☆ SWAG Members Day- SUNDAY 28th APRIL 2024☆

[NHY 581]

The SWAG Members day for 2024 is scheduled for Sunday 28th April 2024. 

 

 

10AM- 4PM , Sunday 28th April 2024. 

 

Where

 

Staplegrove Village Hall, 

214 Staplegrove Road,

Taunton.

TA2 6AL 

 

Serious stuff. 

 

************PLEASE NOTE***********

 

 

 

IF TRAVELLING BY CAR, REMEMBER,  THERE IS LIMITED PARKING AT THE HALL ITSELF.

 

 

THE VENUE SITS WITHIN A RESIDENTIAL AREA SO PLEASE PARK WITH DUE CONSIDERATION TO LOCAL RESIDENTS..

 

 

 

Fun stuff. 

 

Layouts.  The usual menagerie of wonders has been assembled............as follows.....

 

PAYNESTOWN. N gauge by @Barry Ten

 

 

Those with longish memories may recall Al Reynold's 4mm homage to a typical terminus set in the South Wales Valleys. It's still about but under new ownership. Well, Al has revisited the original concept but this time in 2mm. As ever, Al has captured the very essence of the area to provide us with a  wonderful evocation of these rather basic termini so very much at the heart of these tightly knit communities. 

 

 

RUYTON ROAD. 4mm/P4 by @McC

 

 

Another seminal layout from the early days of Model Railway Journal (  Issue No. 75 ). Built by the late John Spencer it is now in the care of  Paul Bannerman who rebuilt the trackwork from the original EM to the current P4. The rest of the layout has been sympathetically restored to provide a lovely insight into the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway from Kinnerley Junction to Ruyton Town, serving a nearby quarry. Fair to say the aim of giving a flavour of a 1920s  Colonel Stephen's light railway has been acheived. 

 

 

OLD PARROCK. 4mm/00 by @PaulR

 

Paul's wonderful pre-grouping layout is a personal favourite of mine. Beautifully scratch built buildings are the true stars of this delightful little layout. Another outstanding example of the 'less is more' approach to layout construction and a real visual feast rich in colour and texture. Far too short an article appeared in Model Railway Journal No. 284. 

 

 

LYDBROOK DEAN. 4mm/00 by @wiggoforgold

 

 

Alex returns to SWAG having brought his wonderful Yelverton along last year. This time Alex has taken himself off to the Forest of Dean. To quote Alex, 'Set circa 1962, it will be called “Lydbrook Dean”. It will be set on the former Severn and Wye line, and Ben Ashworth’s book “BR Steam in Dean” has given much inspiration'. Well, I think Alex has once again captured his chosen subject and era beautifully. 

 

 

 

 

MIDDLETON TOP. 4mm/00 by @JustinDean

 

(Photo by Jay ) 

Jay brings his rather nice slice of the Cromford and High Peak Railway along. Middleton Top features Jay's scratchbuilt structures from the actual location as well as a number of kitbuilt locos and wagons unique to the line. Never exhibited before, this promises to be a real treat. 

 

(Photo by Jay )

 

OSNEY TOWN. 7mm @rcf

 

 

Rob's Osney Town is the latest in a line of 7mm cameo layouts, which due to what Rob describes as a severe lack of space aims to provide a snapshot of  a "what  might have been" set somewhere in the sleepy extremities of the Western area of British Railways in the late 50s. If you think uou can't accomodate a 7mm lauout, think agsin as this is just 5ft long and depicts a small station set alongside a babbling brook. Of note are Rob's lovely structures which provide such character. 

 

 

 

KYLE OF LOCHALSH. 2mm Finescale. by @bcnPete

 

( Photo by Chris Nevard ) 

 

Pete flys the 2mm finescale flag with his homage to the Kyle of Lochalsh. Pete has captured the very essence of arguably one of the most readily identifiable railway stations. It's also rather well travelled as Kylie was originally built in Barcelona, Spain as a micro layout capable of being transported via boxfiles. It was first exhibited in 2010 and has since had two refurbishments to create a scenic section and fiddleyard section. 

 

CROPPER STREET SIDINGS. 4mm/00 by @Gilbert

 

 

Chris is a dab hand at an inglenook and he treats us to another excellent example of the genre. They're not everyone's cup of Earl Grey but be prepared to watch and learn. Blue and green diseasals predominate on Cropper Street Sidings which is a small, eminently operable shunting puzzle and is another example of how a usable layout can be accomodated in a small space. For those of you who may not be aware, Chris is a tutor at Missenden Abbey, specifically weathering so rest assured, we'll be treated to some well executed examples of his craft shuffling about on Plopper Street. 

