End of Warley National Show - but now it's not the end of a show at the NEC.

[Dragonboy]

I am saddened to see this news as Warley used to be one of the highlights of the year for me, falling as it did around my birthday on the 25th.

 

I say used to be, because I very reluctantly had to stop going 2 years ago as my own ageing and crumbling process meant I was no longer up to the rigours of Warley with all the walking and standing involved, so I have enormous sympathy for the club members who have themselves seemingly reached this point.

 

Thank you Warley members, both present and past for putting on such a spectacle each year to celebrate my birthday. 

[TimberValleyRailway]

A shame, but I respect the decision. I have enjoyed Warley even though the 2023 show was my second time visiting! I had a great time exhibiting there at the 2023 show and the atmosphere was incredible - better than the 2022 show.

 

It will be missed.

[E100]

Particularly saddened to hear of this because it was always such a great event.

 

A heartfelt well done and thank you to all of those who have put in countless (unpaid) hours including exhibitors and trade. You have given me wonderful childhood memories of visiting when I was 10 with my late grandad and helped inspire me to re-join the hobby. You've given so many an insight into the hobby, helped form and maintain friendships and inspire no doubt a great many layouts. You will be missed but enjoy a well earned rest safe in the knowledge that you have done much for the hobby in this country and even I dare say internationally.

[exet1095]

Well done to the Club for putting on such a great show for so long. I shall miss it hugely, and am very glad I was able to get back from exercise in time to attend the last one.

 

Thank you, Warley MRC.

 

Paul

[t-b-g]

That is sad news but I can understand the reasons behind the decision.

 

I have had the pleasure of exhibiting layouts at Warley show several times and it was always a great feeling to be part of such a significant exhibition. Thanks to the organisers for all their efforts and hard work over all these years.

 

Tony Gee

[TerryBewdley]

A must for any modeler thanks to Warley Club for your efforts over the years.

 

[MrTea]

I think this quote from Blackadder Goes Forth kind of sums up my reaction to this news:

 

I was fortunate to be able to attend the final show last November and enjoyed the experience. There was a very good mix of layouts, demonstrations and trade stands. It was only my second visit to Warley, the first one being 2018.

 

Thanks to everyone who's helped put the show together over the years. It will be missed.

[AMJ]

Even for many smaller venues the cost of hiring have gone up considerably so for many this can be a factor in "can we hold an exhibition?"  This is why I think there seem to be more clubs doing open days at the club rooms.  I enjoy these more informal events such as last week I visited Keighley.

 

Age demographic is also impacting upon preserved railways as I have heard of quite a few who are having issues staffing trains, shops and the works.

 

Main issue is that retirement ages are going up, retired folks often have to spend greater family time due to kids working longer hours and unable to get cheap child care.

[Edge]

Not been a good week int eh model railway world has it?

 

Ive been to warley every year for at least the last fifteen years, so it’s a damn shame 

[Kris]

Very sad to see Warley go but I understand the reasons. When I went in the past I enjoyed it thoroughly but have not been able to go for many years as I could not justify the journey times or cost, this did not stop me looking forward to the reports that came out of it however. 

[Clive Mortimore]

As I drove out of the NEC last year I said to myself  "That is my last Warely".............whoops!!!!

 

A big thank you to the Warley club for setting up each show I have attended either as a visitor, as a demonstrator on the DEMU stand or as a helping hand on a layout.

[kitmasterbloke]

It is sad but fully understandable. The Warley MRC team have always treated our little Club with respect and professionalism and I would like to thank them all for making us so welcome over so many years. Without them, we would not have been able to spread our message on the joys of collecting & building old plastic kits to so many new enthusiasts. All of us at the Kitmaster Collectors Club wish the Warley MRC the very best for the future whatever they decide to do.

Steve Knight

KmCC Secretary

[awwalker]

This news is really sad and regretful that I never managed to visit the show. Best wishes to all of the organisers and it returns at a new venue. I hope model rail Scotland is not next. 

[melmerby]

8 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

As I drove out of the NEC last year I said to myself  "That is my last Warely".............whoops!!!!

So we can blame you😄

 

Yes, sad to see it go as it's one of the few exhibitions I could get to easily (Public transport in this case)

The standard was always high and Warley MRC can hold their heads high with what they have achieved.

 

Farewell old friend.

[Reorte]

Always enjoyed Warley and the very different atmosphere from other exhibitions, so I'll just say thanks for the great work over the years and best of luck to the club for the future.

[Barry O]

This is sad but inevitable. Been to 45 Warley shows (only broken by the Pandemic "missing" one) so I will miss it.. What I won't miss is lugging tables around on Thursday and Friday during set up.. people moaning about "paperwork/BO, back packs/ Carpark charges/insuations that individuals were running the show for their own pockets" etc.

 

Really the NEC deals in large scale multiple day shows put on by full time Commercial organisations. They never could get their head around the Volunteers at the Warley Show.

