************* Presents?

[dasatcopthorne]

Just a quick comment from me.

 

Are we seeing the start of lots of little one day shows? Probably taking customers away from Club events and returning nothing to the hobby.

 

I noticed that there is a one day show today in Oxted Surrey called 'Oxted Presents'

 

I've been unable to discover who is running this. The title has the 'sound' of being the local authority.

 

However, looking further on, there is a Wallingford Presents. Again, no info on who is running this, only a mobile phone number.

 

In my opinion, the entry fee is high for the low number of layouts on show and the very low number of traders.

 

I wonder who is running these.

 

Dave

[dasatcopthorne]

A bit more investigation show these to be run by Gellert Dibben.

 

All the shows use the same mobile number and many give the name as Dekota Dibben.

 

Mystery solved.

 

Let's hope they have all the necessary things in place, such as Insurance and are VAT registered etc.

 

We've been here before, haven't we.

 

Dave

[Phil Bullock]

Is there a suggestion these shows are for personal gain?

 

Am always very happy to support shows with a clear charitable aim but would not want to get embroiled if that is not clear

 

Phil

[nickwood]

Is there a suggestion these shows are for personal gain?

 

Am always very happy to support shows with a clear charitable aim but would not want to get embroiled if that is not clear

 

Phil

 

The Wallingford show is supporting the Wallingford and Cholsey Railway

[The Stationmaster]

The Wallingford show was an excellent little show last year with one or two very good layouts including some from local clubs - and I see Much Murkle will be there this year so it's hardly a tuppeny ha'penny event;  thanks for the reminder about it.

 

As for detracting from other shows I think that is a nonsense as far as this area is concerned - we have at least one (this year two) shows at Didcot Community Civic Centre, a well regarded show at Abingdon (quality has varied a bit in recent years but the latest was very good), a top notch annual show at High Wycombe now with a club public open day added making in effect a  second show, a small show in Reading, another at Maidenhead, plus Alton and Basingstoke not too far away together with Railex, Scaleforum and ExpoEM (at Bracknell) all within reasonable distance.   The latter three are obviously in a different category but the really top notch club shows and smaller one day shows seem not to have suffered one jot from the new arrival at Wallingford or the slightly longer established one at Didcot.  

 

The only one which has fallen by the wayside, but then because of changes to the venue, is the wide ranging Cholsey Model Mania although there model railways were but a small part of the whole.  And as far as the Wallingford one is concerned the only real problem it has is parking on site for visitors.

Edited June 18, 2016 by The Stationmaster

[cromptonnut]

A quick google search shows a facebook page for "Dakota Dibben Model Railways" and a mobile number, based in Kent.

 

Tallies in with this news article from 2009 http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/4379392.GRAVESEND__17_year_old_goes_full_steam_ahead_at_model_railway_show/ and even a vaguely unrelated Guardian article from 2012 http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/sep/11/young-politicians-youth-of-Britain

 

But who knows.

[Phil Bullock]

That's good to hear the local context from Stationmaster - many thanks

 

Phil

[Zero Gravitas]

- we have at least one (this year two) shows at Didcot Community Centre,

 

Point of deeply pedantic order to avoid any potential confusion - the shows are at the Didcot Civic Centre;  a venue I have coincidentally visited twice in the past week - last Saturday to attend the (really rather good) Didcot Beer Festival, and then again on Monday to give blood, which has a pleasing symmetry about it in terms of liquids in and out...

[Geoff Endacott]

I wonder if this has any connection with the Lewes Model Railway Exhibition run by the Mid Kent Model Railway Group...

 

...or the English Riviera Model Railway Exhibition run by the English Riviera Model Railway Club.

 

...or the Frinton-on-Sea Model Railway Exhibition run by Frinton-on-Sea Modellers.

 

...or Maidstone.

 

...or Lewes.

 

...or Deal.

 

...or Hersham.

 

...or the Isle of Purbeck.

 

...or Weybridge.

 

The hobby must be really thriving with all these new groups being started.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Robatron86]

I was at the Oxted show today and it was organised by Dakota Dibben. He arranges several one day shows. The Hersham exhibition is being organised bt Gellert Kis.

[Geoff Endacott]

I was at the Oxted show today and it was organised by Dakota Dibben. He arranges several one day shows. The Hersham exhibition is being organised bt Gellert Kis.

 

The Hersham show is fortunate to have a sponsor whose name appears on UK Model Shops. http://ukmodelshops.co.uk/events/12933-HershamTrainExhibition_Exhibition .

 

Geoff Endacott

[Red Devil]

Would that be Dakrail on here?

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/user/20666-dakrail/

 

It sprung to mind as I remember this topic,

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/108004-weybridge-model-railway-exhibition-saturday-5th-march-2016/&do=findComment&comment=2194843

 

No axe to grind and well out of my range so unlikely to be either visitor or exhibitor......

[Robatron86]

That's the chap.

