Alistair Builds Because...
Alistair, like many of us, had gotten into modelling as a boy. Set against the backdrop of the eighties, Alistair fell in love with the hobby of scale model building and found himself burning through projects with the kind of passion we take for granted as kids. He realised early on that focusing on a build allowed him to get into a “flow state”, where he could take time out of his life to connect with himself.
Alistair continued to chase that same peace into adulthood, eventually leaving modelling behind and throwing himself into sports in his spare time. He describes it as a form of “active meditation” and found it a useful way to settle his mind after a demanding day of work. He dipped in and out of modelling when he could, but his adult life was fast-paced and busy. His job left little time for anything that couldn’t be done on the go.
Unfortunately, six years ago, Alistair’s life came to a sudden halt. His brother fell gravely ill. Finding himself in desperate need of a kidney, Alistair stepped in (officially winning the title for Best Sibling) and saved his life. The operation was a resounding success, however, the hardest part for Alistair, had just begun.
“You expect after the surgery to be off work for a couple months and to have some brain fog after the anaesthesia. When my parents asked if I’d like anything to keep me occupied during my recovery, I suggested a couple of modelling magazines and Airfix kits.
They got me the 1/72 Airfix Typhoon and Buccaneer and a Sword Gannet AEW which were great. The magazines were fascinating, and I could dip in and out to fit with my tiredness and attention span. The models kept me occupied and entertained without being too demanding.”
Alistair found himself once again, discovering the magic of modelling. What was once considered merely an exciting hobby, is now being viewed in a completely different light. In a time of screens (of all sizes) and this constant state of always being ‘on’, sitting down to complete a build is providing the community with a much-needed escape from the modern world. Tuning out the white noise and putting a little piece of your soul into a model is the next popular prescription for peace. And for a recovering Alistair, the Airfix version of a spoonful of sugar was his ticket back to a healthy head space.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get back to my old self. I tried returning to work and my previous hobby of endurance sports (running and triathlon) but really struggled. I didn’t have my old energy.
I was exhausted all the time and couldn’t keep thoughts in my head. My science job was really demanding and required travel and focus. In the end, I had to reduce my hours and eventually stop entirely. Sadly, not all living donors get back to their old selves and chronic fatigue is an occasional long term side effect.”
After a lifetime of fast paced action, Alistair found himself listless, with all of this new-found free time. He needed to find a way to channel the energy he had left into something new- something which could still excite him but was entirely on his own terms. Looking for an answer, Alistair once again turned to modelling, in more ways than one.
“Model-making really replaced the thinking time and mindfulness of a lot of my sports. I can get that same flow state from disappearing into a build that I’d have found in cycling or running. It helps to settle my brain. I use it almost as an active meditation."
The online modelling community were also incredibly helpful. Not expecting to retire for 20+ years yet, I’d not given it a lot of thought. But the older members of the community were great at sharing their experience of the transition from working life to retiring.”
Some twenty years after he had originally joined, Alistair found the modelling world still waiting for him with open arms. Although it was bigger and a little higher tech, it still felt like home.
Alistair writes to us now, full of life and excitement about the models he’s talking about. We feel incredibly honoured to have played a part in Alistair’s recovery. Model building is an amazing way to help restore balance to your mind. Physical health is only part of the equation and we’re glad to be part of the rest of Alistair’s journey.
We have included some of the products Alistair mentioned in his article so that if anyone comes to mind who you think would benefit from a bit of Airfix TLC, you can share this with them and recreate some of Alistair’s favourite builds.
Alistair's Workbench
What was your first build?
“Not my build but the first model I can remember was the Airfix 1/144 Saturn V that my dad built for me when I was about 4 or 5. It stood very proudly in my bedroom until I loaned it to my school when we had a project about space, and someone jealously destroyed it. That 40 years later I can tell you who it was and that they jabbed a red pencil through it, tells you that it still smarts!"
What was your most challenging build?
“Most challenging build was maybe a Saab Viggen, admittedly not an Airfix kit (I think it was a vintage Matchbox boxing) but masking the 4 colour splinter pattern became a labour of love and then ancient decals fell apart as soon as they touched water.”
What was your favourite build?
“My favourite might well be a daft little thing I made from the scrap box. I had a day when I had no mojo whatsoever and on a whim, just made something with no attempt at realism. Sea Vixen wings, Lancaster nose canopy, Phantom recce pod fuselage, Buccaneer tank engines... just don’t ask about how the missiles would clear the props if fired.”
Do you have a future build in mind?
“Most challenging build was maybe a Saab Viggen, admittedly not an Airfix kit (I think it was a vintage Matchbox boxing) but masking the 4 colour splinter pattern became a labour of love and then ancient decals fell apart as soon as they touched water.”
Kidney Research UK
In light of Alistair's story, when asked if there was anything he would like to promote to our audience, he felt that the clear choice was the Kidney Research UK charity.
As the largest kidney research charity in the UK, their mission is to increase awareness for kidney failure, raise funds for necessary medical research and promote good kidney health for the public. They have been fighting the good fight for 60 years now and rely on donations and volunteers to press forward with their important work.
If you have felt moved by Alistair's story and wish to learn more about this wonderful charity, you can read all about them here. If you would like to donate, click below!
Alistair's Gallery
Share the love
Over the course of the next few weeks we will see a diverse range of stories, some focussing on highs and others on lows- with struggles and triumphs of all kinds in between. If you read about Alistair's journey and someone in your life comes to mind as having a similar story (or you think they might just benefit from a touch of the Airfix TLC!), we hope you'll share this with them. The positive impact modelling can have on a life is limitless but we need your help to ensure that our reach extends just as far.
Can you relate?
Like with all stories we have themes of light and dark, good times and the occasional bad. Although each of our articles ends with a light at the end of the tunnel we also know that it doesn't always feel like that. Many of you are reading the series just to further your love of modelling, but if you find yourself mirrored in any of our stories and feel like you need to reach out to someone, you can find a list of NHS endorsed resources here.
Share your story!
Get in touch with the Airfix team to be included in the I Build Because series. Anyone with a love for modelling could be in with a chance of having their story featured. Share your passion for the hobby with our wonderful community today!
Let us know on social media or using the hello@airfix.com inbox if you're interested in participating.