Bristol Model Railway Exhibition 29th April to 1st May

[Coppercap]

Think you guys have said it all. (I was waiting for someone else to make the first after-exhibition posting). Living as I do, just a mile away, I naturally go every year. But this one was most disappointing to say the least. At long last, some of the traders were re-located, and there were some new ones, which freshened it up a little bit. Shame there were too many re-visiting layouts. (Just how many more times are we going to see Kingsfield?)

Too many layouts had the gremlins, so after a few 'big hand from the sky' moments in quick succession, I walk away. These are supposed to be the best! Nothing new really made me want to stand and watch for ages, taking it all in, apart from the very few really good quality layouts, like Dinas. Big layouts usually have too much going on to try and give that 'wow' factor, but for me that doesn't work. Unless the show's guaranteed a total revamp, I think I'll give it a miss next year. Geoff, Trainwest's far better!

[Penlan]

I'm feeling very old now, 'cause there's mention of the OLD Canons Marsh shows etc.,

Old to me was the Whiteladies Road Bristol Shows and I still have some of Mikes green centred loco wheels in service that I bought from him there.

 

Geoff, I thought you mentioned on one of the other threads - which I can't find at present - that TrainWest might, one day,

be moving to another temporary location that included Bristol in it's description, or was that Bath?

[22xx]

I'm feeling very old now, 'cause there's mention of the OLD Canons Marsh shows etc.,

Old to me was the Whiteladies Road Bristol Shows

 

Makes me feel old too. When I was a kid it used to be up the Victoria Rooms.

[Tim V]

There was a time Bristol was in the top three, London, York and Bristol. You've only got to look at old Railway Modellers to see this.

 

Those days are long gone.

 

I remember the Victoria Rooms shows and the place up in Clifton. There used to be some stunning layouts (Heckmondwyke in '76 for example) and trade that went above my head.

 

The last time I went the specialist trade had all but disappeared.

 

There is so little to go for, and so many other shows within a couple of weeks, I save my money.

[barrowroad]

There was a time Bristol was in the top three, London, York and Bristol. You've only got to look at old Railway Modellers to see this.

 

Those days are long gone.

 

I remember the Victoria Rooms shows and the place up in Clifton. There used to be some stunning layouts (Heckmondwyke in '76 for example) and trade that went above my head.

 

The last time I went the specialist trade had all but disappeared.

 

There is so little to go for, and so many other shows within a couple of weeks, I save my money.

 

I remember seeing Heckmondwyke at the last Bristol Show at the Victoria rooms in 1979 which was also the last attended by Max Williams. Was it there twice?

[Long Line]

Replying on behalf of the show (albeit as an outsider -steward/demonstrator) but knowing the exhibition manager well: This is an Association event, and supposed to present the works of its constituent clubs/members.

 

But having attended their Saturday evening meal and witnessed said stating time and time again that the trophies are being won by the visitors and that some are not awarded at all, I feel very much for him .................It is unfair accordingly to make comparisons between such events and ones where the exhibition manager is free to invite what he likes!

 

There were some well built layouts this year and I can't believe that there aren't enough good layouts and modellers in the Associations footprint to provide for a variation each year- so where are they? who are they?

 

Positive suggestions should perhaps be titled- future layouts/demonstrators for AMRC-W&WE exhibition!

 

Mark

[Penlan]

..... time and time again that the trophies are being won by the visitors .....

..... I can't believe that there aren't enough good layouts and modellers in the Associations footprint to provide for a variation each year

- so where are they? who are they?

There are a lot of layouts out there that fall into the Association's footprint, but they are probably individually owned,

or a group that is outwith the Association, however one has to bear in mind, that like any Club Exhibition,

it's the Association's money raising show and guest's are, presumably, a 100% outgoing from the Association's funds

- however I don't wish to go any further down that road, that's an internal thing for the Association and I'm not involved with them in any way.

 

I see the Lundy Railway Modellers didn't have a layout there this year, can there be that many on the island?

 

The list of member Clubs to the Association can be found at http://www.bristolmo....uk/page40.html

 

....... and as to who or where are they (layouts), like any exhibition looking for good layouts, you have to have your scouts out there, or if asked by a layout owner if they can exhibit at Thornbury, accept them - subject of course to them being of sufficient quality.

