stivesnick Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The St Neots MRC are holding their show this weekend at the Wood Green Animal Centre near Huntingdon PE29 2NH. There is a vintage bus service from Huntingdon station. Not sure why nothing has appeared before now. Perhaps the club is anti RMweb? The venue is a riding centre that has been carpeted over - not totally flat, so interesting to see how the layouts cope with this. The new venue is a big improvement on the Huntingdon Race Course as its all in one place and allows bigger layouts to be catered for. The roof lights could do with a clean, and its a bit dark when the sun goes in. There is a separate catering area and a meal for £4 is good value. The show is worth a visit with a good selection of layouts and a range of traders. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windjabbers Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I went today, a much better venue than last year. A good show with a wide range of layouts. Best Wishes David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tomlinson Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I visited this afternoon - the venue is spacious with lots of parking. A very enjoyable show - I would have thought with something for most people - do go tomorrow if you have the chance. Very probably the last outing for Thurston, and this lovely layout is worth a visit in its own right. John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Excellent show - worth travelling a round trip of 170 miles. Some great layouts and Pete Goss' "World's End" based on Knaresborough was a joy to behold. Really enjoyed it. Venue was good though I found the ambient lighting a bit dim - bit like me really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andykwilkinson Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Yes, excellent new venue and well worth the trip. Nice wide aisles, excellent road access and parking, very good food/refreshments, good trade support and a wide variety of layouts etc. etc. Thanks for the kind comments about our beloved Thurston. It is almost certainly the last ever time we show Thurston as it is up for sale after 15 years on the circuit. 40+ shows....I have lost count... but I do know we were voted best layout at 8 shows, and (most of all) had a very enjoyable time exhibiting it all over the UK/meeting interesting people. [As an aside, We now need to focus on getting its replacement, Wickham Market, ready. Hopefully, it will one day be a worthy successor - scenic and buildings work has just started - after a years delay due to us needing to convert a building near Ely into our superb new, comfortable Clubroom]. However, the primary reason to come to the show tomorrow at Wood Green Animal Centre near Godmanchester must SURELY be to see 'The Worlds End'- absolutely superb! As a buildings and scenery type of guy I just drooled everytime I had a chance to stand in front of it today! Show opens at 10.00am. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Indge Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Went to the show today and as others have said, it is a far better venue than before and a very good selection of layouts and traders. That said, it was very chaotic to get in when it opened, there should have been more than two queues for taking admission money and one group after paying had to walk through the other queue to get into the hall. Catering was good, but whose idea was it when leaving the hall to have your hand stamped with a large 'PAID' in red ink which either went onto your clothes or was washed off when washing your hands in the toilet? Surely the fact that you had your ticket was proof that you had paid to enter the exhibition! If you can get to the event tomorrow, I don't think you will be disappointed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andykwilkinson Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 OK - just had Southwold (this August) confirmed for Thurston - this morning in person at Wood Green by their Exhibition Manager who had not been in contact with us for a while due to him having email problems.... So that will definitely be Thurston's last show... Definitely recommend a visit to St Neots show today for any that are able. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Hopefully see you at Southwold in August. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I very much enjoyed the show today and the company of Tony Wright who I met whilst I was transfixed by St Merryn. I live locally so when I knew that this layout was going to be shown I had to attend. I have to say a big thank you to Eddie and the St Merryn team who must have spent at least an hour with me. I bought their book detailing the creation of the layout and they kindly signed it for me – a great souvenir of a really enjoyable day. The other layout that really captured my imagination was the Irish 3mm scale layout and again thanks to the owner and his team for spending so much time with me. Certainly very inspiring. A beautiful gem of a locomotive, complete but yet to be painted, was running on the layout and as it slipped by silently I noticed the working inside motion – amazing! A good selection of layouts – as mentioned the architectural modelling on The World's End was wonderful. I also enjoyed Dent. A good show and one that I'll attend again if they choose to remain at the same venue. Thank you to the organisers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I'm glad that in general you all enjoyed the EAMRE show organised by St Neots MRC. We worked hard to get our move to the new venue correct. We had brilliant layouts and great trade support. We were lucky to get some national as well as our local traders and they all did well and will be with us again next year. We have learned lots of lessons for next year and so have the people who operate the venue. Saturday morning's crowd took us by surprise and we did fairly rapidly establish a third cashier position, but next year we will be set up for faster entry. The Wood Green managers have learnt a lot too - it's the first time they have had a proper railway exhibition in the arena and they were surprised and impressed by Railway Modelling. Next year will be even better. John K Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGC Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Couldn't find a thread about this show, so started one here. I echo all the sentiments above and wish the organisers all the best for the future - they deserve to do well. I've had a great weekend, and I feel certain I speak for the rest of the Mid Essex MRC boys, so have they. I just wish, though, that at least one person had come up to me and said I'm "choose an avatar" from RMWeb. Not one of you did. Hmmmmph! Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted March 16, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2015 Hello all, Just round the corner from me, so I went yesterday and can only echo the comments - excellent venue and excellent show. I paritcularly liked the scenics on World;s End and of course the wonderful Wansbeck Road in 2mm, but I enjoyed alll the layouts. