straxman

All I have read here seem to point out that a person organising a small show for a few quid gets all the 'flack'. Does it really matter?? who organises an event....... I have not read anything against the Warner Group, who do take money away from clubs....... Especially when they will not allow a club to hold an event in the same venue only on a diffrent date!!........Please correct me if I'm wrong!! I looked at the promotions in Model Rail and although MRS could stand for Model Railway Society, I'm sure it was meant to be read as Model Railway Show. I think these events are put on for the public not just modellers, and if they attend and give the organiser a 'profit' then why not put on more of the same events??

If its the guy I'm thinking of we call him the Commentator. Last saw him was at the South West Herts event in May......... Always nice to talk to him, to find out how he is.

As a trader of secondhand model railways, you would expect him to have a stand at other events. As been posted earlier on this thread, he has a stand at the Chatham event, Folkstone is another one where he is a regular. He has been trading since he was 17. How many young people take a chance to start up a business at that age?? If so, how many of them are still going after nearly 8 years?? If you met him I'm sure you would see how enthuiastic he is about model railways almost to the point of obsession. Perhaps you may even make a friend.

Alright, perhaps trolliing is bit strong and if it offends you then I apologise. The initial comment states that these events are organised and seem to be taking customers away from Club events and putting nothing back. If thats what the starter of this thread thinks, perhaps they should look at the club events to see why they are losing support. My own clubs' events have been seeing a decline in 'customers' for years. The main reason was that the City car park where our customers parked used to be free on Saturdays & Sundays....... The local authority started making this a pay & display seven days a week. Then after a couple of years it became a card only payment. People who came to our city once a year decided not to return. We have moved to a new venue with free parking and guess what....... an increase in numbers. So before asking why, look at what your club is doing. Do you actually appeal to the public or modellers. In my experiance and again my own club is being used here as an example, we have over 100 members and I doubt whether more than 10 maybe 15 % of our members go to another model railway exhibtion other than our own main event. Again, using the model railway press is good but this only seems to reach railway modellers. To get numbers through the doors, use your local press and radio I do and I do leaflet drops around the local area starting a month before the event. Our local Radio do a 'Whats on slot' and I am interviewed a couple of days before the event. So if you want people through the doors......... go out of your way to meet the people, to get the people. As with local clubs two day events. It seems twice the cost for hardly any return on the second day. I have been to quite a few two day events where on the second day there were more exhibitors and traders than public. So we can all learn off each other on how to increase revenue............. if you can't beat them join them...... just don't blame others if you are losing support for your events, see why its losing support and react accordingly. I cannot see why some people on this forum think that this young lad is to blame for the lack of support for any event. Look at what you are doing are you still doing the same thing that you have done for years? Times have moved on and I suggest that you do and get your younger members to get involved to see what they want at an event............ Large events for most clubs cost more and have little return......... smaller more frequent events are where the 'monies' at these days............ Think about it............ look at your selves first

I use polite words, like I have written, "Please, do not touch", and its the second time that it may come across to them as more menacingly than the first, but I'm normally at the front anyway and have spoken to the 'punters' as soon as they get near to the layout. Perhaps, its this approach that stops them from touching in the first place. We all get little 'Johnny' who thinks its fun to pull stuff off and this is met with an 'OUCH'........... that stops them in their tracks and when everybody looks at me I am seen rubbing my elbow as if I have just hit it on another part of the layout. I have had the 'souviner' hunters who delight in picking off bits of the layout and for them I offer them a tube of glue and ask them if they want to stick it back in the place they would like to see it on the layout.......... Most just walk away........ Only one has stuck the tree back. Like I have said I ain't the prettiest looking bloke, and would quite easily pass as a night club doorman you don't want to meet.

I know that he does put a lot of hard work in to organising these events and they do take their toll. The reason he uses names like English Riviera MRC is because the umwarranted trolling on sites like this from people who should know better that does upset him as he does not know why they do it. Jealousy? vindictiveness? trying to be 'clever'? or just plain stupidity? Most model railway events are either organised by model railway clubs or traders, and the 'market' appears to be saturated, get used to it. Take part rather than just trolling people who do put a lot of effort into taking this hobby into the 'public arena' and in the process try to make a few quid............. Trust me theres not a lot of money to be made on a small event of about 10 - 12 layouts and a couple of traders. Look at the Brighton show........... Big event...... but not enough numbers through the doors to make it viable. This young man fronts events without knowing if they will be viable or not.......... If he gives up and the 'big boys' give up.......... where are you going to go??? And this in turn will cause the manufacturers to look at what they do and they may even then pull out of the game............... Get behind people like this young lad and support him and others like him, you may just keep the hobby and industry alive for the future generations..........

I do tend to be at the front of my layouts, either controlling them or interacting with people. To me its not a problem, I have had more damage done by loading and unloading (very minimal loss of flock and such) rather than by people. Its the barriers pushed by people that have done severe damage that causes me concern. The chap that tripped over a barrier upright could not stop himself and the barrier falling onto the layout, Now that did some real damage to the layout on the first day of a two day event and I felt really sorry for the chap as he could not stop saying sorry, I was more worried that he did actually hurt himself as he did need some first aid. As for the layout, luckily a trader had some 'flock and stuff' to disguise the damage on a tempory basis. No I don't advocate that there should not be barriers or perspex for those that like or want them. This is purely my opinion and that is I don't like them and would like the opportunity not to have them. A layout is a more 'softer' landing for people who do accidentally trip over......... To me barriers can be a 'trip hazard' and danger to the viewing public and your layouts.

