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The London Festival of Railway Modelling- 21 & 22 March 2020


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I would love to go to the show, and was going to do so but as a small group we have decided to leave it.  Even if you are fit and healthy right now, at this time of the incident is it worth the risk travelling all the way London and mixing with large groups of people. 

 

It is not like the common cold or the flu because at least with those there is some element of immunity, with this disease almost all of us are vulnerable to catch and transfer it.

 

There will be more shows.

 

Regards

 

Doug

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13 minutes ago, bart2day said:

It does amaze me how many people are desperate for the government to do something, anything. What exactly do you want them to do?

 

There are 2 groups of people:

 

Visitors to shows - They should be capable of making their own minds up, after all, many of them will bang on about hating the "nanny state" and everyone needing to learn some common sense.

 

Organisers of shows - Looking down the barrel of a massive bill if they cancel but still have to pay all the costs. If the government says the right things, they can claim on the insurance and live to organise another day.

 

Watching the press conference, I can see the logic from the science advisors. If you lock everyone up at home right now, you exacerbate other health issues. Worse, after a few days, especially if reported cases appear to drop, people get bored and start breaking quarantine, right at the point when you want them locked away.

 

For the moment, Ally Pally is still on.

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5 minutes ago, Dougjuk said:

Even if you are fit and healthy right now, at this time of the incident is it worth the risk travelling all the way London and mixing with large groups of people. 

 

That is a decision each and every individual is free to make for themselves.  Many - probably around 95% of the normal numbers - are still commuting by public transport every day in very close quarters with many other people.  There is evidence of a slight fall-off in numbers but this may also be influenced by other factors including the announced (but then suspended) strikes on South Western Railway meaning people had already planned to work at home this week, or take leave.  

 

Unless the event is cancelled altogether I shall be there.  

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Also remember that BRM had to pick up the full tab for the Reoch event, they are willing to try new stuff but they also can’t keep taking hits of this size and support other events. They have to go on the govt advice and then everyone else has to make their own decisions if it goes ahead. 

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43 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

There are 2 groups of people:

 

Visitors to shows - They should be capable of making their own minds up, after all, many of them will bang on about hating the "nanny state" and everyone needing to learn some common sense.

 

Organisers of shows - Looking down the barrel of a massive bill if they cancel but still have to pay all the costs. If the government says the right things, they can claim on the insurance and live to organise another day.

 

Watching the press conference, I can see the logic from the science advisors. If you lock everyone up at home right now, you exacerbate other health issues. Worse, after a few days, especially if reported cases appear to drop, people get bored and start breaking quarantine, right at the point when you want them locked away.

 

For the moment, Ally Pally is still on.

 

With a week to go, and no stronger government advice (did anyone expect it?), I suspect Ally Pally should still happen, though numbers may be down.  My problem is what to do in 3 weeks time for N Gauge SouthEast on April 4?  And I suspect a number of other exhibition managers will have the same dilemma.  Schools haven't been closed, so our venue is useable.  And at least our potential losses are relatively small.  But what will have happened in the next couple of weeks.  I had half hoped for some draconian measures from Boris or from the Ally Pally show to give us a clear guide.....  

Edited by snitchthebudgie
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58 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

 

There are 2 groups of people:

 

Visitors to shows - They should be capable of making their own minds up, after all, many of them will bang on about hating the "nanny state" and everyone needing to learn some common sense.

 

Organisers of shows - Looking down the barrel of a massive bill if they cancel but still have to pay all the costs. If the government says the right things, they can claim on the insurance and live to organise another day.

 

Watching the press conference, I can see the logic from the science advisors. If you lock everyone up at home right now, you exacerbate other health issues. Worse, after a few days, especially if reported cases appear to drop, people get bored and start breaking quarantine, right at the point when you want them locked away.

 

For the moment, Ally Pally is still on.

 

Slight correction - THREE groups - also  exhibitors and traders, who may be caught in the middle, what's the right course for them? Suit themselves? Carrying at least as much health risk as anyone else (front line all weekend), caught between the Government's vagueness, the organiser's highly understandable financial vulnerability,  and whatever their own personal circumstances may be?

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I'm booked at Ally Pally with Rossiter Rise. 

My right hand man Tony is classed as vulnerable health wise and may decide he is unable to take the risk. 

I'm still intending to exhibit but may be short of bodies to operate. 

The scenario I foresee and fear is that some exhibitors and traders decide not to attend, whether due to the risk or actual illness or isolation. 

The organisers are then in a really unenviable situation. If the show goes ahead with a number of layouts and traders missing will visitor numbers be hit so hard that it is a financial disaster anyway?

 

The organisers have an almost impossible dilemma, unless government directives change in the next 7 days. 

 

Me.....

I'm getting married on April 4th. So now panicking about that.

Two years of arranging  at the mercy of some virus!!!!

