Cheers Paul and what a nice thing to say, I have to admit that I do spend a long time (too long probably) trying to get things to look right but it's all good fun! ;-) ...........Graham

Don't worry Jack, at my speed of building then I doubt very much if Lakeside will be finished anytime soon - I for one don't want it to be finished too early, I'm enjoying myself too much. ;-) ..........Graham

Many thanks Dirk, a little work on the buildings makes all the difference to the look of them, they have all come out looking better than they started off that's for sure. .............Graham

Hi Craig and Maria and so good to hear from you again and hope your layout is coming along ok - will there be a video of it soon? I loved doing that overgrown garden with the old car in it, it was just something different to do. My wife Hazel suggested the seagulls on the roof of the house, I was going to put them on Billy's Bridge which I can still do as I've got quite a few left over. Thank you for the kind comment and as always it's much appreciated. .........Graham

Blimey Chris, thank you for those very kind words - they really are inspiring and want me to carry on improving on what I have already but the important thing for me is that I have thoroughly enjoyed myself doing this layout and I'm having a ball thinking up the next little cameo. Loads more to do on Lakeside yet so much, much more to come in the future. Thank you for your comment, it's much appreciated. ............Graham

That's very kind of you to say Bob, thank you. It's taken me a while to get to this stage but I can see the end results now and I'm really pleased with it. Onwards and upwards as they say to the next phase of Lakeside which will probably be that large expanse of MDF to the side of the Manor House. ;-) ............Graham

Many folk have said the same thing, I think I could rent a few of those properties out!! lol. Imagine sitting by the village pond on a summers evening, pint in hand - lovely! ..............Graham

Thank you very much Paul for you kind comment, that really means a lot to me that others are getting some form of enjoyment out of it as well as me. "It's all in the detail" has been drummed into me for as long as I can remember so I guess it's going to come out in the building of Lakeside too. Anyway, glad you like the video. ...........Graham

Thank you very much Dan, yes I'm very pleased with the final outcome mate, just a couple of gardens left to do and some small detailing but apart from that then the village is just about complete. :-) ............Graham

Many thanks Phillip and I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the (almost) finished village and the quick trip on the train. Thank you for spending the time and effort to comment and as always - it's much appreciated. .........Graham

Thank you very much Jamie, I think it makes it more interesting to the viewers if they can see a reason to what and why I have done something and also I never put anything on Lakeside unless it has a reason for being there, no point in putting it on there just for the sake of it. Glad you enjoyed the video. ............Graham

Thank you David, not up to your standard I'm afraid but it's come out looking ok and as you say, it is coming together at long last. ............Graham

Cuppa duly drunk! ;-) Thank you for that very kind comment - I'm not sure that this is suitable for a magazine article yet as there are many more layouts out there more deserving than Lakeside especially as there is still a long way to go yet but I thank you anyway - maybe in a few years time when more work is done - I've still got that large piece of MDF to fill yet !! But for the moment I'm having a ball creating something that's giving me so much fun which for me is the most important thing. ;-) ...........Graham

That's really pleased me mate, thank you and glad you enjoyed the video. ..........Graham

Thank you Gavin, I look in awe at you guys who paint your tiny figures, how on earth you can paint such small details I will never know but my hat is most definitely off to your talents but as you quite rightly say, it's all in the detail and you can see the differences with those who spend just that little extra time on them. Thanks for your comment mate - much appreciated. ...........Graham

Cheers Paul, well with the village area almost complete then it won't be long now before I will start work on the large expanse of bare MDF next to the Manor House - exciting times ahead! ...........Graham

I have to admit John that I am proud of what I have done on the village, I had it in my head how I wanted it to look and to see it now in reality then it gives me a huge buzz, I'm really pleased with it. I know I will keep going back to it and adding or change something to it but it's basically there now and shortly it will be time to move on to the next part of the layout but there are two gardens and some scrub land to do first. ;-) ............Graham

Thank you Jason and that's exactly what I want, you can't just glance at a particular point and see it all in that one glance - it has to be studied as there are normally many things to see if looked at long enough. I think that is what makes a layout interesting. ............Graham

I was wondering what you were going to say when I first started reading your comment Andrew - I thought initially from the first couple of words that I was going to get a drumming! lol. I am so pleased though that you actually are liking the look of the way Lakeside is going and I have to admit that after shooting this video I stopped to have a look back at what I had completed that weekend and even I was pleased with the end result, it now leaves me free to start the next phase on Lakeside - once I have finished the other two gardens and scrub land that is!! Thank you for your very kind comment Andrew and also for taking the time and trouble to do so too. ...........Graham

