Jump to content
 

London Festival of Railway Modelling, Alexandra Palace, 25/26 March 2017


Andy Y
 Share

Recommended Posts

There are quite a few Travel Lodge's and the like around the Kings Cross/Euston area which I have stayed in, the one in Grays Inn Road being the one I preferred the most. The journey time from KX to Alexandra Palace Station is approx 12mins and the W3 bus runs regularly from either end of the station footbridge and takes a further 10 mins. That would be my much preferred method of transport and accommodation.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Accommodation for exhibitors is never easy, we want to put people up in a clean comfortable and relatively quiet location. Most 'budget' chains don't like taking block bookings of the size we need and some hotels simply won't. And unlike most other things the price goes up rather rather than down the more rooms you book. Splitting exhibitors across multiple sites is also a challenge. I'm amazed given the number of new hotels that have been built throughout London in the last 5-6 years how tight availability is, but it is.

 

The other complication for many hotels now is lack of (free) parking, and exhibitors (and I understand it's a generalisation) normally like to take their van/car to the hotel. That knocks out another tranche of possibles.

 

Getting to any hotel by road from Alexandra Palace is a bit of a lottery on a Friday evening, but the upside of the various hotels we've used over the years is that they have a fairly quick trip back to the venue in the morning.

 

It would be great if there was a good hotel on the doorstep, but I've not been to many shows recently where that has been the case and I have driven some considerable distance in a couple of cases.

 

Tom

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

This is the hotel we've been in the twice I've exhibited there. I don't recall it taking as long as 45 minutes to get back there although the Saturday evening traffic is pretty bad, or seemed so to we hicks from the sticks.

 

There's a Wetherspoons and a number of other eateries within a couple of miles, a brisk walk or short bus ride away. If you're really desperate the Sainsbury's opposite has a cafe. The hotel itself was fine, usual snarl up when all the railway modellers arrive together but otherwise no problems. One thing to watch, the first year we were there all the vans in the car park were broken into overnight and the spare wheels pinched.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello

 

 Apologies for my error that is the one, opposite the remains of the dogtrack. Friday evening was the longest journey but as has  been said any journey  is a nightmare. We had an excellent Chine0se takeaway delivered on the Saturday night. Looking forward to being there next year with Towcester.

 

                                                                                               Cheers

 

                                                                                                             George

Link to post
Share on other sites

‘Crewlisle’ has been added to the Layout List for Alexandra Palace. 

 

There will be an article in BRM sometime next year about the catenary.  It uses modified propriety masts, scratchbuilt catenary wires, no nuts to screw/unscrew, runs in tunnels, tested to scale speed of 100 mph with pantograph in contact with catenary & it is all portable.  Takes about 20 minutes to erect.

 

Peter

Edited by Crewlisle
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Booking for 2017 show will open 5th December 2016

 

ADVANCE TICKET PRICES

BRM Subscriber: £10.00

Adult: £11.00

Child (5-16): £6.00

Family (2 adults, 3 children) £36.00

Booking in advance saves you money on entry, gives you 30 minutes’ early entry and a free showguide on arrival. Booking closes at 12 noon on 24th March 2017

In order to receive your BRM discount, you need to enter your subscriber number prefixed with L17 in the promotion code box on the next page. This should be done in the format below.

Example: 0006789 becomes L176789.

On the Door prices:

Adult: £12.00

Child (5-16yrs) £6.00

Family (2 adults,3 children) £36.00

OPENING TIMES 

Saturday 10.00am-5.00pm

Sunday 10.00am-4.30pm

Doors open at 9.30am for pre-booked ticket holders

 

No matter how often I try, the Ticket Factory site will not accept my BRM subscriber code, even though I have entered it in exactly the format shown, with the L17 prefix. When I hit Enter the webpage simply shows a message saying "This promotional code is no longer valid". Someone really needs to sort this out.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No matter how often I try, the Ticket Factory site will not accept my BRM subscriber code, even though I have entered it in exactly the format shown, with the L17 prefix. When I hit Enter the webpage simply shows a message saying "This promotional code is no longer valid". Someone really needs to sort this out.

 

Hi Manxcat,

Sorry to hear about this, we've haven't been made aware of any problems with the code. Please can you email me with your details and I'll ask Ticket Factory to look into it.

Thanks

Philippa

philippae@warnersgroup.co.uk

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi Manxcat,

Sorry to hear about this, we've haven't been made aware of any problems with the code. Please can you email me with your details and I'll ask Ticket Factory to look into it.

Thanks

Philippa

philippae@warnersgroup.co.uk

Sorry, not strictly true, I reported the same problem on 06 December, (POST 13), although Andy replied that he was looking into it, I`m still waiting for this to be sorted out.  I assumed that it was only my subscriber number that was affected; I was going to wait until after the Christmas break then start chasing it up. Now you’ve reported the same problem, perhaps it will be sorted quicker, as I suspect there will be more than the 2 of us involved.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Here we go again

Anybody else having a problem booking their discounted Subscriber tickets? After putting into the promo box L17+my subs no, I`m getting the error message that the code is no longer valid

Andy is there a problem?

