How do you visit shows

[David Bigcheeseplant]

A question that I have not seen before is how do you visit shows, normally If I make the effort to visit I will normally go with a friend or two, and I am more likely to go further a field if I have got company with me to have a chat with.

 

Also who ever ends up doing the driving gets the entrance fee paid for by the passengers in the car.

 

When I get to the show I tend to quicky go round the show to get my bearings then go back taking my time to see the layouts and trade.

 

David

[ColinW]

Will try and get a group of people going, whether by car or train, so as to have some company and discuss what we may see or would like to see. At the show, I prefer to watch the layouts, but will see what the traders are and have. If interested in trying to get details of a specific layout for Tonbridge, may watch it several times at different parts of the day. We do tend to make a day of going to a show.

 

Colin

[Pacific231G]

Those I'm simply visiting I usually go to alone but they tend to be within an hour's drive. The friends who share my interests tend to be rather scattered so getting a group together to car share isn't that easy but we have done it for expeditions to French shows such as Railexpo near Paris. It's different when I'm helping out with the society stand (as I will be this weekend) or a layout as then we generally take it in turns to do the looking around and may well car share but there's still usually enough time in the day to see everything I want to.

When I'm simply visiting I generally have a general look around and then focus on the layouts I'm particularly interested in. I do like shows that include a lecture or demo programme as that adds a lot to the day. I dislike those that have signs to other areas saying "more trains" as if collections of rolling stock is all that modelling is about

[halfwit]

I usually go on my own, sometimes meeting up with a friend there.

 

Like others I start by having a quick look around, to see what's about and get my bearings. Then I'll do a bit of shopping, essentials only at the moment!, before having a look at the layouts. If something really catches my eye I could be in the same spot for quite a while!

 

Depending on the quality of the layouts and size of the show I could be there fo only an hour or all day!

[emac]

I like to go on my own I can then take a quick look round then do any shopping at trade stands then take things easy and take in the exhibition layouts, that way HWSBO does not know what I am buying and I can have a cream bun at the cafe if there is one.

To local shows I drive if I know I can park easily others I take the train.

Geting my"rucsack" and "elbow Pads" looked out for the SECC on Friday and going by train but will have a shower before I go ;>)

[Guest stuartp]

If it's a 'family' show (i.e. one with nice sturdy barriers) I generally have wife and child in tow as they insist on coming. Which is nice but it limits attendance to an hour or so before they start to get bored. If it's non-barriered such as Scaleforum North or Expo EM North, I go alone as it's apparently no longer acceptable to gaffer tape toddlers' hands behind their backs for an hour to stop them grabbing things.

[Kenton]

Nearly always alone. Most of my friends are bored to death with model railways as it is.

 

If it is long distance and has other local attractions (eg Manchester = Trafford Centre) so I can persuade SWMBO to make a weekend of it, then we share the driving. She has absolutely no interest in railway modelling.

 

I can't remember when I last used public transport to visit a show. In fact I can't remember when I last used public transport.

 

Contrary to most it seems, I do the trade first to get what is on my list then do a fast circuit of the layouts, usually quickly passing by the really crowded ones, then return to the ones I particularly want to see and those that have caught my eye. Going to as many shows as I do the number of new layouts is limited and although there are quite a few really top notch layouts that always pull me back it is quite often that it is time to leave before I have looked at them all.

[roundhouse]

Normally by car as we have a layout to set up!

 

 

As we do many shows in a year with different layouts between a small group of us, the weekends spare are normally for doing other things.

 

despite exhibiting at many shows, we don't normally get much time to look at the layouts and normally end up spending time buying bits from the traders when not operating or fixing something under the layout. However, do get a close look at layouts before the show's open

 

However, we did visit Wigan last December and went by train.

 

Ian

[The Stationmaster]

Depends where and the mode of transport - if it's close to home and it's a car job then normally daughter and/or son will come along. If it's a train ride then I'm usually alone as they both have to pay for their tickets nowadays! But some shows, especially if I'm likely to meet folk and get chatting it's a lone trip to avoid the offspring getting bored (although they are pretty good, daughter found the underside of the layout as interesting as the top when I was busily talking to 'Roundhouse' at Risboro' last Saturday and she's otherwise good company at a show as I pay for the entrance and she buys the grub ).