Many thanks Dave and pleased you like the village, I'm very happy with the way it has turned out now. .............Graham

Thank you John but everyone can do what I do, it's just a case of looking around you and copying it onto the layout. No problem with the shout out, you deserve it as you have had quite an input into Lakeside and long may it continue. Using the GoPro helps me to give an overview of the layout as well as the passing glimpses of the gardens too - the best of both worlds really. .........Graham

Cheers Dave and I had to have one of the gardens with a fish pond in it, I was going to put it in mine but I changed my mind in the end. Yes. I'm so pleased I did the pebble dash on the pub, it fits in really well I think. Just a couple of gardens to do and then I can move on to the next phase. ............Graham

Thank you Andy, I'm still not happy about this going into a magazine to be honest, I know I am always underestimating myself but I just feel that there are far more worthy layouts out there who deserve to go in a magazine than mine, maybe a few years down the line when there is more work completed then I might think about contacting a mag. But thank you for the kind comment mate, it is as always, much appreciated. ............Graham

The static grass is easy enough to do Ross as long as you have good equipment to do it, all you have to do is shake a bottle like thing filled with static grass but you need some good glue, decent static grass and of course the dispenser itself. I'm rather pleased with the over grown garden especially with the dumped car - it just seems right. ...........Graham

Thank you. Yes I am pleased with the result and also pleased that the village is now almost complete too which means that I can now move on to another area now.

Thank you very much Mike and I'm sure that you will be able to match or even better whatever I have done - so you will end up a very happy man indeed! ;-) ..........Graham

Yeah I know John, it's been said so many times that a layout is never complete but areas do become complete to a major extent but you just go back adding a little detail here and there which is where I think a layout is never complete comes from. I hope it never is complete to be honest, I want it to just carry on. .........Graham

Well that's nice Solomon in that Lakeside rings of home to you and I hope that you and your wife enjoyed the dinner too. ;-) ............Graham

Thank you Steve, that's very kind of you to say and really helps me to make it even better with the newer areas to be started yet. Pleased that you enjoyed the tour of the layout too, hopefully it gives people the feel of the whole layout at the same time as seeing the village too. ...........Graham

Many thanks Tony and yes I have to admit that I am pleased with the (almost) completed village and the way it's come out too, it's taken me long enough to get there but it's been worth it though. ;-) ...........Graham

yes it may have taken a lot of time but you can see were the effort has gone mate. detailing always takes time..........great stuff.........

Thank you Tony, that's very kind of you to say. ..............Graham

Cheers Chris and pleased you enjoyed it. ........Graham

No, thank you for viewing this video and also subscribing mate, that is so appreciated. I am pleased that you have enjoyed this video but by all means check out some of the other videos on my channel too as they may be of interest to you. ..........Graham

Thanks John and really pleased that you enjoyed the video, I can't believe that I'm actually nearing the completion of the village although I suspect that even when it is done I will still find little areas on it to improve. ..........Graham

Thanks Stuart and pleased you enjoyed it, I'm very pleased with the way this has all turned out to be honest, better than what I thought it would do to be honest. ..........Graham

That's very kind of you to say Michael, thank you and pleased you enjoyed it. ...........Graham

Thank you Des and as always, your comment is much appreciated. .........Graham

You will soon find that this hobby will start overtaking you Gary - it is like a drug - the more you do then the more you will want to do - but it's great fun and I'm so glad I found this as a hobby. ............Graham

Absolutely Matthew, shouldn't take too long to finish now, the main part is done so as you say - onto the next phase now - exciting init!! ;-) ..............Graham

Thank you James and I agree, it has come to life now, I very happy with it even though there is a little more work left to do on it but it won't take long now - the hard part is over and done with. .........Graham

Thanks Grahame and pleased you enjoyed the (almost) finished village, a little extra work and detailing makes all the difference. .............Graham

Many thanks Dave and thanks also for the congrats on 4,000 subs - can't quite believe that! ...........Graham

Many thanks Kevin and as you say, all coming together gradually. .........Graham

Thanks Mark, I do try to have a reason for most things on there rather than just having them on there for the sake of it. .........Graham

Well thank you Johnny, that's very kind of you to say, I really appreciate your comment - thank you. ..........Graham

Many thanks Andy, much appreciated. .............Graham

Hehe, thank you Stephen, with the tinge of a slight red glow coming from the pub then it does look so very inviting I have to admit. ;-) ............Graham

I can remember those ice cream vans too Peter, I can remember being able to buy proper wafers from them, solid block of ice cream which he cut with a knife and slapped a wafer each side - I haven't had one for years! I loved them. ;-) .........Graham

