Cancelled due to vandalism- Stamford show 18th May

[Steamport Southport]

Some more photos of the devastation here. Mindless doesn't even come close.

 

https://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/photos-of-the-damage-vandals-broke-into-stamford-welland-academy-9070669/

 

 

Jason

[EWS FAN]

What a shame for all of the exhibitors concerned. These mindless thugs should be made to pay for all of the damage caused. 

[PaulRhB]

Very sorry for everyone affected, I’m afraid the days of overnight security are over as the police let dogs in and they go for anyone inside. We stopped doing it because of that years ago. 

Mindless and as those who’ve lost so many hours work have noted it’s not just money it’s unique items of craftsmanship that have been destroyed and even a professional replacement can’t bring back the achievements of developing skills when you treasure that model. 

[phil-b259]

5 minutes ago, EWS FAN said:

What a shame for all of the exhibitors concerned. These mindless thugs should be made to pay for all of the damage caused. 

 

As has already been noted money alone cannot put things right - for that you also need time (a decade or two has been mentioned with respect to some of the damage)

 

Also we should also be careful of describing the culprits as 'mindless' - 'mindless' people do not generally break into locked building they have no business being at in the dead of night. The perpetrators knew what they were doing was wrong (which is part of the thrill I'm afraid) and due legal process will find out what this was.

[LBRJ]

Words fail me.

Though its worth noting that the penalty for substantial criminal damage (which this certainly is, the limit is £5000) and group endeavour, the penalties can be rather severe. I really do hope so in this case.

[Corbs]

heck

This is awful, I'm so sorry to the fellow modellers. Would like to pledge my support to a whip round too.

[PhilJ W]

I am utterly shocked and dismayed by this news. I can only hope that the perpetrators feel the full effects of the law.

[PhilJ W]

11 minutes ago, Corbs said:

heck

This is awful, I'm so sorry to the fellow modellers. Would like to pledge my support to a whip round too.

That will be a matter for the insurers. Many of the layouts and models destroyed would have taken years to create by modellers who are now in their senior years. A more practical assistance would be help in recreating and rebuilding what has been lost.

[landscapes]

What kind of Moronic low life would do such a thing.

 

it beggars belief how low some people can go.

 

i cannot imagine how the owners of the layouts vandalised must feel years of work destroyed.

 

David 

[darrel]

Here's hoping the police dogs bit them badly somewhere very painful. 

My heart goes out to everyone affected by this pointless vandalism 

[griffgriff]

2 hours ago, GJChurchward said:

There's going to be a whole raft of problems to deal with there.  The earliest an insurance company can send someone is going to be Monday, by which time the scene will have reverted back to its intended purpose.  The school needs to use its space again.

Probably ,at this time of year, as an exam hall.

 

Griff

[Signaller69]

Utterly shocked to hear about this, both as an occasional exhibitor and organiser of a small show. There are few insurance companies involved in the exhibition scene, and I fear this mindless vandalism will affect premiums, not to mention exhibitors' willingness to display their layouts. Even though this will (I hope) prove be a one off isolated incident it is very sad day for our fantastic hobby.

[Dunsignalling]

10 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

As much as I agree with your sentiments, I feel a "slapped wrist and don't do it again you naughty boys" type sentence coming on. The perpetrators will have nowhere enough money to replace their damage and will move on to their next conquest.

Hopefully the exhibition insurance will be adequate in monetary terms but never will be in personal terms.

 

Mike.

Replacing layouts and kit/scratchbuilt stock within  a reasonable timeframe means resorting to professional builders, so we're probably looking at something well into six figures given the number of layouts/stands affected.

 

It's about time the insurance companies were given the power to recover the full cost of claims from the perpetrators.

 

And, yes. Even if it means bleeding the worthless gits dry for the rest of their lives.

 

John

 

 

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, 87023Velocity said:

Once the police have finished, would the insurance company visit to assess the situation before any items can be removed? 

 

2 hours ago, GJChurchward said:

There's going to be a whole raft of problems to deal with there.  The earliest an insurance company can send someone is going to be Monday, by which time the scene will have reverted back to its intended purpose.  The school needs to use its space again.

 

11 minutes ago, griffgriff said:

Probably ,at this time of year, as an exam hall.

 

Griff

The area will be closed off until the police are satisfied that all the evidence has been gathered. I'm not sure about the insurance, or for that matter who's insurance is liable, the schools or the exhibition organisers but thats another can of worms.

[Corbs]

55 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

That will be a matter for the insurers. Many of the layouts and models destroyed would have taken years to create by modellers who are now in their senior years. A more practical assistance would be help in recreating and rebuilding what has been lost.

