People Rediscover Old Hobbies During Pandemic

He sits quietly at his table, looking closely at his miniature¹ World War II tank. His hands are steady as he works to make the piece of plastic look as real as possible.

And it does look real, but very small. The project is the work of Maxime Fannoy, a Belgian husband and father dealing² with pandemic restrictions³ that keep him at home with his family.

The old traditional hobby of creating miniature models is returning, whether they are trains, tanks or dollhouses. Families are sitting down together and creating little worlds.

Sales are increasing among companies that make model kits⁵. British company Airfix saw a major increase in its plastic kits for Spitfires, the famous World War II fighter plane. Airfix is owned by Hornby, which also makes model trains and cars under other names. The business has become profitable⁶ again, with sales rising sharply⁷.

The simple pleasure of gluing and painting are pulling some younger people away from their phones and computers. Suddenly, they find they have more time. So many have begun taking up the hobbies enjoyed by their parents and grandparents.

In France, 70-year-old Guy Warein says he has rebuilt an old model train that had been stored away. His grandchildren love it and have returned from "the virtual⁸ world to reality."

He said his grandson said to him: "Come on Grandpa, let's go and see the trains and make them work again.' So, we put them together and did things together," he says. "It's a coming together of generations."

He repaired the old miniature trains and put down a large track. He is designing a new path for the trains to travel through. The hobby has helped him forget about the pandemic and the social problems caused by COVID-19.

"You fill your time and forget what's happening around you," Warein said.

Manufacturers have worked hard to meet the growing worldwide demand. Lyndon Davies is Hornby's chief executive⁹ officer. He had to fly 10,000 Spitfire kits to England from a factory in India when the company ran out of supplies for the first time in its 71-year history.

"This pandemic has really brought families together at home," he said.

Peco is another British manufacturer. It has hired new employees to meet the increased demand. Orders to the company are up 50 percent in some markets. People want miniature trains and tracks as well as the small buildings and trees that sit on the track.

"This is happening everywhere: Our markets in the UK, across Europe, in Australia, North America, in China," said sales manager Steve Haynes. "People are making far greater use of their...free time...and do something creative."

In Belgium, Fannoy calls himself a "model-maker made from lockdown." When the pandemic shut down his busy life and forced him to do business from home, he began working on some model kits he had long ago hidden away in his house for future free time.

He first completed several 1/24th-scale racing¹⁰ cars. A WWII tank has been painted to look old and is displayed in a winter environment with troops and other vehicles. He posted photos of the diorama on Facebook. It represented 50 hours of work.

"I generally start in the evenings at around 8 p.m. and stop around 11 p.m. to midnight," Fannoy says. "I can no longer do the things I would normally do...I open a kit⁴ and work on it. In fact, it's my wife who comes and pulls me out of this mini-world I live in."

Fannoy added: "It's a form of meditation¹¹."

Words in This Story

miniature – adj. very small

steady – adj. still and not shaking

hobby – n. an interest or activity engaged in for pleasure

kit – n. equipment or materials needed or used for a special purpose

glue – v. a substance used to stick things together

virtual – adj. taking place online or through computers instead of happening physically¹²

meditation – n. to think calm thoughts for a long period in order to relax

diorama – n. a model that shows a situation, such as a historical event or animals in their natural environment

1 miniature   

adj.小型的，微小的；n.微小的模型，微型画

参考例句：

• He's giving a party in miniature on his birthday.他生日那天将举行一个小型晚会。
• Games are real life in miniature.游戏是现实生活的缩影。

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

5 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

6 profitable   

adj.有益的，能带来利益的，有利可图的

参考例句：

• That business became profitable last year.那项生意去年变得很赚钱。
• The convention business is very profitable for the hotel industry.承办会议业务能给旅馆业带来很高的利润。

7 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

8 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

9 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

10 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

11 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

12 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。