CMRA show. Is this still on?

[Craig1989]

As the title suggests is the cmra show that used to be in st albans at the alban arena, then moved to a leisure centre in Stevenage still going to go ahead? Or has it stopped altogether? 
 

cheers Craig 

[melmerby]

8 minutes ago, Craig1989 said:

As the title suggests is the cmra show that used to be in st albans at the alban arena, then moved to a leisure centre in Stevenage still going to go ahead? Or has it stopped altogether? 
 

cheers Craig 

I just went to their website:

https://www.cmra.org.uk/diary23.html

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by melmerby

[Craig1989]

1 minute ago, melmerby said:

I just went to their website:

https://www.cmra.org.uk/diary23.html

 

I meant in general as it’s not been on since Covid and since exhibitions have been back on

 

cheers Craig 

[melmerby]

2 minutes ago, Craig1989 said:

 

I meant in general as it’s not been on since Covid and since exhibitions have been back on

 

cheers Craig 

It's not showing for 2023, I assume it was supposed to be January like this year's cancelled event.

 

Could you not contact them?

There's some phone numbers on there.

EDIT and e.mail

Edited December 15, 2022 by melmerby

[jonhall]

Its NOT on. There seems to be two issues, the Stevenage leisure center has had/is having some sort of refit that reduced carparking to a level that made it unattractive, and there is nobody who wants to take on the role of exhibition organiser - I'm sure if you want to organise something they would listen to your proposal.

 

jon

[wamwig]

Well there is now a bus station (sorry interchange) on the car park that exhibitors used so I guess that might have had an impact, shame as it was very local to me, although I also used to go to St Albans.

[Ravenser]

1 hour ago, jonhall said:

Its NOT on. There seems to be two issues, the Stevenage leisure center has had/is having some sort of refit that reduced carparking to a level that made it unattractive, and there is nobody who wants to take on the role of exhibition organiser - I'm sure if you want to organise something they would listen to your proposal.

 

jon

 

 

To my certain knowledge the exhibition manager of CMRA has been looking to step down for about 5 years. He had a stroke a few years back.

 

But nobody has stepped forward to replace him. Indeed CMRA is in need of more bodies to step forward in a number of areas.  Add to that the loss of the venue, as the carparking available is no longer suitable for the job it would need to do - and you have no CMRA show for the foreseeable future

 

Support for CMRA from the hobby currently seems to be a mile wide , and about a millimetre deep. Bluntly , if youre waiting for someone else to lay it on for you , you'll be waiting a long time... The show being a prime example

[adrianmc]

Although I cannot speak for the CMRA Board, I do have a certain involvement in that I administer the CMRA website.

 

The situation regarding the CMRA exhibition that has been held in January each year, firstly in St Albans and then in Stevenage, is I believe as follows:

 

Our long standing Exhibition Manager, David Crossley, has stood down from that role due to ill health, and as has been mentioned on this thread nobody has come forward from the CMRA Associates to take on the leadership role that David ably fulfilled for over 35 years, supported by a strong team behind the scenes who assisted whether it be on the electrical side, doing programme track plans or just turning up on the day to shift several tons of barriers, David undertook much of the pre weekend planning, inviting layouts, liaising with the trade etc. and without someone to take on that responsibility then future shows cannot be held. Yes, maybe an organizing team could be put together with a more even share of responsibilities, but without a figure head to lead that team things would be difficult.

 

The area around our venue for the last four shows, The Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, is currently subject to major infrastructure works. Although I believe the Centre is unchanged, several 'features' of the development make it difficult to continue to use it as a model railway exhibition venue. As has been mentioned, the car park hired by the CMRA to use as an exhibitors car park on the Saturday & Sunday of the show is now the new Bus Interchange. Yes an alternative could be found but it would possibly be further away and more expensive. More importantly, due to the Bus Interchange design, the unhindered southern access road to the main hall has been built on. The only access is now via the northern access road which if you wish to reach the Main Hall access doors means passing under a concrete concourse, which has a severe height restriction precluding anything other than cars and small vans. Again items could be unloaded into the Bowls Hall and pushed through the venue reception corridors to the Main Hall but again width and height restrictions apply. So nothing is impossible just more difficult - and time consuming.

 

So the Board is looking for a new Exhibition Manager and a new venue - with the former the priority. Any volunteers?

 

Until this is resolved there will unfortunately be no CMRA Exhibitions going forward - which is a shame.

 

To that end, all references to the exhibition have been taken off the published CMRA website.

 

However the show retrospective pages are still there. If one wishes to see some of what was planned by David for 2021 - of course cancelled due to the pandemic - then please go to https://www.cmra.org.uk/exhibition.html

 

From there you will see links to photographic retrospectives from 2002 till 2020 - enjoy!