Hello all,

I hope this is the right place for this and it is within forum guidelines. It’s kind of a “market survey”.
By way of introduction, I’m an occasional poster here but frequent reader. I’ve been making models on and off since childhood. My main interest is historical, the models are a way to help understand the history.
I work professionally as a tour guide in Normandy, a job I have done for just over ten years, both as an employee and, as of this year, freelance.
I have guided thousands of people around Normandy, of all ages from many nationalities, and one thing that has continually struck me is the relatively low number of model makers.
I would guess since I started doing this in March 2004, I’ve taken around less than twenty folk who make models. So, given that most modellers have some sort of historical interest, why?
I’ve come up with a half a dozen suggestions. If anyone would like to comment on this, or add further suggestions, I’d be grateful.

1) Normandy is too far/too difficult/too expensive to get to
2) I’d rather look at machines/uniforms in museums than sites
3) I expect I know more than the tour guide, so a guide wouldn’t be necessary
4) I didn’t know guides were available
5) Hiring a guide is expensive
6) Modelling is a private hobby that I don’t talk about to anyone

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Sean

http://www.normandyinsight.com/
http://azimutproductions.blogspot.fr/

The first reason would be for me. I would love to go one day. I was able to send my daughter to France to visit an exchange student we had in Charlevile-Mezieres and they took her to Normandy, as well as Oradour-Sur-Glane. If I could go I would want to spend lots of time just walking around the countryside.

Mine are (in decending order)

"Don't do much WW2 stuff and then mostly Panther"
"Don't care much about DDay"
"A long and lonely drive from germany"

Mostly visiting a military site is an "also done" as part of a normal holiday i.e doing Munster while I am in Hamburg, Hackenberg when visiting Trier in 2015 or the Imperial War Museum while I was in London 2007.

Normandy is a bit "out of the way" for that type of visit and there is not much other interest for our typical holiday group

Thanks both for your responses.

Cheers,

Sean

I suppose I should ask are your tours specifically battle field related?
Battlefield tours seem to be very popular as regards dragging the Brits to France and Beyond, I have a particular interest in a tour of the North African campaign as my grandfather fought there. I also have an interest in the Ardennes which is more of a hobby and pure interest in the battle of the bulge. If I was asked as part of a group are you modeller? I would hope I would say yes, but I expect many would not as they would feel uncomfortable being singled out within a group.

Thanks Darren,

Yes, it's totally battlefield related.
From checking various posts on various fora it seems plenty of modellers come here. Not many seem to hire a guide, though.

Thanks again all for responding.

Cheers,

Sean


http://www.normandyinsight.com/
http://azimutproductions.blogspot.fr/

Sean,

I have wanted to tour Normandy for years and would love to have a tour guide such as yourself. Unfortunately prices for such a trip are just too much for me.

Hello Cary,

Sorry about the delayed response.... been off the site for a while.
Thanks for your reply. If you ever do make it over here, drop me a line.

Cheers,

Sean