Exhibition Reports
Here you will find a number of articles and pictures reporting on all the exhibitions that we have attended as a club. If you would like to book us to attend your exhibition please click here.
Words by Brian Baylis, pictures as credited in the reports.
Cross Keys Swing Bridge Heritage Open Days
11th, 12th, 13th & 14th September 2008
A strange one this, not really a model railway exhibition, but still something that our club has supported and worth a report.
We were approached to see if we could possibly loan some rolling stock to go on a G guage model of Sutton Bridge. Mark kindly obliged and here are the pictures of the event.
We also gained a new member too.
This fine example of Victorian engineering was opened in 1897 for the Midland and Great Northern Railway company. This is a yearly event that is well worth a visit. It is organised by www.lincsheritage.org. For further information on next years open days please call 01406 350364.
Pictures by Tom Street
Lutton Church Festival
August 2008
On all three days of the August Bank Holiday Weekend, 'The Club' had been invited to show Hungate Bridge at Lutton Village Hall, near Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, while the Church held their Annual Flower Festival and to help raise funds for repairs to be carried out. It has been said that while the flowers are more for the ladies, the menfolk can while away their time watching and admiring a couple of model railways.
"2 more new members"
A good number of people passed through the door and admired both Hungate Bridge and Wallingford layouts on show.
In fact 'The Club' gained 2 more new members from it.
The hospitality received by visitors and 'The Club' Members was always very pleasant and so we would like to offer our thanks in gratitude of being invited to share their weekend.
The club would like to officially thank the Revd Jonathan Sibley from St. Nicholas Church, Lutton for inviting us along to this event. Thank You.
Pictures by Mark Thatcher.
Wimbotsham Village Hall Exhibition
9th August 2008
On Saturday 9th August at Wimbotsham & Stow Village Hall, near Downham Market, 'The Club' held a Mini-Model Railway Exhibition in aid of their Village Hall Funds.
In the space of four and a half hours, in the region of 175 people attended this first ever event featuring 'Hungate Bridge' in OO gauge and built over the three years 'The Club' has been going, along with Wallingford in OO gauge, 'Berry Wood' in O gauge, March Depot in OO gauge, a Wonderful display of G gauge items kindly supplied by the Wisbech Club President and the Wisbech & March Bramley Line Roadshow, with all of them gaining considerable interest from the visitors.
"We will do it again in 2009"
The members of the Village Hall Committee who attended were very impressed with the Exhibition, considering the time it was all arranged in, then at the end of the day, not only thanked 'The Club' for arranging it, but have invited them to do another in 2009.
As well as a thank you from me personally and to all operators of the layouts, 'The Club' President for his display, the Bramley Line Roadshow team for their time and then the visitors who kindly supported the event, on behalf of Wisbech Model Railway Club, it can't go without saying one big Thank You firstly to Wimbotsham & Stow Village Hall for inviting us to put the Exhibition on in the first place, then last, but far from least, to the three hard-working Ladies who normally tend to get forgotten for so kindly doing the refreshments, and being Dianne, Yvonne and Colleen.
Pictures above by Brian Baylis.
Pictures below by Martin Wickham.
March Model Railway Club Exhibition
2nd March 2008
Sunday 2nd March 2008 saw our club layout 'Hungate Bridge' exhibited at the cambridgeshire town of March, where like the Dereham exhibition we received a very warm welcome from everybody.
With just 4 operators to start with, we soon had the layout ready to operate, then we spotted a small problem that was very soon rectified.
The day was long, but upon closing, we had all had a really good day, with many compliments paid to our layout, which were all gratefully received.
Dereham Model Railway Exhibition
April 2008
Considering three weeks before our first exhibition, there was still some scenics to do, members did extremely well and soon got most of it done in time. We might not have quite finished the scenics, but then considering we meet on average 2 hours a week, the members had the layout looking great and so the visitors thoroughly enjoyed what we had done.
One visitor was so impressed with it, he asked us to sell it to him! We thought it was a 'wind-up', but he was genuine about it and so that convinced us, we had done right by it. We now hope the next one goes just as well for the visitors.