Hooray! The Subscriber discounted ticket problem has been resolved, well for me anyway, just booked my ticket. Looking forward to another great show – Merry Christmas.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Glad to see the fantastic Copenhagen fields will be there again. Looks a good mix of layouts so should be another excellent show.

As a visitor I've either driven,since the free parking has been well organised or gone via Alexandra Palace GN station. Won't be able much longer to travel on a 313! :-)

Edited by railroadbill
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hooray! The Subscriber discounted ticket problem has been resolved, well for me anyway, just booked my ticket. Looking forward to another great show – Merry Christmas.

Booking subscriber tickets is not working for me - I've just made several attempts to purchase discounted subscriber tickets using the promotional code L17 + subscriber number (aka account code) but I too get the The promotional code is no longer valid message.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It’s about time Warners Exhibitions or whoever is responsible got to grips with these Subscriber Discounted Ticket problems. Every since Warners decided to put their ticket sales into the hands of The Ticket Factory for the Peterborough Show 2015, there has been problems with obtaining discounted tickets for that and every Show since and I wouldn’t be surprised that the same problems will still exist for the Peterborough Show later this year.  I can`t see that these problems are the fault of The Ticket Factory as they just use the information passed to them by Warners. Somebody from Warners Exhibitions needs to prove that every valid Subscriber number will in fact allow that subs number to obtain a discounted ticket(s), not just give us a prefix code and hope for the best.

If not, then having an email address or phone number where these ticket problems could be reported to, would assist this situation no end, rather than just posting comments here and then waiting (weeks??)  for a resolution.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

As a visitor I've either driven,since the free parking has been well organised or gone via Alexandra Palace GN station. Won't be able much longer to travel on a 313! :-)

 

The 313's are still going to be trundling along the Sussex coast until at least 2021.....  

Edited by John M Upton
Link to post
Share on other sites

Does anybody know for sure if the free bus ( or a paid service) still runs to the main entrance? as one year in the past it left a very long walk up the final bit of the hill and back to the stop.

Very nice venue and the content is very tempting indeed to go this year,

Stephen,

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

As far as I am aware there is still free bus service to and from Alexandra Palace Station provided by Warners which stops outside the main entrance. There is another free service provided by the Park itself from the main car park at the bottom of the hill to the same main entrance. The W3 local bus service (paid or bus pass) runs from the above A.P Station which stops o/s and opp the main entrance depending which direction you are travelling. So there would be very little uphill walking involved.  Hope this helps

Link to post
Share on other sites

It was a Model Engineer exhibition and the buses were prevented from stopping due to parked coaches blocking the main entrance, forcing the LT bus to go down to the Park entrance as a a bylaw stopped them dropping off in the park. they have to use stops, it left a steep walk I could not manage now with sticks, no bother then. Other than that a Taxi for the last bit!

Stephen

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

For any booking queries going forwards please contact exhibit@warnersgroup.co.uk - This is monitored daily Monday-Friday, and your message will be picked up directly by the exhibitions department.

 

We will always try and resolve any issues we're notified of as soon as possible.

I`m pleased to say that this is a step in the right direction, I trust that this email contact address will now be shown on the BRM home page and included where the Subscribers discounted ticket promo code information is provided. This should address any further problems which may arise from this or future shows. Well done.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It was a Model Engineer exhibition and the buses were prevented from stopping due to parked coaches blocking the main entrance, forcing the LT bus to go down to the Park entrance as a a bylaw stopped them dropping off in the park. they have to use stops, it left a steep walk I could not manage now with sticks, no bother then. Other than that a Taxi for the last bit!

Stephen

Remember, The Model Engineer Exhibition is a much larger event, attracting huge numbers of visitors from all parts of the country; consequently there are a number of coach companies that advertise special deals to transport visitors to this exhibition. In all the years that the BRM Exhibition has been held at the Ally Pally I have never seen any private coaches parked o/s the main entrance, so the local bus W3 will have no problem stopping at the bus stops adj to the main entrance.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

The “Warners” shuttle bus uses the lay-by behind the local W3 bus stop to drop-off and collects its passengers, while the A. Parks shuttle bus to the lower car park will use either this same lay-by or the area directly outside the main entrance when the lay-by is already occupied by the aforementioned shuttle bus. Therefore there is no interference with the local W3 bus using its bus stop throughout the day.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello

 

  In the past accommodation has been at the Travel-lodge on the North circular road at Walthamstow. we are there next year so I assume it will be the same. Takes between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the time of day and the traffic.

 

                                                                                        Cheers

 

                                                                                                       George

It was. Holiday Inn Express George, you should remember as I got a free bottle of water for being an IHG Platinum member

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

It was. Holiday Inn Express George, you should remember as I got a free bottle of water for being an IHG Platinum member

 

It brings back bad memories of the taxi ride to the restaurant. How much for how far? It was quicker (and cheaper) to walk back.

 

But then again, there was the added entertainment of our tour guide explaining some of his more salubrious conquests...............

 

Don't worry Nobby, your secret is safe.

 

 

 

 

 

Oops. ;)

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...