On Saturday evening, as I headed up to Nottingham to collect my wife from another visit to her mum's, the legendary Queen song that has leant its name to this entry came onto the radio. I could not help but think it was a rather poignant choice. Not only could some of the lyrics rather brutally refer to the fallen soldiers who had been remembered earlier in the day, but the title could also refer to Weston on Trent Model Railway show. After all another one had just bitten the dust. This time it
Several months have passed since my last entry and so much has happened. I left Weston on Trent School in July to a lot of touching comments from the parents and many staff members. I secured a supply post back at the school where my teaching career began and this was made permenant in October. Since the start of the new academic year I have caught up with a few old colleagues and planning for the 2017 show has continued. Meanwhile Queen and Adam Lambert have started their sold out European tour
I cannot believe it has been over a year since I last posted in this blog. The story of the 2016 Weston on Trent Model Railway show has been told in its own thread in the exhibitions section of RMWeb. It was a big success, breaking all records with the most layouts ever in attendance and raising over £1000 for school funds. On that day posters were already up around the school advertising the 2017 event. I was already thinking about layout bookings and was, in my mind, thinking about 2018, 2019
It has been a few weeks since I have last posted. Work has been very hectic with loads of management issues to deal with. One student teacher has departed, and another one has now arrived. A round of interviews and new teaching assistant appointments have been completed and shortlisting for a new teacher is taking place. All of this, alongside, the day to day teaching has understandably taken my focus away from the Weston on Trent Model Railway Show. That does not mean that there has not been p
February half term has been and gone and, unbelievably, the Easter holiday is now less than three weeks away. The changeable nature of this particular Christian festival means that the school Spring term is often ridiculously short. This year there is just 24 teaching days between the February half term and the Easter break! Whilst the term length is always unpredictable, the Spring term always represents an important time in the planning of the Weston on Trent Model Railway Show. It is unbelie
We are now half way through the current academic year and 3 months on from the fourth Weston on Trent show. Skaleby West and the troublesome extension are back in situ in the spare room and, apart from the occasional loco test, it has hardly been used. Some small work has been carried out on the next project, Skaleby Quay, but the creative modelling juices have been but a trickle of late. There is a very good reason for that of course. Staff changes at school have taken up a lot of additional ti
I think the title of this entry fairly sums up my feelings towards the fourth Weston on Trent Model Railway Exhibition. Throughout the show's short history this year's event has been the hardest to organise. A plethora of layout withdrawals throughout the year resulted in the exhibit list having to be redrawn time and time again. In the months prior to the show we lost both Tom's Shed and Poundland due to the illness of their owners. We also lost Myrton because it had been double booked and an u
As I wrote the date on the board in the classroom this morning I realised that there are only 10 days to go until the Weston on Trent show. A slight panic set in. There is still lots to do before the day. At least it is not just me flying around like a maniac though. A fellow staff member seemed to appear at my door every five minutes today to discuss the rota for the day. There is the kitchen to organise, ensuring we have enough people to cook the food for the public, lunch for the exhibitors a
Earlier this week I read a blog by one of our exhibitors. Kev, builder and owner of the fabulous World War One layout "Up the Line" was discussing his preparation for an upcoming event. In his post he had a self confessed rant about the amount of time it took him to get ready for the event. He stated that he hoped his efforts were appreciated by exhibition managers. He then mentioned that he had it all to do again for the Weston show on the 14th November.
Far from being offended by Kev's comme
The countdown to the 2015 Weston show is very much on. We have now entered the final month and the show has even started to creep up the events bar on the main forum page. The hurdles continue to be placed in front of me. A very busy work situation has prevented me from measuring up those newly altered classrooms and has meant I am still to complete the floor plan. With next week being half term I know that I will really have to get things sorted during my time away from the classroom. Two paren
As regular readers of this blog will know, this year sees the fourth Weston on Trent Model Railway Show. I have had the honour of being the exhibition manager for the whole of that time, having originally come up with the idea for the show back in 2012. This show proved to be a success and, with the help of fellow RMWeb members and school staff, the event has continued to be successful throughout the past three years. It has raised over £2,700 for school funds, with the £900+ raised last year be
I think the title of the blog sums things up at the moment. It does not seem that long ago that I was breaking up for the six week summer holiday and looking forward to a family break on the South coast. Now I am back at work, installed as part of the school's leadership team, and suddenly realising that the fourth Weston on Trent Model Railway show is now only a few weeks away. That is quite a frightening thought! In truth the show has been taking a back seat in my thoughts of late due to some
Well another week and yet more ups and downs. First the good news. The layout forms are starting to come back in greater numbers. At present the confirmed layouts have hit double figures which is pleasing. I know of a couple more that are definitely coming but are yet to confirm their forms and two that are awaiting confirmation from me.
