Bezzy Oppo

I think they might want to concentrate on getting their own layout to work reliably before tackling anything as complicated as DCC.....besides, they haven't got any money; just a rather large overdraft.

If it has a current boiler ticket then perhaps NYMR could make use of it at the moment?

Oh the joys of local authority planning departments! We're desperately trying to get a pre-application planning meeting with our local planning authority. It's only a sleepy backwater district council and things move soooo slowly. RMWebbers may or may not be aware but you get charged for pre-application advice now - another stealth tax. Anyway before we can arrange said meeting we've some hoops to jump through before the LPA will considering proffering advice. I've so far commissioned a Habitat Appraisal, a full topographical survey and a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA). After waiting three weeks I gave the FRA consultants a ring this morning to prod them along. They've nearly completed their report - they're just waiting for some information to be provided by, yes you guessed it, the planners!! I despair, I really do...

Yes John, We're planning on installing something for the serious modeller too. It's all a question of space and how much we have to play with; the first meeting with the planners should give us an indication of how big we can go with the main building. Cheers

I've already got a nice line in checked wallpaper eyed up. And I've just found some nice carpet too. The business will stack up financially purely on parking and camping alone. And as anyone who's been to the Pickering War Weekend will testify, the availability of the site for additional traders and exhibits will improve the physical focus of that event enormously - which is the busiest week's trading of the year for the whole town. Cheers Martin (look forward to seeing Kinmundy in Pickering some time soon!)

Aah, I see. Watercourses can be managed to benefit and detriment: hence they are 'managed'. Abstraction can be a good thing in flood events. Our lake has a neutral effect. It is merely a route diversion. The elimination of the lake aspect will be of no consequence hydrologically. I would contend infilling the lake will provide groundwater storage capacity - a net gain (though small in overall terms) in delaying the onset of any flood event. That is a static body of water (the lake) can't absorb any more water! (Static because in the event of imminent flood the inlet and outlet are closed). If we didn't clear out the lake every few years (excavate) it would silt up naturally anyway.

Well you have to be careful there. If the Thames wasn't managed i.e. the tidal barrier, London would get very wet every now and then! But yes, all the water will go straight into the river rather than going through the lake (that which is abstracted).

The lake is a managed watercourse. It has at any one time up to 1 tonne of Rainbow Trout in it. They are carnivorous. The Habitat Appraisal has drawn .....a blank. As I said to the surveying ecologist, 'if there's anything in there apart from the fish I'll give you the money myself'. Actually the removal of this intensive fishery will be of great ecological benefit. Vast amounts of fish poo ceasing to be discharged into the watercourse for starters. If someone is looking for somewhere to picnic I think any one of our National Parks will be a better bet?

Hi Andy, We have an English Heritage run medieval castle next door, the most popular heritage railway in the country next door, a large (by UK standards) National Park next door and a raft of annual events that see town inundated with visitors. Because of the topography of the town there is a limited amount of car parking space and a strong demand for camping close to the rail head. I am a modeller and enjoy the hobby - I can assure you it will not just be another model shop. If I put some boats on my piddly pond and tried to make a living having people rowing/ paddling around (takes 3 minutes) I don't think I would last very long: Lake Powell it ain't.

Thanks Mike, Yes we hope so. In addition to the camp site, shop, exhibition/layout room and cafe there's also going to be additional long-stay car parking. This should ease the congestion associated with people rocking up to hop on the NYMR last minute and finding they can't get parked within a reasonable distance of the station and then driving aimlessly around. Until they get totally frustrated and give up for the day or for good as does happen at present. We currently allow parking but we will aim to provide a total of 130 or so spaces within the new development. Oh, and some really nice toilets and wash rooms for those desperate when they arrive. Cheers, Alex

I hope to get through all the planning hoops by the end of the year (more on this later). Once I have the sign off I envisage starting work on the main buildings this time next year. And I get to buy a 13 tonne digger with WAF support I'll be doing a lot of the work myself with help from friends. Now. Back to Flood Risk Assessments, Habitat Appraisals, topographical surveys.......

Yes, I know the owner (Dennis) very well. He's very supportive, though not very well at the moment. His wife has been poorly too. I have been helping out at his shop when I can. We hope to continue and grow the model shop offering in the area albeit in a much bigger way. Dennis will be acting as a consultant on the model retail side as his experience and knowledge of the industry spans several decades!

Aw, that's not fair! Yes, you found us. And you're also correct on the loco front. I think it's a cracking location...

'Incidentally, Miniature Railway may be worth approaching if you feel like writing anything on the 71/4" build.' Hi Pat, the 7 1/4" aspect will be the last bit to get done - When it happens I'm sure I'll be writing it up. As to the location? I'll cough to that in a few days' time if no-one pings it in the meantime. Cheers

Muppetry. I forgot to mention - we'll be looking to fill in the lake, essentially return the site to open field for starters. Then build on the reclaimed land. The lake is not a still body of water but has controlled abstraction and discharge inlet/outlets. Trout need oodles of oxygen you see, otherwise they can easily go 'belly up'. They are the fishy equivalent of sheep: they are born to die as easily as possible. Any farmer will recognise that expression. Sheep have an unnerving knack of finding new ways to end their lives with no human help whatsoever!

Myself and my better half own a fishing lake. No 'great shakes' there you may think. And you'd be right. A one acre trout lake in, essentially, a three acre field. Dug by the family in 1980 it has traded steadily ever since catering to the beginner and families market. Now after running it ourselves for the last few years rather than leasing it out, as has been the normal practise, and taking a pragmatic view of the annual accounts and the state of the site building we've decided to redevelop the whole site. Yes. We're going to scratch build a model shop! Well a bit more than that actually. A model shop with an exhibition room, cafe and G scale garden layout in a landscaped picnic area. Oh and there will be a long-stay car park and a rather nice camp-site for tourers and tents, and our own take on the in-vogue camping pod - the camping brake van. We also plan to run double track 7 1/4 inch gauge line around the perimeter: in for a penny.... After chatting with Andy York at DEMU showcase the other week he suggested I take RM Webbers on the journey we're about to undertake. The first hurdle? Planning. Yippee! Here's the site as it is now: Location? You'll like it a lot - any guesses?

Congrats on the silverware Martin! Hopefully see you soon somewhere; DEMU?

You're just going to have to hope Santa brings a new selection of check shirts Martin! Season's salutations and the like; hope all's well... Alex

I can't explain it: check shirts are finding their way out of the depths of my wardrobe and throwing themselves into my weekend Ally Pally bag. They seem to have a slight frosting too... See you there Martin with Hospital and the gang mob handed!

Because this is the view outside my house at the moment: I thought I'd post this: Sub-tropical by comparison!

After further fine fingered frosty fettling by ERFG Kinmundy is nearing its exhibition debut; alliteration allowing as always...