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This sub-forum is for the 2019 series and any individual entry topics. Content from the 2018 series can be found in the Challenges Archive.

GMRC2 - what sticks in the memory?


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Now the deed is done, the prizes awarded, the dust has settled, now the time has come to list those moments that remain stuck in the mind. One of mine is Team Grantham's captain starting their semifinal demo with:

 

"In days of yore when knights were bold, and Tim's jokes were already old ....."

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From our team's perspective, Chris's wonky chimney, Phil's banana rolling stock protection device and Jonny killing the alien!

 

We very much enjoyed seeing our layouts in various trailers and the kind comments from Steve and Kathy, particularly our heat layout.

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From the Three Millers team perspective, there's nothing to top the morning of the second day when we did the test of running a locomotive through the water. No, we hadn't sneakily tested it when the cameras weren't around, what you saw on screen was real "reality television". We hadn't even planned to do it that way, that was forced on us by both Ian and myself having forgotten to pack our multimeters. Of course I had dunked a piece of track in water and measured the resistance before we went anywhere near Fawley Hill but I wasn't sure whether the resistance was high enough to allow a train to run. So, it was a first for us as well as the judges, presenters and other teams.

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On ‎27‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 17:33, whart57 said:

Now the deed is done, the prizes awarded, the dust has settled, now the time has come to list those moments that remain stuck in the mind. One of mine is Team Grantham's captain starting their semifinal demo with:

 

"In days of yore when knights were bold, and Tim's jokes were already old ....."

Thanks for that. I had the couplet rehearsed but what was even better (but sadly not shown) was that Tim had just come out with yet another corny line, something like 'I wonder if we'll see Sir Cumference'. So was (unwittingly) a great lead in for me and probably explains the extent of the reaction.

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What sticks in my mind is how much interest has been shown in our crochet trees.  They were meant to be something different, a bit of fun, to add some colour and shape and were definitely a bit tongue in cheek. I think Kathy’s antipathy probably helped as it engendered a fair amount of sympathy for us. As someone on this forum said - you don’t go outside and see plastic trees either!!  

 

Half expected to be ridiculed, so really pleased people have taken them in the spirit we intended. 

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My local model railway club had a display at a craft fair in Central Milton Keynes shopping center at the weekend, something they do each year to publicize their forthcoming exhibition

 

I helped on Sunday helping operate a layout and chatting to the public. Most raised the subject of the program, the first thing mentioned by nearly all (without any prompting), something I also agree with, it that the 2 presenters, Tim Shaw & James Richardson (not sure who he is) are simply too painful to watch. If someone has to tell a joke, in such a way as to let you know they are trying to tell a joke, its almost certain that it won't be funny

 

I really hope there is another series but also hope that research is done regarding the presenters. I know I only spoke to a few dozen people but the fact that they all said the same, and its the first thing said about the program, isn't good. That was they only negative and it was obvious that people had otherwise found the program enjoyable and entertaining

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The things that stood out for me:

  • Great Uncle Nick's scratchbuilding for the Railmen of Kent;
  • The Three Millers' layout from the heats with all the water;
  • Team Grantham's heat layout and (particularly) their semi-final layout.

That said, I think both "Blackadder Goes Forth" and "City of Tiers" from the first series were more memorable than any of those in this series...

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On 29/10/2019 at 14:45, Ryde-on-time said:

My local model railway club had a display at a craft fair in Central Milton Keynes shopping center at the weekend, something they do each year to publicize their forthcoming exhibition

 

I helped on Sunday helping operate a layout and chatting to the public. Most raised the subject of the program, the first thing mentioned by nearly all (without any prompting), something I also agree with, it that the 2 presenters, Tim Shaw & James Richardson (not sure who he is) are simply too painful to watch. If someone has to tell a joke, in such a way as to let you know they are trying to tell a joke, its almost certain that it won't be funny

 

I really hope there is another series but also hope that research is done regarding the presenters. I know I only spoke to a few dozen people but the fact that they all said the same, and its the first thing said about the program, isn't good. That was they only negative and it was obvious that people had otherwise found the program enjoyable and entertaining

I'm glad someone else feels the same about the presenters. I enjoyed the builds and have a lot of respect for the teams and the skills shown, but the programme itself was aggravating to say the least. I really can't see myself watching a third season if it happens. Faux drama, faux peril, presenters that would get bricked if they tried their overly forced banter on stage at any comedy club, and the editing that apart from the winner left no real surprises. 

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I quite like the presenters, in particular the bald bloke who I gather is some sort of football commentator.  Never heard of him before but seems jolly nice.  As for the faux drama, well that's the template for this kind of telly.  Without it you won't have the programme, it's part of the formula these kind of semi-reality shows have to follow.  At least it's a bit more genuine than Strictly Come Mincing which manages to milk the faux drama to the point of absurdity.

 

I would have thought that the fact the grockles are watching it, even if some are criticising the presenters, is a more important fact given just how nerdy the hobby was being presented in the media not long back.

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