that ;D :smiley-laughing:
Quote from: Oldman on June 01, 2012, 09:24:27 PM... BT or whatever they were called
1912-1969 General Post Office - green vehicles with white PO branding
1969-1980 Post Office Telecommunications - yellow vehicles with red PO branding
1980-1982 British Telecom - yellow vehicles with blue 'T' logo and 'British Telecom' lettering (still part of GPO)
1982-1991 British Telecom - yellow vehicles with blue 'T' logo and 'British Telecom' lettering (privatised)
1991-2003 BT - grey vehicles with 'Pan' logo
2003-2006 BT - white vehicles with World logo
2006-2012 BT Openreach - white vehicles with World logo and coloured lines
Think that covers it :thumbsup:
Paul
Not really a cameo (I dont think) but is fun if noticed ::)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o12/yay-free-lemons/guardsvan-1.png)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o12/yay-free-lemons/guardnwagons.png)
Not weathered yet like the wagons, and in all honesty out of my era but was meant for a previous layout attempt haha
Not sure I'd want to meet him on a dark night in downtown Leyland :o
I love the whole 'cameo' thing, but i agree that some scenes have been done to death !
An idea i came up with for my American layout, was to have a couple of scenes from famous hollywood films.
I'm sure most people could easily spot a Terminator or The Mask, Spiderman etc....
I saw a British 80's era 00 layout at a show recently that features James Bond and different James Bond vehicles.
Very good as they did not spoil or dominate the layout. They had to be 'spotted'
Cameos can prove to be very good if done right. :thumbsup:
How about a "Night of the Demon" cameo based on the classic 1950s
b&w film where a man is chased down the track in a SR station
and torn apart by a hideous monster (not Dr Beeching) while
night trains whistle past on adjacent lines.
Quote from: Agrippa on January 07, 2013, 01:08:13 PM
How about a "Night of the Demon" cameo based on the classic 1950s
b&w film where a man is chased down the track in a SR station
and torn apart by a hideous monster (not Dr Beeching) while
night trains whistle past on adjacent lines.
I remember that film and have it on VHS somewhere - scared the :poop: out of me when I was a kid
Quote from: newportnobby on January 07, 2013, 01:16:04 PM
Quote from: Agrippa on January 07, 2013, 01:08:13 PM
How about a "Night of the Demon" cameo based on the classic 1950s
b&w film where a man is chased down the track in a SR station
and torn apart by a hideous monster (not Dr Beeching) while
night trains whistle past on adjacent lines.
I remember that film and have it on VHS somewhere
Don't you mean celluloid ??? ??? ??? :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
I love the Airwolf/Blue Thunder theme, loved these programmes as a kid. Dukes of Hazzard too, and have all the boxsets of Airwolf and Dukes on DVD... Sad I know :D
I want a cameo on my layout of the Time Team, with Phil, Carrenza, Mike and Tony all pondering some obscure markings on the ground.
Cheers, Timmo
Quote from: pape_timmo on January 07, 2013, 05:47:37 PM
I love the Airwolf/Blue Thunder theme, loved these programmes as a kid. Dukes of Hazzard too, and have all the boxsets of Airwolf and Dukes on DVD... Sad I know :D
Not sad - way cool ! 8) :thumbsup:
Another big 'Dukes' fan here, can't beat a series where the star is 7.2 litres of American big-block V8 8)
Paul
'69 Dodge Charger... Was actually looking at them on the web the other day to see what prices are like... Ouch.
I did make an N Gauge General Lee years ago, I'll have to see if I can find it...
It doesn't have to be in orange.... but it does help ! :thumbsup: :claphappy:
(http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee442/djmikeymike2011/69_Dodge_Charger_RT_I_by_atlas0maximus_zpscfed9a78.jpg)
BEAST...
Here's a weird thought, Colas orange 56 with confederate flag, pseudo the General... Oh dear, night shifts affecting me...
Quote from: pape_timmo on January 07, 2013, 08:50:37 PM
BEAST...
Here's a weird thought, Colas orange 56 with confederate flag, pseudo the General... Oh dear, night shifts affecting me...
Keep that thought train (cough) going.... Themed liveries - just think of the possible projects...
A - team
Smokey & the bandit
etc...