[Tricky-CRS]

The point is the exhibition has too take association layouts that are offered, good or bad.

[David Bigcheeseplant]

The CMRA show at St Albans is a similar style association show but does have an exhibition manager who selects layouts and this does make sure that there is less chaff, why does this not happen at Bristol?

 

David

[Captain Kernow]

The point is the exhibition has too take association layouts that are offered, good or bad.

Perhaps this is something that needs to be changed, then?

 

Of course, it's probably the general public that make up most of the ticket sales, so (without trying to be uncharitable), perhaps what enthusiasts think won't make much difference as long as the general public keep coming and bringing the money in?

 

I remember the Victoria Rooms shows (and still have my exhibition guide from my very first visit there in 1969!) and also those at Canons Marsh. They were good shows and always much looked forward to.

 

I don't know what's changed, but perhaps 'change' will happen anyway, sooner or later. Perhaps it's not realistic to expect 'Bristol' to remain up there in the 'Top 3' for ever...

 

I didn't go this year (otherwise engaged in an important field trip in Sussex! ), but in previous years I have generally come away disappointed, not always so much as by the choice of layouts but definitely by the quality of catering, the facilities for sitting down and consuming your expensive food and also (to a degree) the admission price.

 

Can't fault the stewards in general terms for their enthusiasm, someone has to take the shift out in the overspill car parking field, and they always have a smile on their face...

[Penlan]

The CMRA show at St Albans is a similar style ..........

I must learn to spell, but dyslexia doesn't help, I thought it was a beer tasting........ or at least feedback has been about the good ales had there

[Sidecar Racer]

I remember the Victoria Rooms shows (and still have my exhibition guide from my very first visit there in 1969!) and also those at Canons Marsh. They were good shows and always much looked forward to.

 

 

Could a possible explanation be that back in those fondly remembered days there were not so many association clubs

around ?

 

If this was the case then there was a better chance of a greater number of ' invited guest ' layouts , Now with more

association clubs wanting to display their layouts in what is nowhere near the same floor area as Cannons Marsh

we get less overall numbers of layouts in total and so fewer non association layouts .

 

Just a thought from someone who was a regular Cannons Marsh attendee through the 80's .

[Penlan]

.......... Perhaps it's not realistic to expect 'Bristol' to remain up there in the 'Top 3' for ever...

Top 3? which ones are/were those then CK, I'm not disagreeing, just wondered PS. I see your at TrainWest next year.

 

I recall some 40+ years ago thinking there were 4, Central Hall, York, Manchester and Bristol, but we still had £.s.d's then

[R A Watson]

As someone from the Vic. Rooms and Cannons Marsh days, who used to spend nearly five days helping set up, show the club layout, and then breaking down the show I must admit to only visiting the current venue just once.

 

But, as stated this is an Association show and therefore showing the member layouts must be a priority, so all member clubs are invited to exhibit with priority for inclusion. Further the current (much smaller) venue does not mean there is much room for outsider invites to be extended; leading to reduced scope for variation.

 

During the glory days of the old venues Bristol, York and London were the Easter shows with several of the more dedicated enthusiasts attempting to visit all three during the weekend! Manchester was the "Christmas" outing. We, at Bristol, had visitor numbers in the tens of thousands over the weekend and I believe the others did also.

 

Remember that travel was harder in those days as the motorway network was still being built and these were the major regional shows drawing on their own areas in the main.

 

Unfortunately I believe my original aprehensions regarding the Warley "National" show eventually sucking in all of the available layouts and audience and strangling the local shows are coming true

[David Bigcheeseplant]

 

But, as stated this is an Association show and therefore showing the member layouts must be a priority, so all member clubs are invited to exhibit with priority for inclusion. Further the current (much smaller) venue does not mean there is much room for outsider invites to be extended; leading to reduced scope for variation.

 

 

But St Albans is a CMRA show and member clubs dont have a right to attend that show, the exhibition manager is the one who chooses whats avalible.

 

David

[R A Watson]

But St Albans is a CMRA show and member clubs dont have a right to attend that show, the exhibition manager is the one who chooses whats avalible.