 

Once in it is usually an initial round of the layouts, although we sometimes linger longer at those which take our interest, followed by a sweep of the trade and 'urgent' purchases then back to layouts and finally go round and collect stuff (usually tends to be books, they're heavy) which traders have put on one side for me.

[nf3996]

I'll visit exhibitions within about an hour's drive of home (north-east London), and I usually go on my own. I went by train to the N gauge show at Leamington last year, but that was an exception. When there, like several others, I do a quick tour to get my bearings, to spot any trade bargains and to see which layouts catch my eye. Then I buy a coffee and read through the programme, before doing several more tours looking at the layouts in more detail.

 

Alan

[RJS1977]

Most shows (with the exceptions of Reading, Kenavon & Earley which are within walking distance) I go to either by bus (Arborfield, Wycrail) or train (everywhere else), though Basingstoke involves both train and bus.

 

With the exceptions of the really big shows (Warley, Ally Pally), I tend to do a quick wander round and then a more detailed look.

[Phatbob]

I would usually go with friends, but not always. My MO is to have a quick look round, then a nice sit-down with a brew and possibly lunch. After that, a "long" look round at the layouts. Then another brew break, then do my shopping at the traders last. They're quieter towards the end of the day and I don't spend the rest of the day carrying around all the stuff I've bought. Havind said that, if I know any of the exhibitors, they are liable to end up as my "cloak room / goody store" for the day. I'm happy to return the favour to those I know when out with a layout mysellf though. When their with friends we do our own thing, but pre-arrange the brew times and meet-up then, if only to arrange the next rendezvous. ;-)

[chrisf]

I usually travel solo or with a chum. If the show is within the London Travelcard zone - Ally Pally, Nescot - I prefer to use public transport as I am old enough to have a bus pass and a senior railcard. Hpowever, this can bring problems. At Nescot last year I found a bargain on the bring and buy stand, namely a complete run of Trains Illustrated for £15. As I lumbered along the footpath to Ewell East station with three unwieldy carrier bags on quite a hot day I began to wonder why I had not brought the car.

 

Otherwise I'm quite pragmatic. The trip to the Manchester show in October is possible because Virgin offer affordable fares, though the process of booking them via the website can be frustrating. Other trips are by car, especially if I know that the price of petrol near the destination is more sensible than in Bedford [not difficult]. The show at Swindon Steam in September usually fits in very nicely with Minehead beer festival so I drop in on the way home. Sometimes it is necessary to use the car because Network Rail insist on digging up the railway that weekend. Other times the public transport is so convoluted or non-existent that I give it up as a bad job: Bedford to York on Easter Sunday, for example, would take so long that it would be time to leave again as soon as I arrived.

 

Chris

[Catkins]

Being located in Grantham, I walk to my local show, and occasionally will go to other shows nearby if I can get to them (Peterborough was a train and bus, Spalding is a hire car) But I don't really go to a lot of shows.

 

When I do get to the show my MO is to suss out the programme, and see if the floor plan has a main feature / orientation point, I then take a medium speed amble round all the pitches, and return to any layout or trader that has attracted my attention.

[Horsetan]

Previously: on my own.

 

Nowadays: very rarely.

[(The) Youth]

I usually teleport there, then to get a good view of the hall I hover around abit on my Jet Pack

 

I'll get me coat...

 

Simon

[PLD]

Normally there will be 2 - 4 of us in the car. Generally aim to arrive about 15-30 minutes after opening time (let initial rush die down)

 

Usual plan of attack for a medium or large show is something like this:

• Pretend not to know the member of the party grumbling about the admission price.
  
• Try not to laugh when door staff try to sell the same person a Show guide.
  
• Dump coats behind known/friendly layout/trade stand.
  
• Make any specifically wanted purchases from trade stands (guaranteed to have ‘just sold the last one’ if you leave it to later) and hide purchases behind above mentioned known/friendly layout/trade stand.
  
• Retreat to refreshment facilities for tea/coffee (and usually study of [my copy of] the show guide).
  
