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Warley - anything of interest?


cromptonnut

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Had a quick look and can't see any announcements of anything of interest to 7mm modellers, whether steam, diesel or electric.

 

Did anyone go and is there anything to report?

 

I realise there may be discussions all over the Guild forums about it but there are many 7mm modellers who are not members...

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Just back from Warley. No significant announcements that I was aware of. I handed over some Fowlers to the railway magazines. Chaz Harrison's "Dock Green" was looking and running very nicely as was "Reely Grate".  Picked up some Fluxite for the appalling price of £11.99 for 100gms. The hall didn't seem to be very crowded and the catering was, as always, abominable: why do I never learn?

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Worcester South Quay is indeed an excellent layout and here are some shots that show the layout in its entirety. The dockside crane rotates and the hook can be raised and lowered. One of the most impressive features of the layout was the use of carefully and skillfully weathered printed brick-papers to provide wall coverings. They were convincing even at close quarters as I hope the photos show. I have fallen into the trap of believing that 3D relief is required in 7mm scale for brickwork resulting in very long and tedious sessions painting embossed plasticard cladding. I shall do some experimenting.

 

Regards,

 

 

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Seems odd that it appears that there are no "releases of interest" - of any type - for the 7mm modeller given its billing as "the top show" where so many people save their releases.

 

I believe that most 7mm announcements are made at the Telford Guildex, in September.

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given its billing as "the top show" where so many people save their releases.

But that is the problem though isn't it? I really don't see Warley as being "top" in anything. It has become the drain on the model exhibition circuit with all the "toy" - sorry RTR announcements being held over for it. These only become "announcements" and really have nothing to do with actual availability. It has become more of a toy show on the back of some really quite excellent layouts. It seems tome that the small scale "cottage" industry are being dragged along by the coat tails rather than announcing new products at the fine scale shows and their attendance is more or less expected simply because it is that commercial machine.

 

As you can gather I detest Warley and its very nature - I believe it drains the hobby. It has been 5 years since I last went and hated it then I have seen nothing to suggest any real improvement. It is too big.

 

I am rather glad that the 7mm suppliers remain a little aloof and reserve their announcements for the specifically larger scale shows.

 

Worcester South Quay is stunning and another of those layouts that achieves so much realism in a (relatively) small space. I hope it is called in to attend some other, more accessible, show.

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With my tongue not so firmly in my cheek:

 

a) Use the whole floor area, there was a lot of vacant space behind rows A & B.

b) Don't relegate the excellent demonstration stands to so far away from the entrance and so close to the toilets (unless the demonstrators feel the need for such proximity)

c) Put all the big manufacturers along one wall (Hornby, Bachmann, Peco, Heljan etc) and the "box shifters" along an adjacent wall thereby creating more room around the displays.

d) Concentrate the trade stands by field - all tools and materials in one section, kits and kit building in another, accessories (castings, people, scatter & scenics) in another patch.

e) Private lounge for RMWebbers with "proper" food & drinks, bacon and eggs to midday, ruby murrays from noon and all day proper-job pasties!

f) Creche facilities for rucksacks.

g) Sniffer dogs (courtesy of Debs, Tony, DonW and Il Dottori) at the door, if those discerning animals turn their noses up, visitors are either banned or offered access to nearby showers with carbolic soap and cylinder oil deodorant plus disposable paper suits for the duration of your visit.

h) Clear signage of stands above each group so the visitor can locate where they are / want to be.

 

But overall, well done Warley MRC, much of that list is outside your control!

 

:angel:

 

edit for b) in wrong place

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I guess it is a case of you cannot please all of the people all of the time.......

I just wonder if it has nothing to do with pleasing anyone. It is more about having seen to be there. If you are trade: you are no one if you are not announcing something there, if a exhibitionist layout owner: your layout is considered inferior if not having a badge "displayed at Warley", if you are a punter: you are not dedicated to the hobby if you do not put up with the queues/parking/bad food/environment/NEC. It has become the "must be seen at" and we are expected to be sheep and flock to attend.

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I just wonder if it has nothing to do with pleasing anyone. It is more about having seen to be there. If you are trade: you are no one if you are not announcing something there, if a exhibitionist layout owner: your layout is considered inferior if not having a badge "displayed at Warley", if you are a punter: you are not dedicated to the hobby if you do not put up with the queues/parking/bad food/environment/NEC. It has become the "must be seen at" and we are expected to be sheep and flock to attend.

Interesting comments there! I do know some traders who have pulled the plus and don't attend anymore-due to the sheer amount of sales required to make a profit which is naturally the main reason for attending from their point of view, especially if they are serve a specialist or small niche market.

 

From the punter's point of view for several years I used to share a car with several colleagues which softened the finincial impact (it's several years since I attended by train) and we used to attend on a Sunday, with advanced tickets thereby lessening the 'rugby scrum' feeling. Looking at this year's crop of layout's I took the decision early on to not attend, which corresponded with several others!

 

Having also attended as a guest operator I find that taking an offcut of carpet helps with those awful concrete floors.......

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What is on at Reading? I can see nothing on the calendars that I've looked at (RMweb and UK Model Shops

 

Hi,

 

Reading is an annual one day trade show for 7mm and larger scales. There are a few layouts and a couple of test tracks, and lots of traders.

 

Here's some more info with the lists of the exhibitors http://www.guildford0gaugegroup.org.uk/ReadingTradeShow.html

 

 

Cheers

 

Tom

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Reading - being a trade show (rather than an exhibition, like Telford) tends to provide a broader range of "trade" and therefore opportunity for announcements. Though sometimes I think it is underutilised and often unrecognised, it is usually well attended and generally a good place to meet with traders. It usually has a slightly more respectable and unhurried atmosphere - but that could be due to the larger sums of money that change hands :)

 

Always just close enough to Xmas to have a weak excuse to attend and for me local - though that can make it dangerous when susceptible to impulse buying and talking to certain traders can result in some gentle arm-twisting. (resistance being futile).

 

Ideally go with a list and only enough cash to exchange for items on it.

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Yes, good show and like Kenton says, unhurried.

 

A chance to stand and talk about products, improvements you would like to see and general chit chat. Well worth the effort and in some ways I enjoy this more than Telford for shopping.

 

Also if a trader does not have what I want to hand invariably they are at the bristol show in January and I can pick it up from there.

 

The breakfast is not bad either.

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  • RMweb Gold

Gruff

If I brought my dog the sniffing they would do would be looking for the pasties. I wouldn't suggest Warley is the place for buying 7mm stuff Guildex, Kettering (or whereever the guild chooses there spring do), Reading ALSRM in  MAy or Guilford in Dec are the best. On the other hand it is wise not to be insular and you can see some interesting stuff in other scales. Perhaps Warley has become too big. There were some great shows in the HArry Mitchel centre in the old days.

Don

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