 

David

 

Different organsations, different rules!

 

But perhaps this is something the W W E. Association should reconsider.

 

As I have not been personally involved in the Bristol show for many years I do not feel I am able to comment any further.

[Trevor H]

But, as stated this is an Association show and therefore showing the member layouts must be a priority, so all member clubs are invited to exhibit with priority for inclusion. Further the current (much smaller) venue does not mean there is much room for outsider invites to be extended; leading to reduced scope for variation.

 

Perhaps it should be renamed "The Wales & West of England Members Layouts Exhibition" and not "The Bristol Model Railway Exhibition"

 

But St Albans is a CMRA show and member clubs dont have a right to attend that show, the exhibition manager is the one who chooses whats avalible.

 

David

And so it shows

 

I guess they won't consider change, but this is what it needs.

 

I don't understand why Bristol MRE still manages to get so many people through the doors, I guess the reasonable variety of trade in one place still helps.

 

Personally the quality of layouts at Trainwest , over the past years has been far superior and If they were able to capture the right venue and bring in some more specialist trade, they could possibly even surpass Bristol in coming years.

 

Bristol MRE needs to put space aside and allow at least 3 or 4 quality guest layouts to appear each year and give punters something to look forward to seeing. The two halls still add up to far more floorspace than most exhibitions, does the association need so much space and are some clubs just members using the association as an entry to the show. Which comes back to renaming the show.

 

Trevor.

[griffgriff]

I popped in on my way back from Devon on the Friday. It would normally be well off the Radar for me but opportunity and memories of the show from the good old days (when I lived in the South West) gave me a shove.

 

My impression - disappointment, I found that my memories were much better. It was an OK show and the entry price was reasonable but surely a city the size of Bristol deserves better. Maybe I have been spoilt by the quality of some of the shows we have in the Midlands but unless I'm close by I can't see me rushing back to visit again.

[Tim V]

Remember that travel was harder in those days as the motorway network was still being built and these were the major regional shows drawing on their own areas in the main.

 

Unfortunately I believe my original aprehensions regarding the Warley "National" show eventually sucking in all of the available layouts and audience and strangling the local shows are coming true

 

So is Bristol a local show or a regional show? And what's this "all of the available"? The WWE show chooses what to invite, and is not on at the same time as Warley, so there should be some decent layouts to invite.

 

The only thing the Thornbury show has going for it is inertia. It has a long history, back to the late 60s. It is unfortunate that it hasn't moved forward as other shows have.

 

I would question the "variety" of trade as well, mostly box shifters. There was a time the quality trade went to Bristol, but one by one they've dropped out.

 

Perhaps shows like Trainwest etc shouldn't worry about Thornbury, it's not competing for the same market. Thornbury puts on a very good show for a family day out, so let it carry on doing that.

[Penlan]

........., are some clubs just members using the association as an entry to the show. ...

I think you will find, if you look closely, that one or two named clubs are just covers for a number of Officers of the Association,

I've named one above which seems a likely contender, and many, many years ago when I lived in Malvern,

I tried to join the Malvern Model Railway Club, no luck there though.

 

But although I now live in the South West and model Welsh based scenarios, I'm not in a Club that's part of the Association,

thus I can't add any further details, but the running and membership basis is an internal matter for the Management of the Association, not outsiders.

[Tigermoth]

There was a time Bristol was in the top three, London, York and Bristol. You've only got to look at old Railway Modellers to see this.

 

Those days are long gone.

 

I remember the Victoria Rooms shows and the place up in Clifton. There used to be some stunning layouts (Heckmondwyke in '76 for example) and trade that went above my head.

 

The last time I went the specialist trade had all but disappeared.

 

There is so little to go for, and so many other shows within a couple of weeks, I save my money.

The exibition in Clifton was in Victoria Square, i can remember the 1969 show !

[Tim V]

What time of year was it?

 

I was told the first ever Wales & West show was held in the now demolished Staff Association by Temple Meads.

[Tigermoth]

What time of year was it?

 

I was told the first ever Wales & West show was held in the now demolished Staff Association by Temple Meads.

If this is for me i would of put it in or around July 69. First building on the left going into Victoria Sq from the centre direction if i remember correctly.