NOW CANCELLED - Longfield Model Railway Exhibition - 29th & 30th January 2022

[Invicta Informant]

The Erith Model Railway Society's January Exhibition, one of South East England's largest shows (and probably Kent's largest by stand numbers), will return to the Longfield Academy for our 6th show there.

 

Unless the situation regarding Covid changes, there are currently NO major restrictions being imposed by the venue. But we would strongly advise that visitors MUST wear a face covering, unless exempt, when inside the exhibition. Catering, at the time of writing, will accept cash.

 

Venue address: The Longfield Academy, Main Road (B260), Longfield, Kent, DA3 7PH.

 

Opening Times: Saturday 29th January 2022 - 10:00am to 5:00pm & Sunday 30th January 2022 - 10:00am to 4:00pm.

 

Entry Prices: Adults - £9.00. Accompanied Children - £1.00.

Entry price includes free exhibition guide.

 

The venue can be reached by Longfield railway station (5-10 minute walk away), Arriva bus services 423 (From Dartford and Bluewater), 433 (From Bluewater, Sunday only) and 489 (From Gravesend), and Go-Coach bus services 474 and 475 (Both from Bluewater). The buses stop within a 5-10 minute walk from the venue. Some services may stop at Longfield Academy itself, but ask the driver for the nearest stop to the venue. There are no Sunday services for the 423, 474 and 475 routes.

 

There is a sizeable free on-site car park, full disabled access (including toilets), a large refreshment area (200+ seats) and an extensive range of hot and cold food and drinks at reasonable prices. There is some off-site parking available at a day nursery in Brickfield Farm just up the road from the venue (5 minute walk away), should we run out (and we usually do) of on-site parking.

There will be a FREE Shuttle Bus service running between Longfield Railway Station and the Longfield Academy on BOTH days of the show. So if you cannot get parked at the venue or the day nursery in Brickfield Farm, you can park at Longfield Railway Station Car Park (pay-and-display) and catch the shuttle bus to the venue.

 

Please check our website for further details (directions etc.). I will post an updated list of exhibition attendees once I receive it.

 

http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/erithmrs/exhibit_january.html

 

Thank You.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Invicta Informant

[Invicta Informant]

A show flyer has now been produced.

[PenrithBeacon]

On 16/10/2021 at 15:26, Invicta Informant said:

...

But we would strongly advise that visitors MUST wear a face covering, unless exempt, when inside the exhibition.

....

So, is this advice and therefore voluntary, or an instruction that must be complied with?

Edited October 28, 2021 by PenrithBeacon

[andyman7]

13 minutes ago, PenrithBeacon said:

So, is this advice and therefore voluntary, or an instruction that must be complied with?

It's 3 months away so a bit early to know what the prevailing situation and any Government guidance may be then

[Invicta Informant]

13 hours ago, PenrithBeacon said:

So, is this advice and therefore voluntary, or an instruction that must be complied with?

At the time of writing, it is advice and, though we recommend that visitors should, the wearing of a face covering is down to them.

 

I will be wearing one when inside and I suspect many others will be too.

 

As I work in a supermarket, a fair few people have not been bothering, even when it was mandatory.

 

At the end of the day you can't legislate morals.

[PenrithBeacon]

Morals? Just following government advice 

[Invicta Informant]

In light of the new Government measures surrounding Covid Passports, I am advising that the Committee of the Erith MRS have agreed to CANCEL our upcoming January Show.

 

As the exhibition is a large unseated indoor event that is likely to have more than 500 present (not just visitors but exhibitors, traders, etc.), we would have to ask all attendees (including exhibitors) to provide proof of a Covid Passport. From our perspective this is not practical for us manage.

 

I will post a statement from the Club's Exhibition Manager Paul Plummer on this thread once I have received it.

 

Sorry we had to make this decision and thank you for your understanding.

[Paul A Biro]

I was afraid of this. I hope this doesn't start a cascade of new year shows being cancelled.  Courage mon ami!

 

andrew

 

[Oldddudders]

I'm sure this is sensible, although I suspect the regs don't really seek to cover your sort of 500 - i.e. a steady flow of people rather than 500 all at once. A great shame. 

[Invicta Informant]

I have received a statement from the Club's Exhibition Manager Paul Plummer:

 

"It is with regret that I am writing to advise we have taken the decision to CANCEL our forthcoming exhibition at the Longfield Academy".

 

"Given the rapidly escalating Covid situation (due to the new Omicron variant) and the recently implemented government requirement that all indoor unseated events with more than 500 attendees require Covid passes, we feel that it would no longer appropriate to proceed with this exhibition. Furthermore the current and on-going pandemic means that the exhibition is becoming increasingly unviable from a commercial perspective and as a result the committee agreed with my recommendation to cancel the exhibition".

 

"We hope to be able to return to Longfield in 2023!"

 

"Regards, Paul".

Edited December 16, 2021 by Invicta Informant

[fulton]

I remember visiting the last Longfield Show, my mates wife didn't want us to go due to risk of infection, we laughed what pandemic, little did we know!

[Invicta Informant]

I personally was hoping to see some familiar and friendly faces that I have not seen since our January 2020 Show and ask them how they have been since then. Alas the wait goes on.

 

Ever since I joined the Erith MRS in mid-2009 I have always given a helping hand at our exhibitions and over the years I get to know the regular invitees and attendees, what is involved in organising and running an exhibition, and how much time and effort goes into it. And as someone who does the less glamourous but essential jobs at the show such as car park marshalling, it is not easy.

 

It is disappointing that we had to cancel, but it is what it is.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Invicta Informant

[andyman7]

It's a real shame to have lost this show for 2022 as it is now clear that no restrictions will apply for the weekend during which it was scheduled. I do sympathise with the organisers and the need to do a 'Mystic Meg' to avoid financial disaster but I am looking forward to this one returning on the calendar

[Invicta Informant]

Even if the show for 2022 could have gone ahead, there would have been no guarantee that we would get the numbers through the door like we did in 2020 and the years beforehand.

 

There are plenty of people out there who are still uncomfortable about going out to public places like to the supermarket. This includes a few of our members who have not been down to our clubrooms since we reopened in late July 2021.

 

A note for your diaries: our 2023 show will be on the weekend of 28th & 29th January 2023.

[ELTEL]

A difficult decision and one that we at had to make at Stafford Railway Circle a couple of weeks before Christmas.

 

It’s difficult to know what sort of attendance would have come along, and the move to much larger exhibition hall put even more financial stress on the club and its members.

 

We also still have members who have  not returned to the club for some months.

 

The good news is that we have been able to negotiate a new date of 24th & 25th September 2022 and from now on our annual exhibition will be on this weekend each year.

So next year hopefully I will be making my way south to the Erith Exhibition 

 

Regards

 

Terry 

 

 

[woodenhead]

19 minutes ago, Invicta Informant said:

There are plenty of people out there who are still uncomfortable about going out to public places like to the supermarket. This includes a few of our members who have not been down to our clubrooms since we reopened in late July 2021.

 

It can be witnessed in the news today with some people insisting they will continue to wear masks to protect others, TFL looking to apply different rules to National Rail, some shops already abandoning mask wearing.

 

We're in a mixed up period where people are unsure, such a period is ripe to impact attendances at shows so I can fully appreciate why people have made the decisions they made.