Having read through the insurance cover I had for the MRX I organise I cannot find anything that mentions barriers in front of exhibits............... Also checked their web site and it is not in the Summary of Cover either........... Check it out for yourself...........http://www.modelrailwayinsurance.co.uk/docs/Cover-Summary-Exhibition.pdf I have come across some really bad barriers at events that are pushed against layouts as the day moves on............... These cause more damage than any fingers touching the front and getting some green foliage on them........... At one show I had a 'punter' picking the foliage off as they asked what it was made of......... I did say that I couldn't vouce for the stuff not being posionous and that they had better wash their hands before eating............. That stopped them......... And the foliage is easily replaced. As I have written elsewhere I do this hobby for fun....... I exhibit layouts for fun and quite frankly any damage can mostly be repaired.......... What really p***ed me off was having a loco stolen out of a fiddle yard on one layout.......... I hope the person who took it realised their mistake if they tried to use it on a 00 layout as it was one of my EM gauge locos.......... That was over ten years ago. NO ONE ever gets near to my fiddle yards anymore without being watched like a hawk...... And they are told the reason why. I ain't got a pretty face and my stare can let them know I ain't happy if they persist in hanging around the 'off scene area'.............

As a long standing member (30+ years) of a model railway club. I don't see why it should be considered the 'preserve' of model railway clubs to be the only group that are able to organise a model railway exhibition. And why it seems that this enthuiastic young lad comes in for all this unwarranted trolling. Anybody willing to put up their own money to make what is in reality a 'small return on investment' proves that its done for his love of model railways. If you don't like small shows........... don't bother going to them, but don't just be a troll either. My own club organises one large show in our area and several of our members organise smaller events throughout the year. We have found that the smaller events act as a 'feeder' to the bigger event. So they don't take anything away from our prospective, in fact we have noticed an increase in numbers. Two day shows by Clubs are getting to be a thing of the past. One day shows are more likely to be profitable for Clubs. As for VAT and Tax paid................ To be VAT registered his turnover would have to be above £83,000......... from eight small shows? Yeh right!! As for his tax paid on profit (sole trader) this is between him, his accountant and Customs and Excise. As for event insurance, I know for a fact that this is provided through Magnet. This young enthuiastic lad is doing his bit for this hobby.............. What do you do?? After reading your posts and implied accusations I feel you let the hobby down.

Perhaps I'm in the minority here but I do not like barriers in front of my exhibits (I have 6 that currently 'do the rounds') and the photographer in me hates perspex even more. I find that most people can read the notices that ask them not to touch. The notices state: "Please, do not touch". When someone does touch, I ask them politely not to, and most of them apologise. Treat the public with respect and you will get it returned, the obnoxious ones soon go away (I ain't a pretty looking guy). I have a couple of 7mm narrow gauge layouts and when people touch I offer them a kit/scratch built loco to hold (with my hands very close by) and tell them that it will break their toes if it falls on them...... Most are supprised by the weight and then stand back. My fellow operators and me always interact with the public as we probably have the 'gift of the gab' and its this interaction that seems to lead to someone taking more interest in the layout and striking up a conversation. Something that barriers seem to inhibit. In all my 30+ years of exhibiting I have only had one loco (EM gauge kit built) take a 'dive off' a layout. I put it back together and it still runs fine, probably more by luck than judgement. I have also been behind a layout when a chap tripped over the base of a barrier and then fell full weight into the front of the layout. The layout baseboard suffered damage as the guy pushed this into the layout with his weight behind it......... I managed to hold onto the layout to stop it crashing to the floor which would have probably caused even more damage. I would also like to have an 'escape route' and I don't see barriers affording me such luxuries should the need arise. In an emergency I want to get out, stuff the equipment, If I'm dead I don't need it................. If I survive............ I can make more................. So for me. No barriers.............ever................

I have known Dakota for a number of years and he is very enthuiastic about model railways; whether he is selling or organising an exhibition. And I have to say that he does put shows on where he often stands to lose rather than gain. I organise just one show a year and I know the amount of work I have to do for that. For this young lad to do eight, does deserve some praise in my 'book'. You'll also find that the same exhibitors and often, same traders will all support his shows. Why do we do it?....... Its to help him, we know he may fall down on some of the organisation of the event and he does try to improve this for the next time. His shows do bring in the general public and these are places where you do not often see a model railway club 'taking a gamble'. After all, these events are for the public who will almost undoubtably outnumber the railway modellers ten to one. Also, as has been written here, if it brings people into the hobby then its doing some good. My friend Neil and I did enjoy 'playing trains' at Oxted and we saw so many happy smiling faces from the public that we felt the journey was worth it. Just as an aside, at his event last year in Frinton (Essex) of all places we all thought it was going to 'bomb'....... how wrong we all were...... I did say then that if the event made a profit, then I would exhibit this year for no expenses....... I'm more than pleased to say that I will be there this year and will not be taking any money off him.............. So, give the lad a chance and help............ All his 'regulars' know what its like and we are here to help. After all we are all model railway enthuiasts.................. having fun is what its all about........... Also I wonder, if some of the bigger events made a loss how many of them would be back for the next year??