The end of 2025

 Hello and welcome to Inso's World; for the last post of 2025. 

As is usually the case, I plan on recapping the year's happenings, events and progress so without further ado, I'll start with "life".

LIFE

This year has been my first full year at the day-centre; where I work to assist people with dementia to have a good time. I no longer cook but still do all the other stuff for five afternoons a week. We have clients visiting from 09:00hrs to 16:00hrs each day (I start at midday) and it is my role to entertain them, dish out food and drink and to assist with care; depending on need. It's a great job and I hope that it continues to be great for a long time to come.

Although I am unable to volunteer during the week, I have still been able to attend the Cornwall Air Ambulance charity shop on a bunch of Saturdays this year; covering for the manager and helping to raise money for an essential service/charity. It is something that is important to me and I hope to continue for as long as I am able.

On a more personal subject, in January, It will be three years since I finished psychotherapy and so far, I have managed to keep my head above water; even though I have had some depressive times where I have struggled... but thanks to my therapy, I've snapped out of the spiral and got back on track. I hope that I can continue to be able to reset myself and not go back to the dark days where depression dragged me down.

In January, I will also be a year older and will wave goodbye to my military reserve commitment (Royal Air Force).

Family wise, everyone is OK, the cats are still in fine fettle and the world is ticking by nicely. Next year, there is a wedding to look forward to... but that is something for next year...

I have not been riding my motorcycle NEARLY enough and keep saying "I must..." far too often; without knuckling down and doing it. I admit there were times when I could have but was either too tired or too busy to just throw a leg over and get out on my bike.

We have been in Cornwall for nine years now and it seems like the blink of an eye. We love it here and know that we made the right choice to move here.

THE HOBBY

Part of the hobby involves getting out and seeing stuff. This year I went to Salute 52 and had an interesting time. I have also been to a couple of local events run by a local charity called "Roll the Dice". They work to provide safe gaming space for youngsters and adults and also have a shop that sells games and gaming sundries (miniatures, paints, scenery etc). Both events were relatively small but had a decent spread of themes, games and sellers. I am (at some point) hoping to put together a little sculpting session or two to see if there is any local interest in that side of the hobby. That is something that will happen "as and when"; with no immediate, set-in-stone plans yet.

Imgur let me down. Yes... Imgur hosted my online photos and after eight years, they have decided to stop allowing access to the UK. All of the links to my images now have a banner that states the images are not accessible in my region so for the second time, an online hosting service has let me down and eight years of forum posts, on multiple forums, are spoiled for anyone viewing in the UK. I don't like to say it but thankfully, we have Facebook so there's that...

Onwards to "the list"... in other words: "what have I achieved in the hobby this year?"... so lets start with:

SCULPTING

This year, I have sculpted:

• 1x Superhero (Elon Musk in a Homelander cos-play) (for Bunny Badger Games).
• 1x Marvin the Martian (for Bunny Badger Games).
• 3x Jungle Fighting Dwarfs (to finish up the hunting team for Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 1x Servitor body plus 5x arms (for my army / Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 1x AK rifle (for Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 1x AK helmet (for Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 1x Rasputin Dwarf (for Checkpoint Miniatures).
• 1x Jungle Fighter Colonel (Straken proxy).
• 5x AK troopers with berets (for Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 1x Priest (for my army / Macrocosm Miniatures).

Also, I have converted:

• 2x Advisors (for my army).
• 1x Engineseer (for my army).
• 1x Bullgryn/Terminator (just for fun, from GW components).
• 7x AK troopers with helmets (for Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 5x AK troopers with "chip-hats" (for Macrocosm Miniatures).
• 1xSgt, 1x Comms and 1x Medic to go in a DKoK squad (for my army).

PAINTING

This year, I have painted:

• 1x Infantry squad (ten Dwarfs for 3Plt).
• 1x Heavy weapon squad (six Dwarfs for 3Plt).
• 1x Command squad (five Dwarfs for 3Plt).
• 2x Advisor.
• 2x Astropath.
• 1x Engineseer.
• 1x Adventurer.
• 1x Remembrance diorama.
• 8x Servitor (four gun Servitors and four standard Servitors).
• 7x Jungle fighters (Predator team).
• 1x Jungle Fighter Colonel (Straken proxy).
• 1x Jungle fighter infantry squad (ten Dwarfs).
• 1x Death Korps engineer squad (five Dwarfs).
• 1x Chaos Dwarf (Predator).
• 1x Jungle fighter Command Squad (five Dwarfs).

CONCLUSIONS

That makes: 21 sculpts, 19 conversions and 67 painted miniatures. 

I think that, with everything else I have going on, I haven't done too badly. As some will be well aware, I have periods of time where I am unable to sculpt (due to not having the mojo for it) but I have managed to paint stuff while that happened this year and that is pretty good.

HOWEVER... the lack of mojo has slowed down the commissions list and I have currently got a backlog so I am hopeful that I can rectify that, early next year, otherwise there will be some unhappy people... me included.

PLANS?

I try to make plans for the new year ahead but no plan survives contact with the year so I still haven't sorted out any Beastmen, armoured transports, tanks, bikes/trikes, Ogres or any of the myriad of "half ideas" that crop up along the way... mostly because I have been really focused on the Space Dwarf Army Project but now that is complete, I can see me trying to sort out a few little diversions in the year ahead... including my "secret Project" which has been rumbling on, in the background... so watch this space. Maybe 2026 WILL be the year of the Beast?!

WHERE ARE THE PIX?

I would be a terrible person if I didn't show off a few examples of this year's work so here they are:

Elon and Marvin Painted by Bunny Badger Games (Click the Pix!)

AK Troopers (Click the Pix!)

Astropaths, Remembrance Diorama, Adventurer and Chaos Squat/Predator (Click the Pix!)

Engineseer and Servitors (Click the Pic!)

DKoK Squad, Catachan Squad and Cadian army (Click the Pix!)

That was 2025. It won't be long before 2026 and the life challenges it brings so I guess it's time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you next year... CHEERS!

Click the Pic!

See you from the drunken halls!