GWC1

Final arrangements underway for the show. I just noticed that my Wouldham's chalk pit is still listed as appearing. Unfortunately, there just wasn't space to fit it in. Instead we have a new, smaller, layout Wits End coming.

I would lik to thank the Warley team for organising an excellent show. I brought my O gauge layout, Netherwood Sidings' (the O gauge overhead layout mentioned above). I was apprehensive of using the voyage control system, with having to give credit card details and the threat of charges if we overstayed, but it worked better than the old system. I booked as early as I could, which was 1300hrs, as the layout takes a long time to set up with the OLE. We went to lorry park 12 and were told to go straight down to the hall. There was a small queue of vans, but we were in and unloaded by 1330. The exhibitor refreshments on setup day were disappointing as we were charge £1 each for a cup of tea. We only got 2 vouchers each for tea/coffee on the show days, but we were staying in a Premier Inn so could fill flasks with coffee each morning. We only had to wait 10 mins or so for the van to get in to load after the show; in any other venue we would have spent longer then that carrying stuff to the van. I am exhibition manager for the Nottingham MRS shows, so I am well aware of the costs and stress of running shows. I think Warley did very well with the organisation.

We were all shocked at Nottingham club. Neill was a regular operator assisting with several layouts. His last exhibition was operating my 'Netherwood Sidings' layout at Spalding at the beginning of November. He was his usual self that weekend and visitors would have seen him shunting the yard and running the local freight trains. He was all set to help out with our club show the following weekend, but was taken ill and went into hospital on the Sunday. Dave Paylor went round our show on the Sunday during a video call with him in the hospital showing him the layouts at the show. He was chatting to us throughout his time in hospital and we were expecting him to be back out at any time. It was a great shock to us all.

Thank you to everyone who visited our show this weekend. We had a great time. Small shows like this are much friendlier than the big ones and we had quite a few Hucknall residents who were not particularly into model railways but grateful for someone holding an event in Hucknall! The venue was excellent and we would like to record our thanks to St John's church for making it available to us. We will definitely be back here - watch this space!

Smaller shows are the only option for us, as the costs involved in a large show with hotel costs and, in the case of the remodelled Harvey Hadden sports complex, the need to hire a bus to shuttle to the park and ride site, made it financially unviable.

We will be back to our now-traditional dates of 18 & 19 March 2023 for our next spring show. We had to move this year to get into the venue just before it closed. It was unfortunate that we clashed with the Heanor show yesterday, but we were forced onto that weekend.

No location is ideal from all directions, apart from the city centre. The council's redevelopment policies of the last 30 years have made any remaining city centre venues unaffordable for a club show. That is why we went for venues just outside the city centre area. Clifton was very good for access from the south by road and by public transport on the tram. Hucknall is good from the north and is again on the tram network. Our spring show next year will be to the east of the city centre in the Richard Herrod leisure centre in Carlton. This is only 2 miles from our original city centre venue, but has plenty of parking and a big hall, regrettably not on the tram network though. We are following the same pattern as Derby club do, with a small show in the autumn and a bigger one in the spring. The Richard Herrod centre Spring show will be bigger than the ones we have been holding in Clifton.

Thanks to everyone who visited our show over the last 2 days and made it such a success. Sorry if you didn't see much happening on Netherwood sidings for a time this morning, the main power supply packed up. We eventually had to reconfigure the layout to 'home use' mode and power the points from the lighting supply! We are now planning our Autumn show, in November in Hucknall, at the opposite end of the tram line to Clifton.

Here is the one-page show guide. Printed copies will be available at the door, but for those who want to see what is there before they go, or have it on their phone, here it is. Guide1page.pdf

we are right by Holy Trinity tramstop on the Clifton line. All day tram ticket is £4.40.

A record turnout for our last show at this venue (the last event of any kind at this venue, in fact) - 19 stands. I have just packed the exhibitors' packs with information sheets, lunch vouchers, badges, etc. It takes quite a while!

Late change to the show line up.... Mr Rail Stuff has broken his foot and cannot now bring his stand to the show. A shame, as we were looking forward to seeing it. We all hope he is back on his feet soon. We have a new exhibitor, Latem Design, who make railway signs. We also have an extra room available, so we can space the exhibits out a bit more.

Yes, Nottingham City Council seem set against the idea of us holding shows within the city, as they keep closing venues. I am off shortly to look at a venue for our Autumn show, which will be just outside the City but still on the tram network. Watch this space for more news!