• Collective tour around the layouts and browse rest of trade stands. Exchange friendly insults with all known operators/traders.
  
• Spend much of the time chatting to other visitors doing similar (narrow gangways/doorways preferred location).
  
• Retire for lunch (never at precisely 12:00 or 13:00 though as 75% of the audience will go for lunch at exactly those times!) This may be on the site cafeteria or a nearby hostelry depending on venue…
  
• Often then split up so each can revisit their own personal favoured layouts and buy anything that caught their eye earlier.
  
• Regroup mid afternoon, possibly revisit refreshments (especially if home made cakes on offer).
  
• Make final purchases and/or last look at particularly interesting layouts.
  
• Return to cloak room known/friendly layout/trade stand to retrieve coats etc.
  
• Get stuck operating said layout/minding said trade stand while operators/staff have Personal Needs Break/Smoke/Late Lunch etc
  
• Final Insults/Goodbyes and drive home.
  

[Guest Natalie Graham]

I hover around abit on my Jet Pack

 

 

So it's not a rucksack then?

 

So far no-one has put, 'stand chatting at length with a large bunch of mates in front of layouts with our backs to them thus preventing anyone else from viewing said layouts.' If it's not anyone here, who is it, because they are at every show?

[bbishop]

By car if TonyA or myself are transporting the German Railway Society stand, otherwise by bike whenever possible.

 

Bill

[Pennine MC]

Nobody will travel in my car since I ran out of deodorant, and there's no room anyway once I get my rucksack in.

[bbishop]

Nobody will travel in my car since I ran out of deodorant, and there's no room anyway once I get my rucksack in.

 

An Aston Martin?

 

Bill

[Long Line]

By 'A' road.

 

Railways make for a fascinating historical study, but are useless as a time efficient transport medium, take my recent outing to Glasgow...trains cancelled, no info, delays, stalling, then too much and always changing info, then no room to board, then late arrivals etc... speaks for itself....

 

Long live the Land Rover....leaks, slow, dirty, expensive, occasionally breaks....but still better than public transport!

 

Mark

['CHARD]

Seldom. However, the local show is on foot (possibly solo or with reluctant children in tow) via the Country Park (how nice!). This is an excuse for a slice of home made cake, cuppa and a chat with familiar faces and 'normal' family visitors (usually to gauge their interest in the hobby and to see what fires that interest).

 

Warley by train, as it's a no-brainer within the Travelcard area, and usually with - or meeting - mates. This mother of all shows entails a raid of key trade stands to harvest essentials and graze bargains, usually a catch-up with familiar faces and a wind-up of anybody being especially obnoxious, and then an overview of the layouts. More often than not there's a few key ones that are vital to check out, but you're pretty well guaranteed a surprise or two each year. This applies equally to traders and layouts in fairness.

 

As Saturday afternoon is the usual window, there's an inevitable adjournment to the decent pubs in Brum city centre afterwards, where a meet with non-showgoers is guaranteed - and inevitably after a few scoops their latent interest in railway matters surfaces, frequently spurred by whatever goodies we have tucked in our pockets (rucksacks - what are those?).

 

EDIT: I don't recommend carrying the Townstreet Citadel station kit around all evening though - it's a shoebox with the density of a breeze-block! I'll do that by post next time!

[Andy Y]

 

Pretend not to know the member of the party grumbling about the admission price.

Try not to laugh when door staff try to sell the same person a Show guide.

 

I'll tell Mr W you said that.

[Derekl]

I try and go by train, but too many exhibitions are too far from stations (and I don't mind a walk of a mile or more) so the car becomes the only option.

 

I went to Wakefield one year when I lived in Manchester (a while back). Fondly imagined sitting reading the Sunday paper on the way there: forget it, crushloaded 158, standing between the seats to Leeds. One of the Eurostars on loan to East Coast (or whoever it was at the time) to Wakefield, which was interesting, if short.

 

Left the show late afternoon - raining, generally miserable, and I looked at the car park and thought I must be crazy! Back from Leeds - train late, crush-loaded 158, and so on.

 

While it is always very good to see the railway being used, I think I would prefer it being used when I wasn't on it.

 

My recollection is that it was an enjoyable show, though.