Cheers mate and much appreciated. ..............Graham

Many thanks Gérard and pleased you found it interesting. ...........Graham

Thanks Simon and yes, that guy by the pond looks so relaxed - a pie in one hand and a pint in the other, sitting by a lovely village pond on a summers evening - what could be better than that! ;-) ........Graham

Thank you Mike and glad that you enjoyed it. I think looking at other layouts on KZfaq then Metcalfe seem to be the most often used kits which has to say something about them. I have to admit that I really enjoy building them up even if I don't modify them, they are great fun to build. I'm not sure I could manage the N gauge versions though, they are tiny by comparison so hats off to you for even attempting them! Thank you for taking the time and trouble to comment, that's really appreciated. ............Graham

That's a very kind thing to say Michele - I will keep an eye open for you just in case a property becomes available! ;-) .............Graham

I wish they were Susannah!! lol. Those buildings are great though, very well designed and with a little time and effort on them then you can make them into something a little individual for virtually no extra cost - and as "Queen of lean" then I know you would appreciate that! ;-) ...........Graham

Your absolutely right about the weather warming up Steve, I managed to work up there without the heating on quite comfortably. It'll be a long time yet mate before this layout is complete, I would estimate at least another five years before it starts looking anywhere near complete but as you know - layouts are never complete and always need work doing to them! lol. ............Graham

I know it seems a bit odd Robert with those fences but I did put some up just to try it but it worked out that you could only see the rear of the house and virtually none of the gardens so just low bushes at the back solves the problem. ............Graham

Thank you Paul and pleased you like it. .........Graham

Thank you, I had forgotten all about this video so thanks for reminding me about it again. Cheers for now. ...........Graham

Thanks Glynn and pleased you enjoyed the carriage view - just something little different. ...........Graham

Wow, I bet you can't wait to get stuck into building that layout of yours. It sounds as if it might be a rather big layout!! ;-) ...........Graham

Might just be a really big one Graham, have to build the baseboards first though, might take a while to get up and running again......Dave

Well it takes as long as it takes Dave, it's not a race mate, just enjoy the build at your pace. ;-) .........Graham

I have started doing track plans on graph paper, think im going to base my TMD on Leicester.....Dave

Thank you for your kind words Jennifer, they're greatly appreciated. ..........Graham

Hi Joachim, I do understand what you are saying about the trees but I have tried larger trees and although they look nice, on a small model then they tend to block out to much and get in the way of a good view of what is in the village, hence the reason for the smaller trees and lets face it, all trees have to be small before they get big but thanks for the input, it was a good suggestion. ...........Graham

Graham Foulston Haha totally understand cheers

Thank you. This video is almost a year old now and just looking at a few of the clips then there is quite a bit that has changed over the year with more work completed in the rear gardens which are now finished. It's good for me to see these older videos as it reminds me just what I have done!! lol. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to comment. ............Graham

I have indeed Adi but I'm having lots of fun doing it at the same time. ;-) ............Graham

Thank you very much Colin, cheers for now mate. .............Graham

Thanks Russel and yes, they are very good kits but just with a little extra work can be turned into something quite individual which can make a great scene. ...........Graham

Greetings from wales ATM :)

Absolutely 100% correct Greg, lots more to come yet on Lakeside with probably quite a change from what has been seen so far - more industrialised as we head towards the terminus end of the layout so it will look quite different. ..........Graham

Cheers mate, glad you like it. ;-) ............Graham

Thank you very much. ...........Graham

Thanks Andy but you actually reach the station from the other end of the layout near the terminus and not from the village, I will probably use road names which mean something to me like the street I was born in for example. .........Graham

Thank you very much Glen. Yes I did receive the photo and very good it looks too. ;-) ............Graham

Hi Graham and yes, the Metcalfe building are the best card kits in my opinion and with just a little work can be made to look individual too. ..........Graham

I'm not going to mow his blooming lawn Michael, if I do it once he will expect me to keep doing it - he's that sort of bloke - git! lol. I think you might be right about that window cleaner but I don't think they had those accident at work things back in those days, if they did then you're right, he may have missed a rung or two on his ladder a couple of times! ;-) The pub has come out really well and I'm really pleased with it. Cheers for now mate. .........Graham

Thank you very much James and pleased you enjoyed it. ..........Graham

Hi Edward, well I doubt if it will ever be fully finished but I have many other hobbies as well as Lakeside so my time is always taken up with things to do, I'm never just sitting!! lol. I'm having great fun building Lakeside and I estimate that there is at least another 5 years of work on it - especially at the slow rate I build! lol. ..........Graham