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Couldn't find a thread about this show, so started one here. I echo all the sentiments above and wish the organisers all the best for the future - they deserve to do well. I've had a great weekend, and I feel certain I speak for the rest of the Mid Essex MRC boys, so have they. I just wish, though, that at least one person had come up to me and said I'm "choose an avatar" from RMWeb. Not one of you did. Hmmmmph! Phil Sorry about that, Phil. I was there on Sunday and rather foolishly forgot my RMweb badge. If you had been wearing yours I would have known who you were! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 16, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2015 We enjoyed the show last year when we took 'Roundhouse' to the racecourse. A well organised show. Glad that the new venue is liked as we are there next year with 'Dobris' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I went along on Saturday and thoroghly enjoyed the show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy L S Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I was there Saturday helping operate Michaelerplatz. I agree with what others have said. I knew the venue already from collectors' fairs that I visited there, so know there would be plenty of space. The mix of layouts was very good and quality ditto. For me the show stealer was "Worlds End" where the quality of modelling in general and the structures in particular werejust superb. Extremely well organised too from what I experienced. Overall a big "well done" one that is certainly on my list for next year. Bonus for me was that I picked up a new Farish 4F (Johnson tender) from Lord and Butler. I knew they were due, but it was a pleasant surprise. Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 "...I just wish, though, that at least one person had come up to me and said I'm "choose an avatar" from RMWeb. Not one of you did. Hmmmmph!..." Sorry Phil. Forgot which layout you were on. Anyway you would not have wished to be associated with me - hillbilly beard, rucsac, and smelly clothes and all that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cravensdmufan Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Really great show in an excellent venue, so much better than the racecourse. Nice spacious arena, light and airy with wide aisles. Easy to move about. Lots of seating - particularly liked the terraced ones at the side of the arena. It was nice to take a break there and eat our sandwiches in comfort with a grand overview of the show! Very efficient advance ticket system. Just one memo to the Wood Green Animal Shelter Café. Before we come again next year, please get rid of those very slow hot drinks machines - particularly the one that kept failing! They caused long queues. Loved all the layouts - it was very difficult to vote for a favourite! We go to lots of exhibitions throughout the year, and this one ranks as one of the best. Thoroughly enjoyed the day. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Which layout won best in show? I didn't realise I had a feedback form and a vote until I got home. I thought the organising club would be making the decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andykwilkinson Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The Worlds End - and it definitely deserved it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cravensdmufan Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The Worlds End - and it definitely deserved it! Yes, that was a fabulous layout. My wife and I visited Knaresborough last summer and we recognised it all. Now that's what I call modelling! One very slight thing - maybe it was just a little clean looking (but who am I to criticise - I could never achieve anything like it! )? St Merryn got my vote at the end of the day. But it was a hard decision with so many real quality layouts. Well done all exhibitors! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGC Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 "...I just wish, though, that at least one person had come up to me and said I'm "choose an avatar" from RMWeb. Not one of you did. Hmmmmph!..." Sorry Phil. Forgot which layout you were on. Anyway you would not have wished to be associated with me - hillbilly beard, rucsac, and smelly clothes and all that! By the end of the weekend, we all had that problem! I took the Domestic Goddess out for dinner last night, and she asked me to change my clothes before we went out so I wouldn't sting the restaurant out (I was actually going to do it in any case!) Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 As I didn't make it there, though I am close by, can anyone tell me what the vintage bus was on the shuttle? Or even a pic? Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry.ecmr Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I was fortunate to be exhibiting 'Earl's Court' at the show. Very well organised. The stewards were extremely helpful. Food was excellent. Thanks to Jackie and all the team. Good and varied selection of layouts. World's End is absolutely fabulous. Also picked up a BR lined green 6412 from Lord & Butler Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Yes, that was a fabulous layout. My wife and I visited Knaresborough last summer and we recognised it all. Now that's what I call modelling! One very slight thing - maybe it was just a little clean looking (but who am I to criticise - I could never achieve anything like it! )? St Merryn got my vote at the end of the day. But it was a hard decision with so many real quality layouts. Well done all exhibitors! It was amazing architectural modelling and far better than I think most, of course including myself in that group, could manage. I'd agree that it looked too clean to really convince and I wasn't keen on the cameos stuck into some windows. I had no idea why the builder had decided to do that. I did take one photograph from a very low angle looking into the station and I thought it looked extremely good. There as a real air of precision that made the buildings really look very solid and the water was very well handled. I enjoyed seeing the Civil War re-enactors as a very original idea that I've never seen done before and I myself have a small collection of model soldiers but I find such unusual events on the model railway detract from the realism rather than add to it. However, the layout I spent the most time watching by quite a wide margin was St Merryn. An exercise in presenting the mundane, although that is not meant to denigrate what was an exceptional presentation. Not only was the modelling and research of the highest order but the way the layout was operated was highly realistic. For me that demonstrates a holistic approach to presenting a highly plausible scene and that is a nigh on perfect combination. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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