The progress has seen me come up with a plan for a new feature at the show. Two of our exhibits have confirmed that they will be made available for visitors t
What a difference a few days make. Since my last post a few layout confirmations have started to come in, and there have been one or two more layouts offered. If all confirm then the layout count will grow to about 16 so I am beginning to panic less. 7 layouts are definitely signed and sealed, and many of them include RMWeb members. Without a doubt the Weston 2015 event could well prove to be something of an RMWeb social. At the moment there could be up to 10 RMWeb members exhibiting this year.
I have not posted in this blog since the end of the Weston 2014 event. The new head teacher was so happy with the money raised that he gave the green light to the 2015 show. It seems we are here to stay. Planning has been underway for many months, and there are already many layouts booked. I am pleased that a couple of my top targets have agreed to attend this year's event, and I have various layout plans bubbling along for my own exhibit. Hopefully we will reach the heights of previous years.
I suppose it is fitting that the 50th post in this blog marks the end of another show! The third Weston on Trent show is now behind us. In the previous two years I have followed up the event by posting a blog entry that suggested that the day of the show felt like the longest day. Without doubt this year's event can claim to be the longest of longest days. Here is the true story of Weston 2014!
The final preparation for the event did not go well. A hectic week at school with leadership cour
Almost a month on from my last blog and we are now a fortnight away from the third Weston show. Things are starting to come together, although maybe not as quick as I would like. What I can confirm is that we will have our largest ever show as we will be opening up a third classroom for this year's event in order to fit everything in.
The layout list has now grown to 19 and I am hopeful of hitting the magic 20 mark before the show comes around. At least 7 of these layouts will be exhibited by
Was it really the beginning of June when I last posted on this blog?? How time does fly, and to be honest the lack of input on here has rather matched the progress with this year's show. A house move, a holiday and starting back at work under a new head teacher have rather taken over my time. Just a couple of weeks ago Chris, who runs the kitchen at the event, approached me to ask about lunch arrangements for the day. My reaction was "oh sh**, is it really that close?" Well yes it is. The third
It has been quite a while since I posted anything in this blog. Things have not been good at present. The new house is still not ready and we have found major damp in two rooms of our temporary accommodation (my late grandfather's bungalow). Stress levels are at an all time high and have led to some careless and costly errors which readers of the Early Riser's thread will be well aware of. I don't want to repeat myself but will say that all the trouble has kept me away from working too much on t
It has been a few weeks since I posted an update about the Weston 2014 event. It has definitely been a busy time. The show has started to take shape with a number of RMWeb users set to attend. "Up the Line", "Wheelock Mill" and "Werrington Road" will all be representing this website at the event in November. A further RMWeb layout could be confirmed within the next few days. I also have one or two other layouts on the "probable" list that just need final confirmation and I hope to do this soon.
Another month down and I am pleased to report more progress with the Weston on Trent 2014 show. Following the announcement in the last entry of two new exhibitors for this year's event, I can confirm that further layouts have now been booked. Ken Jones is one exhibitor who has agreed to return for a third year with more of his micro layouts whilst another third time returnee, Malcolm Hughes, has agreed to bring some more of his heritage collection. For this year it looks likely that he will prov
The new year is only a few days old but there has already been a good start made to planning the Weston 2014 show. Since my last blog enteries I have received two offers of layouts from RMWeb members. Both of these will be new exhibitors at the Weston event. It is great to attract new people and I look forward to seeing both layouts in November. One layout is U.S based whilst another represents WW1 which already gives some interesting diversity to the event.
A third layout has been promised f
The school holidays may be half over and the Christmas festivities may now be over, but with the New Year around the corner I can now confirm that there WILL be a Weston-on-Trent Model Railway exhibition in 2014.
Actually the decision was an easy one. With almost £1000 raised for school funds and plenty of positive comments received, the headteacher seemed to nervously ask me if I would be prepared to run another event. Answer..of course I would.
The date is Saturday 15th November.
As I write this it is just over a week since the Weston on Trent model railway show. The school has returned to normal with all trace of the exhibition now removed. The road signs have been returned, with thanks, to the Mickleover Model Railway Club and all the other signs and posters have been taken down. Now is the time to look back, reflect, and assess whether we achieved what we wanted to achieve with the show - just as we have to do with all other fundraising events!
Once again it is p
Weston-on-Trent Model Railway Show 2013
Last year I wrote a blog entry, entitled "The Longest Day", to recount the events of the inaugral Weston-on-Trent model railway show. Without doubt this year's event produced an even longer "longest" day.
For me the Weston 2013 event began with an unwelcome 5am alarm. This was followed by a leisurely breakfast, before I embarked on the "ninja" loading up of the car as I tried to load up Skaleby West without disturbing my slumbering wife and daugh