[Geoff Endacott]

The English Riviera Model Railway Club looks interesting. I wonder where they meet and who the officers are.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Jub45565]

...Beer Festival, and then again on Monday to give blood, which has a pleasing symmetry about it in terms of liquids in and out...

How much blood did you give?! I hope it wasn't that symmetrical... more adsl ;-)

Edited June 18, 2016 by Jub45565

[Robatron86]

He gets around a bit doesn't he?

[298]

Just a quick comment from me.

Are we seeing the start of lots of little one day shows? Probably taking customers away from Club events and returning nothing to the hobby.

 

In my opinion, the entry fee is high for the low number of layouts on show and the very low number of traders.

 

I now have a mental picture of a "fly by night cowboy exhibition manager" riding off into the sunset with the day's takings and exhibitors left out of pocket....! But since that hasn't happened, let's just stick to the facts.

 

A low number of traders might actually be beneficial as you won't get numerous duplicates where three stands are trying to sell you the basics that are widely available at any basic hobby shop, or worse still overpriced second-hand rubbish that nobody wanted ten years ago and won't want now. As for where the money goes, does that mean a fan of one of the big four shouldn't go to a show if the organizing club only build layouts based on a rival or worse still waste materials on poor quality layouts...? I've overheard comments to that effect when viewing exhibits at shows so why not go one stage further and boycott the event completely? And nobody ever became rich from running model railway shows...

 

The exhibition calendar might be crowded at the moment but in an ageing hobby there is sure to be a downturn in years to come, and to be honest some poor quality events that appear stagnant in their approach to marketing themselves probably don't deserve to survive.

[Geoff Endacott]

It seems to me entirely laudable that someone should not only organise a lot of model railway exhibitions but then also take the trouble to start a model railway club in many of the areas as well. I hope that I can visit the English Riviera Model Railway Club when I next stay in the area.

 

Geoff Endacott

[PaulRhB]

Dakota is a young and very enthusiastic chap. I've only come in contact being asked to exhibit at the Purbeck show but I don't think there's anything shifty about it just a lot of enthusiasm.

[fulton]

Dakota regularly has his trade stand, second hand items, at the Chatham Show, and I have supported him with layouts at various small shows always raising funds for different causes, young and enthusiastic, just what the hobby needs! Our experience at Chatham with ever increasing costs you are unlikely to make much money from a model railway exhibition.

[PenrithBeacon]

The English Riviera Model Railway Club doesn't have a web presence. I think, given the circumstances, that it's a fiction.

 

Regards

[Boris]

The English Riviera Model Railway Club doesn't have a web presence. I think, given the circumstances, that it's a fiction.

 

Regards

That doesn't necessarily mean much, my local club has little web presence but its definitely active and definitely exists.  We see this a lot with wargaming clubs as well these days, they put on a show and people go and sure enough, they're real, its just they don't all have flashing neon signs pointing you to them.

[Mike]

Try http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/events/12964-TheEnglishRiveraModelRailwayClub_Exhibition

seems real to me.

[woodenhead]

Can someone explain the axe being ground on this thread?

[The Stationmaster]

Well today my son and I ventured to the the show at Wallingford.

 

First thing was that it was a different venue from last year and one which was far better with more parking space and it was taking place in a very good sports hall with refreshments available from a counter immediately outside the door into the exhibition area - while we did not sample the refreshments I would rate all of that quite highly.  Incidentally the route to the show venue was very neatly signed from the old main road through the town.

 

Secondly, and for some folk perhaps a bit disappointing, the layouts and trade stands came a long way short of filling the hall and there was hardly a large number of visitors while we were there.  Any suggestion that it might be 'taking people/revenue away from the regular club shows in the area' was clearly demonstrated as total nonsense.   There was a small but interesting mix of layouts - with no barriers and easy access due to the relatively small number of visitors so plenty of opportunity to meet and talk to Nick at Much Murkle plus a long chat with the two chaps on Barton Hill.  One of the narrow gauge layouts was cheerfully giving a young visitor a chance to operate while I also was able to chat with the owner of another layout who is a regular at shows in this area although as he has built 23 layouts over the years you rarely see the same one twice.  In terms of number of layouts the conclusion is 'not many'; in terms of quality of layouts - good/very good; in terms of accessibility to have a good look at a layout and a chat with owners/operators - excellent.

 

But this does have to be set against the background, at least while we were there, of low visitor numbers.  Overall the organisation of the show didn't strike me as amateurish but again low visitor numbers might have helped.  The trade presence was limited but varied and no money changed hands although it was a close run thing with KS Laser Designs.

 

So in the local context in an area where we are surrounded by a good mix of shows of various sizes and with varying emphasis/content I thought it fitted in fairly well and I shall definitely be going if it is repeated next year, especially at this year's venue.  Oh and it won't stop me attending any other shows in the area so I won't be abstracted from anybody else's visitor numbers.