 

 

ST.OSWALDS. 0-16.5 by @Tim C

 

 

Set in the early 1960s, Tim's delightful St Oswalds depicts a run-down Welsh narrow-gauge railway goods yard in its last days before closure.  The layout and stock have a Welshpool and Llanfair flavour though locomotives and wagons from other railways also creep in to provide occasional variety. 

Have inglenook layouts ever looked so lovely ?

 

Judge for yourselves.........

 

 

 

 

Demos. 

 

 

Once again we have a selection of specialists to entertain and advise on stuff.

 

Jerry @queensquare will once again be beating the 2mm Finescale drum and will have a selection of teeny tiny mechanial wonders and not so teeny tiny buildings and other bits as well as the society stand. 

 

George, aka @Gedward will be along with a diorama or two. Excellent scenery and a rather nifty hand painted backscene will no doubt elicit many a question from the casual passer by and George is there to answer. 

 

Stu, aka @Stubby47 will be there to discuss your requirements for a bespoke building or two. He'll also be demoing a selection of buildings by SMS  and can offer a custom building service for this lovely range of buildings and accessories. If you struggle to locate him, he'll be under the mound of cake crumbs. 

 

Martyn aka @mullie will be returning with something small and East Anglian and once again be sharing how he achieves such lovely colouring on his models. 

 

Catering. 

 

 

Our crack catering team will be on hand to serve up a veritable feast of delights. The usual pasties, scratch built cakeage, cups of tea and coffee along with the occasional biscuit and Welsh cakes. 

 

 

All we ask is if possible, please bring your own mug to help keep the amount of washing up to a minimum and prevent the catering team’s little pinkies from drying out. (Costs a fortune in moisturiser for them otherwise)

Profit from all sales on the day will go towards supporting SWAG'25 with the excess being donated to charity. 

 

☆Please note...Catering purchases are cash only☆

 

Bring and Buy

 

Once again our highly trained sales team will be on hand to run the Bring and Buy stall. 

 

 

Exhibitors and visitors are encouraged to raid those 'roundtoit' shelves and cupboards and offer those little gems for sale. Remember, a percentage of the selling price will be payable to the event. The money raised will go towards supporting SWAG'25 with the excess going to charity. 

 

☆Please note....currently, we will be able to take payment by card ☆

 

 

Traders. 

 

Please give some thought to anything you might want to be able to pick up from the traders on the day. Please consider contacting them prior to the weekend and arrange to collect on the day. 

 

Lord and Butler. 

 

Peter will be along with a smorgasbord of items from the shop, both new and some previously enjoyed gems. 

 

247 Developments. 

 

Brian is a long time supporter of the event and will have his usual selection of hard to find detailing parts, etched products and his expanding range of 3D prints. 

 

Mudmagnet Models. 

 

Richard brings his ever so massively expanding range of 3D printed items for those exquisitely  crafted extra bits and bobs to add that all important  detailing to our layouts. 

 

 

 

How........................... much ?!!!!!!! 

 

 

 

FREE.

 

YEP. YOU READ THAT RIGHT.............

 

FREE. 

 

This is still a free to enter members day. However, there are running costs associated with the event which are getting increasingly challenging to meet. 

 

To help with this, there'll be suitably labelled receptacles dotted about the hall.

 

 

PLEASE donate a few coins into these at your discretion, you'll be helping to ensure we can do this again in 2025.

 

 

.......To be brutally honest, the capability to hold SWAG in April '25 is wholly dependent on monies raised during the event, by way of the catering, a percentage from the sales in the bring and buy department and , yes,  any donations made. 

 

To that end we will still see a post event donation made to charity but the priority this year will be to ensure that we CAN do this in 2025. 

 

SWAG'24 is going ahead due, in no small part, to donations generously made at SWAG'23. 

 

Loud shirts. 

 

( photo courtesy of the EM Gauge Society ) 

 

Definately encouraged.

 

So, I think that's about it for now. I've one more layout to confirm ( thankfully quite a small one ) and then it's just a case of fitting it all in.......somehow.

 

 

*Oh and correcting any c*ck ups to the above. 