 

Terry Tew

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I was due to go as part of a team

operating a large layout.  Owing to my poor underlying health, I am no longer going.  This is putting pressure on our other operators, some of whom also suffer from poor health.

 

In our discussions, please think of the operators and traders who are on the horns of a big dilemma.

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23 minutes ago, terry.ecmr said:

 

I'm getting married on April 4th. So now panicking about that.

Two years of arranging  at the mercy of some virus!!!!

 

Terry Tew

It'll be your fault!!!!

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1 hour ago, Giles said:

 

Slight correction - THREE groups - also  exhibitors and traders, who may be caught in the middle, what's the right course for them? Suit themselves? Carrying at least as much health risk as anyone else (front line all weekend), caught between the Government's vagueness, the organiser's highly understandable financial vulnerability,  and whatever their own personal circumstances may be?

Hopefully those electing not to go will use mail order, post show, to buy from the same traders and Societies what they would have bought at the show.

Edited by john new
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6 hours ago, PMP said:

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone/check-if-your-vehicle-is-affected

 

Used this one. Just rechecked and same again. Also used another reg, similar type 2.0D which was ok. I agree re LEZ map it should be ok. There’s  possibly a data problem with first vehicle in the system, not a problem not to use that one though!

This is the better one to use, gave me the green tick for both zones.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle-35896

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I wonder if any traders will show up as , they won't make much if I was one and someone picked something off my stand and started coughing and wheezing they could have it for nothing,  just get away from me!

Seriously I do hope it's on as there are quite a few of us planning on having a trip down , maybe a last trip on a mk3 and a few beers afterwards 

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Advice is that sustained close contact with an infected person is required to transmit the virus one-to-one.  Other than possible crowding around major layouts I haven't seen that sort of thing occurring for more than a few minutes at previous Ally Pally events.  We are not sure how long the virus survives on hard surfaces with indications varying from 4 - 72 hours and that is perhaps the greater - if still fairly small - risk.  

 

Ultimately we are all responsible people able to make our own decisions.  I suspect attendance might be down slightly and we know a few layouts are now withdrawn.  But taken overall and as things are currently there is still plenty to bring a good number of people in for a worthwhile weekend.

 

If the plug were pulled currently there would potentially be huge losses all round.  That is the balance of risk being measured by the organisers.  It might be unfair to compare race meetings and football matches but one of the former has gone ahead and some of the latter are off but only in cases where team members themselves are self-isolating rather than for mitigation among the attending crowds.  

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I'm quite torn about attending. I'm in my thirties, do have asthma but generally this doesn't affect me very often so I'm not high risk but certainly not the lowest risk either. I'm trying to be balanced and sensible so until the last day or so was intending to go as long as it was going ahead. 

However, it's not around the corner for me. It'll be 5-6 hours of driving and the more layouts and traders that I see aren't going the more I'm thinking it's not worth the trip and the (low) risk of attending. 

There are still layouts I'd love to see, and people I'm planning on meeting for the first time so it's a real dilemma for me. 

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Work have told me to risk assess my teams. Anyone with existing conditions including cancer treatment, asthma, diabetes goes on danger list and should be restricted as far as possible. We are already on non essential travel ban and to avoid external meetings and large groups.

 

As I have asthma and a young family, I’m taking the decision of limiting my movements going forward and cannot really justify doing in personal time those things I’m avoiding in work time.

 

ill therefore not be at the show sadly.

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There are always model trains . There will be other exhibitions . I understand that the organisers will lose money unless the govt prevents meetings and I am truly sorry for that .  But look at what’s happening in Italy . Why would anyone in an at risk group risk that ?

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1 hour ago, Georgeconna said:

Plenty of shows on U tube the Day after any show. , Seems to be the done thing now with some good and some not so good but never the less enjoyable with a cuppa and a biccie.

 

 

So the show is carried out "behind closed doors" and everyone watches it via video...........

 

:scratchhead:

Edited by newbryford
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12 hours ago, Giles said:

 

Slight correction - THREE groups - also  exhibitors and traders, who may be caught in the middle, what's the right course for them? Suit themselves? Carrying at least as much health risk as anyone else (front line all weekend), caught between the Government's vagueness, the organiser's highly understandable financial vulnerability,  and whatever their own personal circumstances may be?

Good to see this mentioned. Those who pay to attend have a simple choice. For those exhibiting, it is more complex. If you are taking a layout, can you still get enough operators? Mine is front operated, so will be right next to the public and there may be a smell of meths if I decided to wipe the barriers from time to time.

 How many layouts dropping out does it take to make the show questionable?

 Traders meanwhile pay a lot of money to attend. Can they still get enough staff? Meanwhile, if attendance falls significantly, will they make enough money to cover their expenses?

 I don't envy the organisers in their decision making, but exhibitors also face the responsibility of deciding if it is worth the risk attending on health and/or financial grounds, which is a lot more to think about than simply paying on the door.

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