In the US themed trains are very popular - a recent one i saw was a 'glow in the dark' Star wars train set !!!
I think you need to be careful with cameos - they can quickly and easily become tired and boring, cliched, or look staged and grotesquely frozen in time and space. Also as humour is a very personal thing, so called amusing ones can often be considered not funny by many or even cause offence.
IMO you are better off trying to emulate real and common life happenings and avoiding cameo events that are unusual, forced or silly.
H.
My other idea was a Von Ryan's Express train with POWs dressed as
German soldiers standing on the coach roofs.... :D, incidentally I believe
that displaying the Confederate flag is regarded as bad form in the USA
nowadays due to its connection with slavery, perhaps any members from
the colonies can enlighten me.
The Railway Children? At least its a british kettle.
Another option but 1960's based - Great Train Robbery
Yeah, I guess it all depends on one's sense of humour.... no prizes for guessing where mine resides.....
[smg id=1043 type=preview align=center width=400]
Quote from: Agrippa on January 07, 2013, 09:25:15 PM
My other idea was a Von Ryan's Express train with POWs dressed as
German soldiers standing on the coach roofs.... :D, incidentally I believe
that displaying the Confederate flag is regarded as bad form in the USA
nowadays due to its connection with slavery, perhaps any members from
the colonies can enlighten me.
Does that apply to the Union Flag aka The Union Jack as well :hmmm:
cheers John.
In "The Railway Children" Jenny Agutter started her grand old
tradition of taking her clothes off in films !
In The Great Train Robbery I think the loco was a class 37
so that's easy to obtain, sourcing N scale Ronnie Biggs
and Buster figures might be trickier.
Quote from: Agrippa on January 07, 2013, 09:48:53 PM
In The Great Train Robbery I think the loco was a class 37 . . .
Class 40 number D326 ;)
Paul
Scotsoft - you are referring to the butchers apron !
Seriously though the British Empire had abolished slavery
in the 1830s, and the flag does not represent support
for slavery, the confederate states seceded from the union
as they wished to keep slavery and they adopted the flag
as their as their symbol.
Sorry about the history lesson, I'm going back
to Edward Woodward jokes.
Now a Wicker Man cameo... that's another one :D
Paul thanks for info re GTR loco, some members
probably renumbering locos as we speak. ;D
Why does Edward Woodward have 4 D's in his name?
Coz E'war Woowar sounds stupid...
Sorry, I'll get my coat 😽
Don't forget your hat on the way out .... :D
OMG, Edward Woodward.... is he still alive? Apart from Callan and some show that I can't remember the name of, but it was sort of Callan in America, he was best known out here in Oz for his adverts for Craftwood - an artificial product which was not wood at all but condensed offal from the timberyard floor.
I do like the idea of a Wickerman cameo, though. Perhaps not at the moment, however, as we have just experienced the tragedy in Tasmania, and as I write this at lunchtime here in NSW my backyard weatherstation is transmitting 41 degrees Celsius, the highest it has recorded since installation 12 months ago. The NSW, Vic & Qld bushfire services are on high alert.
Talking of bushfires/cameos - short clip of a module from T-TRAK, the Australia module society.
http://youtu.be/3V-DGk09vx0 (http://youtu.be/3V-DGk09vx0)
Visit http://t-trak.nscale.org.au/ (http://t-trak.nscale.org.au/) for more details.
I like Thankfully airconditioning working in here. I guess you SA folk may be used to this, but if so, dunno how you live there. I can't stand it. Roll on winter, then I can build a wickerman! Hang on, I'm going to England in August...... :worried:
Interesting - is there a vid of it working?
Yes indeed. I thought I'd typed in that I would like to see it working, but apparently it went off into cyberspace.
However, things are pretty dire here at the moment (temperatures & fires) so it may be a bad time.
44 degrees here at moment.
:beers: George.
Have written to John and asked for more detail. (I buy from him on EBay)
If anything comes up I'll post and let you know - will put under the Aussie Modular thread I started earlier today.
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=10553.msg108747#msg108747 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=10553.msg108747#msg108747)
Link sent from nuggles58 showing smoke working.
2009 Perth Model Railway Show N scale Bushfire scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adk94Icbxf8#)
Like I say, probably not the best time here in Oz for this.
:) Don't worry, all good.... just not a good time of year here!
bealman