 

I thank ewe. 

 

 

Rob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

Edited Monday at 11:35 by NHY 581
Tweaking........again.

[Sitham Yard]

58 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

☆Please note....we will be able to take payment by card but there will be a surcharge due to the charges imposed by the card machine provider☆

        

 

You sure about this? I thought this practice of traders imposing a surcharge had been banned!

Andrew

[ikcdab]

7 minutes ago, Sitham Yard said:

You sure about this? I thought this practice of traders imposing a surcharge had been banned!

Andrew

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/card-surcharge-ban-means-no-more-nasty-surprises-for-shoppers

[NHY 581]

5 minutes ago, Sitham Yard said:

You sure about this? I thought this practice of traders imposing a surcharge had been banned!

Andrew

 

Just checked. Just read the relavent act and section. You're right. However, we will still be charged by the card machine company for each card transaction. 

 

It will be sorted by the time the event goes ahead. 

 

1 minute ago, ikcdab said:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/card-surcharge-ban-means-no-more-nasty-surprises-for-shoppers

 

 

Thanks. Already sighted on that. See above. 

 

Rob

[ikcdab]

1 minute ago, NHY 581 said:

 

Just checked. Just read the relavent act and section. You're right. However, we will still be charged by the card machine company for each card transaction. 

 

It will be sorted by the time the event goes ahead. 

 

 

 

Thanks. Already sighted on that. See above. 

 

Rob

its a pain. I am involved with another local (non-railway) show and we have to absorb these costs which, for us, are not insiginificant. we charge for entry so the costs get factored into the ticket price. For a free show, well, i am sure you will sort it out.

Hugely looking forward to the show again and many thanks for putting it on.

[DLT]

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

 

Loud shirts. 

 

( photo courtesy of the EM Gauge Society ) 

 

Definately encouraged.

 

Did you find that photo On This Site???

[DLT]

Looks like a fab day yet again, my thanks to all involved. 

Most of those layouts I've not seen before, but Laxfield is real old favourite.

 

See you there, if not before.

Dave.

 

And no, I haven't built the kits I bought there last time...

[NHY 581]

15 minutes ago, DLT said:

 

Did you find that photo On This Site???

 

 

Crikey ! Definitely not ! 

 

What kind of weirdo do you think I am.....

 

Sheepbloke. 

[SouthernRegionSteam]

All I can say is thank goodness I haven't been asked to show Bramble's Boatyard even in embryonic form - as I haven't even started it yet I've been so busy this year! Mind you, I guess that is technically embryonic?!

More importantly, every year I wonder how on earth the standard of modelling on show, especially for a free event, can be sustained. Yet every year I am blown away by the exhibits; and that's before I've even got there. Top line up, quality modelling, an 'exhibition' (read: convivial modellers' paradise) not to be missed!

I am however very worried because I've just remembered that our family has booked a holiday in Wales, and I have a horrible feeling it's somewhen around this time... hopefully it's not! 🤞

[mullie]

Looks like a great line up, might be able to make it!

[RobAllen]

It's ironic really. My company's bank charges so much to pay cash that I would never ever accept it and would take card in preference as the fees are cheaper for me (though bank transfer is best). I think that the banking industry is just out to make extra money out of us from fees regardless.

More importantly, I have put the 29th April into the family calendar with a *DO NOT DOUBLE BOOK* comment as I know my family…

[NHY 581]

43 minutes ago, RobAllen said:

It's ironic really. My company's bank charges so much to pay cash that I would never ever accept it and would take card in preference as the fees are cheaper for me (though bank transfer is best). I think that the banking industry is just out to make extra money out of us from fees regardless.

More importantly, I have put the 29th April into the family calendar with a *DO NOT DOUBLE BOOK* comment as I know my family…

 

 

Morning Rob, 

 

You need to amend your calendar to 28th April..............just saying........

 

Rob

[Mike Bellamy]

9 hours ago, ikcdab said:

its a pain. I am involved with another local (non-railway) show and we have to absorb these costs which, for us, are not insiginificant. we charge for entry so the costs get factored into the ticket price. For a free show, well, i am sure you will sort it out.

 

41 minutes ago, RobAllen said:

It's ironic really. My company's bank charges so much to pay cash that I would never ever accept it and would take card in preference as the fees are cheaper for me (though bank transfer is best). I think that the banking industry is just out to make extra money out of us from fees regardless.

