OldNick Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I was looing at the public transport options last night, and concluded that whilst I could get the train fairly easily (and remarakably cheaply) from London, I wasn't prepared to risk the bus with its limited frequency, and an unknown number of other visitors possibly also leaving on the last bus. I think you really ought to consider hiring a vintage bus to work a shuttle service to a rail head, lots of smaller shows manage it. Jon Jon, That's a shame. From what we've seen, the buses are largely used by Stoneleigh staff, and although infrequent are reliable. It is very hard to know how many people would want to use a bus service if supplied, especially if those people, like you, don't attend the exhibition. I'll pass your comment on to the exhibition manager, who I know is keen to look at a bus service if such a thing can be affforded. I'm sure he'll be particularly interested to know that it an issue that affects a potential long distance traveller, as well as the local 'passing trade' visitor from Leamington, Warwick, or Coventry. My suggestion, if you have managed to get a particularly good deal from the railways would be to take the risk of the bus service on Saturday, but allow for the cost of a taxi if the bus service should let you down. I'd exopect you'll end up happy withthe bus, and witht he amount saved on the train still in your pocket. If not, keep an eye on our announcements for next year, If this year's exhibirion is a success, bus connections may well be on the agenda for next time around. Thanks for your comment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldNick Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 'Line clear' for our 37th Annual Exhibition, this weekend at Stoneleigh, between Coventry & Leamington Spa. With a day until the exhibition, and only 12 hours before the set-up crew will be on site, we're happy to report that we have a no late changes or issues to report, and so look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible to our exhibition this weekend. Unlike in the last two years, weather conditions are good, with no snow or ice to clear from the roads; BBC Travel reports no roadworks likely to affect access to the showground, at Stoneleigh Park at the National Agricultural Centre, on the B4113, just off the A46, and with no other major events coinciding at the centre this year plenty of excellent free parking will be available. We can also confirm that we have sole use of the excellent Strollers Restaurant adjacent to the exhibition hall, which provides a range of food from sandwiches and snacks up to full hot meals. With 75+ stands, we have a wide range of attractions, with excellent layouts, a broad range of specialist and general traders, other displays of modelling interest, including modelling demonstrations by the team behind the acclaimed Walford Town layout, and our famous second-hand stall, all brought to you in an excellent single level, well lit exhibition hall. See you this weekend! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Parker Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Unfortunately, due to illness, Hope Works won't be able to attend the show. In it's place, I'm showing a couple of micro-layout as seen in Hornby Magazine. Not quite the same but hopefully some compensation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 08221 Posted January 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2012 Just got back from this exhibition - it is out in the middle of nowhere, but the venue was excellent. Very good show overall with a varied mix of layouts - something for everyone. Traders were good too - I even got all the little oddments I wanted which made my day! Well done to the Organisers for a good exhibition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heruss Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I was there, met Phil and saw his wonderful layout. (I was the portly young chap in the grey coat) and saw Highbury Colliery. All in all a fantastic show and one in which I spent money (actually quite rare for me!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redditch 34 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 A good show again this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bigcheeseplant Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Went to this show for the first time since it moved to this venue, and overall quite impressed, the venue itself was light and airy with good space between exibits, the layouts were ok although the trade seemed to lack the more specialist traders I like, and with maybe too many second hand traders and box shifters. Would I go again, yes, the venue is a whole lot better than St Albans I went to last week. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I also went today and thought it was pretty much a blueprint of what a good show should be like. The concept of a free guide was interesting, I usually buy one anyway so I guess the real result as to the concept will be on the profit/loss sheet. BTW, it won't be in the middle of knowhere once HS2 opens.