 

I agree. Perhaps some money would help too, maybe for the club or to buy something nice for those affected.

[Dunsignalling]

2 hours ago, GJChurchward said:

There's going to be a whole raft of problems to deal with there.  The earliest an insurance company can send someone is going to be Monday, by which time the scene will have reverted back to its intended purpose.  The school needs to use its space again.

Personally, I don't consider the latter a terribly high priority under the circumstances.

 

It's by no means certain, in any case, that the Police would cease treating the building as a crime scene before the assessors have attended.

 

If I were one of those affected, I'd be more than miffed if the mess were permitted to be cleared up prematurely.

 

John

 

Edit: I have noticed a post from one of the exhibitors who has already been in to recover what they can, so presumably it has been released.

Edited May 18, 2019 by Dunsignalling

[58050]

Absolutely heartbroken to hear about last night's events, even moreso on seeing the photos. I feel bad enough when I break a buffer, I can't begin to imagine how the traders and layout owners must feel. 

[Colin_McLeod]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

 

Unlikely, but all the anger in the world won't help. If that's what you want, there is Facebook.

 

Please keep RMweb the place for support and sympathy as it has largely been I'm pleased (and not a little proud) to say. 

 

I agree with Phil.

 

Even the Facebook thread has been locked after complaints about calls for severe corporal retribution.  It's what we are all thinking but not really helpful.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Some of the traders could also be affected with much of their stock destroyed or possibly stolen. Indeed some might even be put out of business or forced to cease trading.

[2mmMark]

2 hours ago, John K said:

We have cleared up the remains of our layout and of the stock.

I have personally lost most of 20 years of wagon building, several  O gauge engines and some coaches that were hand built by me - All completely irreplaceable.

We have lost a club layout that featured in books and magazines, and that took us 10 years to build.

They can have the money, but we will never get the 1000s of hours back.

John

 

Those of us who've been involved in any exhibitions well know the feeling of being tired but happy on the journey home. Even if it's been one of those days when the layout could have operated better, we'd have the anticipation of making improvements, adding details and so on, looking forward to the next outing. 

 

So sad to be returning home with virtually nothing constructive.

[Colin_McLeod]

1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said:

Some more photos of the devastation here. Mindless doesn't even come close.

 

https://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/photos-of-the-damage-vandals-broke-into-stamford-welland-academy-9070669/

 

 

Jason

 

Facebook has an "angry" option to react to posts.  This would warrant a "very angry indeed" 

 

 

I had been wondering about the loss of rolling stock, but if it has been stamped on by the wee £@$¥###$ it is indeed beyond repair.

 

Sympathies again.

[DLPG]

Horrific news,  as the organiser of Spennymoor my worst nightmare realised. So sorry for all the exhibitors, traders and to hear Johns story. 20 years of kit building just disregarded by pure scum. Irreplaceable items. 

 

I just hope the courts hand down a hefty sentence and the parents really need to be made to pay. My 15 year old is not out on the streets at 4am!!

[Jim Martin]

21 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Personally, I don't consider the latter a terribly high priority under the circumstances.

 

 

While I share your revulsion about what's happened, I wouldn't dismiss the school's own needs quite so lightly. As has been pointed out above, students - my daughter among them - are sitting A-levels at the moment (I'm not sure whether GCSE exams have started yet). They need disruption right now like they need a hole in the head. If that space is used as an examination hall, then the kids whose exams are disrupted because of the unavailability of the room are additional victims of this appalling bit of destruction.

 

Jim

Edited May 18, 2019 by Jim Martin

[polybear]

31 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

It's about time the insurance companies were given the power to recover the full cost of claims from the perpetrators.

 

And, yes. Even if it means bleeding the worthless gits dry for the rest of their lives.

 

 

And if they are kids, then bleed the parents dry.  Might stop them letting little Jimmy wander the streets at 3am.

 

There's another thing that worries me.  No doubt there will be those who will now feel that exhibiting their layouts at exhibitions just isn't worth the risk anymore, which will be to the detriment of all of us.

[PhilJ W]

10 minutes ago, Jim Martin said:

 

While I share your revulsion about what's happened, I wouldn't dismiss the school's own needs quite so lightly. As has been pointed out above, students - my daughter among them - are sitting A-levels at the moment (I'm not sure whether GCSE exams have started yet). They need disruption right now like they need a hole in the head. If that space is used as an examination hall, then the kids whose exams are disrupted because of the unavailability of the room are additional victims of this appalling bit of destruction.

 

Jim

The extent of this crime goes far beyond the immediate victims.