Yep - something to look forward to in my old(er) age! lol. ............Graham

Hi David and yes, the engine shed is all complete including a floor with an inspection pit internal lighting as well as external lighting. I will try to remember to do a shot of it on my next update for you. Thank you very much for those kind words too David, that was very kind of you to say and are really appreciated mate - thank you. .........Graham

Thanks Harry and good to hear from you. I have been searching for a decent Lambretta for my layout but I haven't seen one I like yet, there's quite a few to choose from but none of them look right. I will find one eventually. ...........Graham

This one any good ? www.dartcastings.co.uk/dart/L66.php

Actually that is pretty good, I like it and its a good price too, thanks for that, much appreciated. .........Graham

Just ordered it along with a few other things too. ;-) ...........Graham

No problem, glad to be of help. I do like their products.

Thank you Scott, I'm sorry mate I can't remember where I got that pond from but I have seen them advertised recently - maybe Layouts4U but not sure. I'm glad you liked the ride too. ;-) ........Graham

Yes Freddy, not much to do now but the hard part is now done. ............Graham

Hi Mike, I used a mix of Woodland Scenics natural earth colours of green and earth, I just kept mixing it until I got a muddy looking appearance so no particular colour I can recommend - just keep it looking light brown with a tinge of green in it is about the best I can do. .........Graham

Thank you too! ;-) .............Graham

Hi Dace and thanks, I think the lorry is from Oxford Diecast and the fencing is from Ratio kits. Hope that helps. .........Graham

Hi Chris, the people are from all different manufacturers - Bachmann, eBay, a few old Hornby and also some I can't even remember where I got them from to be honest. Thanks for the comment mate, much appreciated. ........Graham

Blimey mate - thank you but when I look at other layouts on YT then mine seems to be way behind on what others can do but I'm happy with what I've done and it's also given me a lot of fun doing it too which I guess is the main thing. Thanks for the kind words though mate, they are really appreciated. ;-) ............Graham

Many thanks Monique and pleased you that you enjoyed this video. ............Graham

I see you've just answered my question towards the end of the video!

LOL, no worries. Just pleased that you enjoy the videos and the layout and if you can get some ideas from mine and other layouts then that's icing on the cake. ;-) ............Graham

Thanks Bob, I guess it would be possible to take the van apart and detail it a bit, not sure how much could be seen but certainly a man behind a counter handing over an ice cream wouldn't go amiss. Really pleased that you like the scene though, it came out better than I thought it would to be honest. .........Graham

Many thanks Reinhard, I think most places seem to have a neighbour like that bloke - there always seems to be one. The burnt out car is just a thought at the moment - I just fancy having a go at trying to simulate one and that piece of scrub land seems to be an ideal place for a stolen car to be dumped - just a thought in my head at the moment - we shall see. ............Graham

Thank you and hope you enjoyed it. .......Graham

Well thank you very much Mark, that's really appreciated. If you want to take shots like those you have seen then they were only taken with an iPhone 6+ so nothing fancy about them and not colour corrected in Photoshop - just straight from the camera. Many thanks for your very kind comments, that was a very kind thing to say. ;-) ...........Graham

Graham Foulston Thank you Graham, but I actually meant getting those particular stills from you, especially the nighttime photos as they're just stunning. If at all possible, I'll gladly private message you my cell number and you could text those photos and I'll include my email address if you prefer to send those photos that way. Of course you're not obligated, and should you decide not to, I'd fully understand. You should send in photos to a huge magazine in model railroading that we have here in the USA called Model Railroader. Every issue has a section at the back of the magazine called 'Trackside Photos' which features photos of layout scenes or a scene usually with trains in them (a locomotive usually) submitted by the readers/subscribers of the magazine. Perhaps you can submit photos to that magazine as it would be so nice for American modelers to see the incredible work you all do in GB (and the UK as a whole). I'd love to see your photos in Model Railroader Magazine.

Sorry Mark, I didn't realise that you wanted the actual photos! Of course you can have them, if you PM me your email address I will send them to you, no problem. If you think your magazine would be interested then you are most welcome to submit them on my behalf should you wish to do so. .........Graham

Graham Foulston Hi Graham and thanks again. Sadly for the moment, my laptop died (one and a half years old my son bought for me as a birthday present. Don't buy a Toshiba) and I've yet to have it repaired so I've been using my 'smart' phone. I did go on your channel in hopes of being able to message you and that wasn't possible as I believe that one is limited when using their phone. Thanks, I'll get to a desktop and message you my email address. Many thanks again, it's greatly appreciated.

Graham Foulston Hi Graham, may I complement you on your amazing layout? I wondered if you might have a track diagram? If so, would you be kind enough to send me a copy? Many thanks Shaun