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Bit lighter on the layouts this year. Some of the traders commented on this when I asked them. But the venue and catering great. Took SWMBO (first time) and she enjoyed herself. She's dragging me off to Pendon this year. EDIT - She also bought a book - Life in a Railway Factory. I have yet to be allowed to see it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted January 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2012 Just got back from this exhibition - it is out in the middle of nowhere, but the venue was excellent. HM the Queen didn't complain about the venues location when the Royal Show was held there. The lighting is better than the NEC too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 7013 Posted January 21, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2012 Enjoyed the show today good trade support for the bits I wanted, layouts were generally very good, venue was good no complaints from me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TimC Posted January 21, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2012 Thoroughly enjoyed my time at the show today. The mix of layouts was excellent - in particular, I really liked St Merryn and Flockburgh (and of course Walford Town but then I was operating that one ). Pity I can't be there on Sunday but I'm off to Bristol O Gauge show to man the Sodbury Vale MRS Club stand). Bumped into many old friends too - Great work guys! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSG Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I went today, family in tow, and enjoyed it. Some comments on things previously mentioned in the thread: Layouts. It did seem a little light on layouts, although that may partly be explained by last minute withdrawals. But I also think it felt a bit like it was missing a big "set piece" layout or two - the largest layout (excluding the vintage train sets) on show was Duxbury, which is certainly a good layout in terms of design and execution but isn't particularly monumental in size. That's not really a major criticism, and I've got no gripes at all with the overall quality, but given the size of the hall and the amount of available space it did feel like a bit of a missed opportunity. Trade. I thought the trade support was excellent. I didn't notice any particular absence of specialist traders. I came home with purchases from Squires, Kytes Lights, Langley, Ten Commandments, another "bits and bobs" vendor whose name I've forgotten and the club second hand stall. I resisted the allure of the box shifters, and I've never been particularly interested in the book and DVD vendors although they seem to do well enough to be at every show I go to. There wasn't anything that I was hoping to buy that wasn't there. Show guide. It's nice that it was free, although I'd happily have paid if it wasn't. I do have one real criticism here: Listing the layouts in alphabetical order really isn't helpful. I'd much prefer them to be in numerical order by stand number, something that is particularly useful when you're in front of a layout with no nameboard that you've never seen before and you're wondering "what am I looking at?". Also, if you walk around the show in a reasonably methodical order then you tend to encounter the layouts in broadly numerical order rather than alphabetical order, and it makes it easier if adjacent layouts in the hall are also adjacent in the guide. You can always put an alphabetical index at the back of the guide as a cross reference if necessary. Having said that, colour-coding the layouts, traders and society stands on the floor plan was a nice touch, especially since the show had all three mixed in together (unlike the preference at some other shows to put layouts in the middle and traders along the walls). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldNick Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 Thanks to everyone who attended today, and particularly to those of you who have left comments. We do value them, and once tomorrow is over I know the exhibition manager will be looking at them in detail, along with other comments received, and the results of the exit survey. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible tomorrow when the exhibition will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 For those of you that are attending tomorrow,please note there will also be a car boot sale being held elsewhere on the showground, and please follow the black and white signboards pointing to the LWMRS Model Railway Exhibition, and the Stoneleigh staff, to ensure you get to our most convenient car parks, and not those used by the car boot sale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redkiterail Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Unfortunately, due to illness, Hope Works won't be able to attend the show. In it's place, I'm showing a couple of micro-layout as seen in Hornby Magazine. Not quite the same but hopefully some compensation. what gauge and size is the layout in the really useful box please phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldNick Posted January 21, 2012 Author Share Posted January 21, 2012 what gauge and size is the layout in the really useful box please phil Obviously I'm not Phil, but having looked at it today, it was 4mm, and the notice next to it said the buildings were scratch built except for the engine shed. The shed looks like the old Airfix shed, and didn't look significantly modified, which would make it 5 1/2" long. That should give an idea of the box size Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSG Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Obviously I'm not Phil, but having looked at it today, it was 4mm, and the notice next to it said the buildings were scratch built except for the engine shed. The shed looks like the old Airfix shed, and didn't look significantly modified, which would make