Not Jeremy

I have set my alarm for, and am very much looking forward to, tomorrow. I am bringing varied "stuff" for display, including Peter Barnfield's 16mm scale models. Simon

I know what Tim (CK) means, but following on fromMatt's comment I think I'm happy to be labelled an Elizabethan, maybe... Generally not fond of labelling, even less judgments, and as for rules, grrrr I'm off to the show at Compton Dundon tomorrow to remember the wonderful Howard Martin, with friends. My display is quite hard to label - neither layout nor train set..... I have set my alarm Simon

Never!

https://www.facebook.com/100009402528070/posts/pfbid02vprwEyBGFYqficrw7PKDR3JM1xbKuLNt8e8CuE7aiP8J2xfgyFbwfoj5f6gpLY9Hl/?app=fbl

Well, I'd love you just the same...

This bloke looks a bit shifty... What didn't you do?!

Well, may the force be with all of you kind and generous multiple purchasers. The house of Tit can now afford Charlie’s butter habit for a good few more weeks…..

Now in stock at Titfield, a right good northern issue... My take on it is here.

Blimey, all sounds a bit too “ice bucket challenge” to me, I’ll never forget Andy’s face at the Ricoh Stadium show. Steve Lamacq at Ricoh was brilliant and the higher demo tables were a really good idea. Blimey, perhaps we’ll see Dave Jones back on the scene again, arf arf…

I guess, but I do think your last line is ungenerous in the extreme to the Warley club and all its members, not least Paul Jones - I wouldn't myself describe any of them as being "cheap". Warley and its members didn't just "keep the wheels on the wagon", they invented the idea of the wagon, they designed it, they built it, and then they drove the glorious great thing brilliantly for 30 years. Great news that Warners are taking it on, I think it is a bold move on their part even given their expertise and paid employees, but I also think they stand as much or more chance of "pulling it off" than any other commercial outfit. Bravo!

The book has now been sent to the printers. Here is a taster of one of the images, this has been restored/created by Steve Phillips from several sources. Whilst it has been in a book before, it has never been the full image and only at a small size, this is taken across two pages in the new book. A GW official picture showing an 06 Siphon at Shrivenham in 1929.

A ground level shot from another railway, I think the track gang must be brewing up in the hut...

I'm not sure if that was on RMweb, but one does come across similar type comments from folk. Such comments strike me as being some sort of strange model railway version of inverted snobbery. The really skilled amongst us, apart from producing lovely models, are also some of the nicest people you could hope to meet, I think. In my own bailiwick names such as Laurie Griffin, John Greenwood and Gordon Gravett immediately come to mind. There are many more, many of whose names will be unknown to most of us. I am a bodger for sure, but I do try and get things looking right and running properly, and I also think that with practice one does make progress. I love creating new shapes and scenes, my progress is excruciatingly slow and I have barked up many wrong trees, but when something works out then I get a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. If others appreciate what one has done, then that is nice too. It is this plus the friendships and discovery of other people's creations that give me most pleasure in the hobby, I think. Right, back down to the shed to make some more scrap.... Simon

I do buy stuff, but I like making stuff - reading a lot of posts here makes me think I am in a completely different hobby. Model railway-wise it is the ideas that interest me, not so much how it was done, and certainly not whose products were used. And also, not necessarily in OO, or P4, or N or anything else. Are the (much) better quality, higher specs and complication of current RTR models possibly having some sort of logic defying negative impact on everything? But, when all said and done, I still get a huge kick from the hobby, and I wouldn't want to be without it. Money - well cardboard is still available, paper, pencils, woodwork glue, and most of all our imaginations. I don't believe imagination is available in boxes, of whatever colour. The hobby is dead, long live the hobby!

Forgive him Father, for he has sinned. (In quite a good cause I suppose) And bless you. Apologies for these ecclesiastical references, Harry is now also a Reverend, working for the Bath and Wells mob.... I took several pictures of him earlier today, he asked me to be kind in selecting which one(s) I used(!) Here he is doing his "Don Corleone" thing. I somehow felt I had to buy a book from him - "And Away" by Bob Mortimer. Simon

I am very happy to report that the reprint is now in stock, and all pre-orders that I had received have now gone out. It is already selling well, James at Bill Hudson books will have his copies by now, and this morning I delivered stock to Harry Wainwright at his brilliant Oldfield Park bookshop on the west side of Bath.

You're right, that is a ridiculous percentage, it's more likely nearer to 95%.....

For those considering looking in, here are the details of the venue. Meadway Hall Simon

James new book continues to sell well, with many copies going abroad, to Germany and the States especially. More locally, I was really pleased that Dan at Magalleria in Bath agreed to take some copies. Magalleria is the most brilliant magazine shop, full of things you never thought existed, I can highly recommend a browse either virtually or in the shop. Magalleria I think Dan may need a re-stock, this was all I could find on my last visit on Saturday. I just love what's on the shelves around James' book!!

I will be there with a display of oddities, some of which will move and make noises. I might even bring some of the old "Stench Electric" stock along, oh dear.... Mostly I shall be remembering Howard and enjoying the company of others who knew him, not least the fabulous Barrie Baker!

The late Iain Rice, who was a significant contributor to “Model Railways”, told a great story about how “men in suits” arrived at an editorial meeting one day to explain that the “party was over” and that the magazine needed to stop bothering about irrelevant details and get back to, err, model railways. “Model Railway Journal” was to a great extent born out of the dog’s breakfast that followed at MR/YMR. Dave Lowery was a later attempt to return some credibility to the whole thing, which he did, but too little and too late I guess(?) A great modeller and still active I think, he very generously helped Iain and I with pictures for the Cameos book. Sadly, “men in suits” have been improving things ever since, God bless ‘em….

We can knock this daft speculation on the head, public liability insurance for model railway shows is absolutely not expensive. There is a great scheme especially for model railway exhibitions, set up by the late John Dennison, it is available from Magnet Insurance Services. Simon

Well sort of, but not really those are three disparate and slightly depressing rumps, bearing no relation (OK Great Cockrow does a bit) to what has been a significant and worthwhile organisation. As, to be fair, alluded to on the current website. As I said, all very sad.

Yes, and then IA got rid of itself. All very sad. I suspect old man IA has been gently rotating in his grave ever since he was put into it.....