 

Go well  in the future Warley MRC

 

Baz

 

[Ian J.]

Is this my 'who's next' from the Hattons thread, then?

 

I am feeling that demographics (the aging bell curve of the majority of modellers that is slowly diminishing year on year) are making their mark. There will never, and could never have been, enough younger people coming into the hobby to replace that big block of modellers, enthusiasts, etc, with the changes in earnings, cost of living, and plethora of other things for people to be doing.

 

Peronally, this is a particular loss to me, as it was the only exhibition I felt I was interested in. With its national nature most likely gone, I think it will mean I'm now an online-only modeller.

[kipford]

Having attended quite a few Warley exhibitions both as a punter and exhibitor, I too am sorry to see it go, but the reasons giving by the WMRC I fully understand and it does not surprise me. Being involved with organisation of a small provincial show I can only guess at the amount of work involved with Warley. But surely all is not lost it is only one exhibition and we still have a very large selection of extremely good regional shows which will not cost you an arm and leg to attend. 

[rab]

I only managed to get to Warley once, in 2022,

(tis a long trek from darkest Devon), so am glad

I've been able to tick that one off my bucket list.

I really enjoyed it, and, as others have said,

I was amazed that a group of volunteers was able

to organise  something on such a large scale.

 

Would agree with what has already been said about how

the announcement has been made, "going out on a high",

which they truly deserve

 

 

Edited January 11 by rab

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

30 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Really the NEC deals in large scale multiple day shows put on by full time Commercial organisations. They never could get their head around the Volunteers at the Warley Show.

Having been involved in exhibiting in the huge German trade shows at one point in my career, I thought the Warley club very brave in going into this 'Lion's Den': where all the expectation of the exhibition hall business are based on money, and plenty of it, to 'make the magic happen'.

 

Applause is due the Warley Club's leaders and membership for this achievement over so many years.

[Clearwater]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Mr Flint’s words quoted in the bulletin seem very wise to me:

 

“The hobby is alive and well at grass roots level, but the commercial boom period of recent decades has probably run its course, having been slowed by the effects of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and the ever-increasing age of enthusiasts”

 

The last line is very important, because while people continue to build layouts and play trains to impressively advanced ages, they don’t want to be lugging those layouts about the place, working long hours to make shows happen, running shops, or trying to make a living out of a specialist kit supply business beyond a certain point. There’s clearly a feedstock of younger people, including the newly retired, but all sorts of subtle changes in society seem to put more demands on many people’s spare time these days.

 

 

 

I agree.  Two things strike me:

1) The way people enjoy model rail changes with many younger enthusiasts showing sometimes impressive, sometimes unimpressive layouts or techniques via YouTube.  Not quite the same as seeing a layout or a demonstrator in practice but the same mindset

2) Across all volunteer organisations, people are not joiners and organisers in the way they were years ago.  The volunteers I see running churches, sports clubs etc similarly are all often relatively old.

 

David

[big jim]

And I’ve just taken delivery of some 50/50 scarves with hattons models and warley 2024 on! 
 

I wonder how Milletts will fare off the back of the announcement regards back pack sales, could be make or break for them! 
 

joking apart, I’ve always enjoyed the warley shows I’ve been to and it’s a shame to see it go but it’s not been my ‘go to’ show for a while, opting for smaller, but still big shows, such as Stafford or Doncaster as those are far less stressful regards travelling, parking and queueing all the stress of which the NEC venue seemed to amplify before you even get though the door 

 

well done to those who have put the show on over the years, it’s certainly been very much appreciated and let’s hope something else more ‘grass roots’ might emerge off the back of it 

[Phatbob]

Sad news, but hopefully the Warley MRC will be able to go back to the the future* and run a most excellent smaller show, as they did in the past.

*"The future" to go back to in this case being the Harry Mitchell Centre IIRC. 😉

[wombatofludham]

Sad news but well done Warley MRC for making it to now as the show just grew, and weathering the changes of ownership of the NEC which can't have made things easy.

However, there are plenty of shows still going so those of you holding a modelling scalpel to your wrists need to look at a glass half full not half empty.  Focus on Steve Flint's comments - there are plenty of younger people in the hobby but they don't join groups or internet forums, preferring to go via YouTube or other social media groups.  Possibly because of perceived hostility from older members but they are there.

None of which helps Warley, but they are an active group who can focus on their own modelling without having to organise the show that must have seemed like a second full time job.  I used to know some of the Warley crowd when I lived in the Midlands and their hard work was in addition to the day job so I don't think anyone can begrudge the decision.

Pob lwc hogia from the Welsh coast.

[Giles]

I first went to a Warley show more than 50 years ago (Harry Mitchell), and they were brilliant then. I hope I shall get to whatever they have planned next!

 

Good luck and thanks!

Edited January 11 by Giles