 

We have started using Sumup for our club events. Initial cost about £100 for the machine that runs on wifi or mobile phone bluetooth or hot-spot. Charge is 1.69% of value with no separate transaction charges. At our recent show, we had 18 transactions on the club secondhand table with sales of around £1,200 so the deduction on that would have been £20. This came out of the 10% charged for members sales so we were still just about in profit after paying for the machine in the first place and it's now available for future events.

.

[NHY 581]

3 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

 

We have started using Sumup for our club events. Initial cost about £100 for the machine that runs on wifi or mobile phone bluetooth or hot-spot. Charge is 1.69% of value with no separate transaction charges. At our recent show, we had 18 transactions on the club secondhand table with sales of around £1,200 so the deduction on that would have been £20. This came out of the 10% charged for members sales so we were still just about in profit after paying for the machine in the first place and it's now available for future events.

.

 

 

Thanks Mike. 

 

That's pretty much what we had at this years day.  

 

I’ll be speaking to our highly skilled sales executives and peeling back the onion on this. 

 

It’s in hand, not a drama and doesn’t need the focus it’s currently getting. 

 

 

The day itself is all about the social interaction and enjoying the layouts etc.....

 

 

Rob

[NHY 581]

2 hours ago, mullie said:

Looks like a great line up, might be able to make it!

 

Would be nice if you could. We can’t go ahead without a Mullie. 

[RobAllen]

28 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

You need to amend your calendar to 28th April..............just saying........

Fortunately, calendar correct, just fat fingers on here!

[Captain Kernow]

I can confirm that I am in a position to confirm that I am not in a position to deny that this event has every appearance of being something that I may confirm as being something that I can neither deny nor naysay regarding the confirmation of my attendance.

 

[AY Mod]

9 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I can confirm that I am in a position to confirm that I am not in a position to deny that this event has every appearance of being something that I may confirm as being something that I can neither deny nor naysay regarding the confirmation of my attendance.

 

Thanks for that clarification; crystal clear.

 

A wonderful line-up Rob.

[cornelius]

This looks like an excellent line up.

 

With NG South in Eastleigh the day before I might need to negotiate an entire weekend to myself...

[DLT]

3 minutes ago, cornelius said:

This looks like an excellent line up.

 

With NG South in Eastleigh the day before I might need to negotiate an entire weekend to myself...

I managed it two years ago, exhibited the layout at both.

Mind you, I don't have anyone to "negotiate" with....

[DLT]

21 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I can confirm that I am in a position to confirm that I am not in a position to deny that this event has every appearance of being something that I may confirm as being something that I can neither deny nor naysay regarding the confirmation of my attendance.

Thank you Sir Humphrey.

[wiggoforgold]

Great line up Rob. Really looking forward to this. Ruyton Road is particularly interesting to me as it is one of the inspirations behind Lydbrook Dean. It is rather exciting to be on the same bill.

Kyle of Lochalsh brings back memories of my time at university in Scotland, so I'm looking forward to seeing that one too.

[SouthernRegionSteam]

12 hours ago, SouthernRegionSteam said:

I am however very worried because I've just remembered that our family has booked a holiday in Wales, and I have a horrible feeling it's somewhen around this time... hopefully it's not! 🤞

Disaster averted! The holiday is during the first two weeks of April. Looks like it'll be Sandy Shores at NG South on the Saturday if they still want me, followed by a trip to SWAG on the Sunday as a visitor - fantastic!

I don't suppose I can reclaim my 'title' as chief photographer again this year, @NHY 581?

[keefr2]

I really hope to be able to make this the first SWAG show I get to, all the layouts look superb, and I'd particularly like to see Ruyton Road again, as John was a good friend and I really enjoyed seeing the progress (& the finished result) as he was building it. Unfortunately I hadn't seen him for a few years and only found out about his passing when reading his obituary in MRJ - I was devastated to say the least....

 

It's a lovely layout though and a great legacy.

 

Keith

Edited December 18, 2023 by keefr2
Can't spell

[NHY 581]

7 hours ago, SouthernRegionSteam said:

I don't suppose I can reclaim my 'title' as chief photographer again this year, @NHY 581?

 

 

Jamie, you are Chief Photographer in Chief to SWAG for as long as you want to be. 

 

Your photographs are a lovely and provide an eagerly awaited record of the event. 

 

R

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by NHY 581