it 5 1/2" long. That should give an idea of the box size The notice said it was a modified Airfix shed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gismorail Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Attended your show on Saturday for the first time and have to say that I was impressed with your choice of venue. I know that some people might feel that it is somewhat 'in the sticks' but the site more than made up of this.Free covered parking, good catering and an excellent hall. I would agree with the earlier suggestion of a dedicated bus service from the station as i can understand that non car owners could be detered from attending. It was good the see Squires back in business too, I certainly parted with more money than I should of, but hey what the hell it's all in a good cause. This a surely a show to attend in the future Well done !!!!!! hope you and your members achieve a good profit for all your hard work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Parker Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 what gauge and size is the layout in the really useful box please phil Well I AM Phil (or Sparticus) and can confidently say that the layout in a box is 4mm scale, OO. You can read the condensed built in Hornby Magazine Yearbook 4, or the rambling version on my blog here: http://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/search/label/Layout%20in%20a%20box Thanks to everyone who said hello. Glad you enjoyed the show. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardS Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 First time visitor me - thoroughly enjoyed. Layouts good - not really any duff ones. St Merryn stood out for me personally, friendly crew. Didn't see any 'box shifters' mentioned in another tweet - I don't count Antics. Trade varied. Catering clean and reasonably priced for commercial venues. A few of the usual social problems but nothing serious. Just need a plan now to get self invited to daughter's Midlands home same time next year! Thanks L&WMRS. RichardS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldNick Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thanks to everyone who attended, exhibitors, traders, crew, and of course the paying public. I'll be posting some photos from the show tomorrow, but in the meantime please post your own pictures and comments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted January 22, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 22, 2012 We had a cracking weekend. The host club were great and looked after us very well, the venue is one of the best we have exhibited at being bright, airy and with very good catering. Highbury behaved itself pretty well all weekend apart from a broken soldered joint sunday afternoon which was quickly located and only took a few minutes to sort out. TomE and WillJ of this parish helped us out on sunday so Kim and I got a chance to look at some of the other exhibits and spend a couple of quid! I thought the standard of layouts was excellent, my particular favorites were the exquisite St Merryn in P4 and the Keighley clubs 7mm Light Railway, Foston Mills. I have added a couple of pictures taken this weekend to my Highbury blog - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/38581-highbury-colliery/page__st__100__gopid__588430 Many thanks to all those involved in organising the show - highly recomended Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcolmy Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 My 12 year old son and I visited on Saturday. We had a great time - a brilliant venue, great catering, and a nice relaxed atmosphere. All very nicely laid out, and a lovely collection of layouts. Our favourites were Springfield Spa and Little Kanawa Low Yard. We were a bit disappointed by the traders though. There seemed to be loads of second hand stalls, but no-one really selling competitively priced new Hornby/Bachmann. I was going to buy a Hornby 28xx, and my son a Grafar DMU - but we couldn't find what we were after - oh well back to t'internet! Overall though a really nice show in a great venue. Definitely expect to return next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Jason T Posted January 23, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23, 2012 I attended on Saturday and really enjoyed it; spent a lot of time chatting to various people. Spent a lot of money, mainly on the Squires stand. Had great fun on the Shawplan stand, almost getting the chap who runs it (sorry, didn't get your name) to say that the Class 66 is a 'box on wheels' Favourite layouts for me were, in no particular order, Foston Mills, Calderwood and St Merryn. Edited to add, Old Nick, I found a cash machine; closest was in the outskirts of Coventry! Apparently, there was one on site but it got ram-raided twice so they got rid of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
45609 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Overall this is and always has been a very well organised show. From my point of view, demonstrating 3D CAD and Scalefour modelling, it was pleasing to see how many people were interested in these topics. The only comment I have was about the heating (or lack of it) on Saturday afternoon. It was on early in the day before the show opened but must have been turned off about lunchtime. By mid afternoon it was very cold. I guess some comments were made about this as on Sunday the heating was on all day and it was much warmer. Cheers...Morgan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.