andykwilkinson

I've been working on the Granary at Wickham Market and should have it completed by the exhibition on Sat 18th May. Attaching a few photos of work in progress so far. It will eventually have some milling/grading/bagging equipment installed (or maybe I'll go off-piste and put a microbrewery in there ). There will also be an internal stairway and railings around the opening and it will be internally lit by LEDs in the roof...but all that will have to wait until I've got more time in the summer as we're all mega busy with final tweaks of organising the Exhibition, our 41st in Ely, and getting the layout presentable for it's first every showing.

Bus (Timetable for the No 9) & taxi info from/to Ely railway station and our Exhibition at Ely College on Downham Road on Sat 18th May has now been added to our website: http://www.elymrc.org.uk/how to get to the exhibition .html

Hi all, south_tyne, Chairman of Ely & D MRC here. Sorry for the delay in replying but I got myself in a pickle and lost access to RMWeb - but Andy York's sorted it for me. I owe him a beer! We have not started building Framlingham yet. We wanted to get Wickham Market to a decent state...it's coming on and we're looking forward to showing it at our 41st show on Sat 18th May in Ely. Regarding that, personally I've been recently working on the harvest scene and I'm also mid-way through building the Granary that stood behind the signal box/near the main station building. Couple of pics of the harvest scene attached. You'll see the junction to Framlingham in one of the pics. Since these pics fencing and more trees in Blackstock Wood have appeared too. Also a poster for the show :-)

Thanks again for all the lovely comments we've had about the show on here, on Facebook and in the Comments box on the voting slips that Visitors got with their free Programmes. A few pictures of our show have now appeared in this Ely Standard article: http://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/ely-model-railway-club-exhibition-to-mark-anniversary-1-5530279 It proves that our much loved and regular exhibitor from Market Harborough actually spent some time behind Friday Bridge operating WITHOUT talking...amazing... for those that know Dave! ;-) Only pulling yer leg mate! Also, someone videoed the exhibition and has put this on YouTube: Also, here a a few quick iPhone snaps I took of the general areas of the show (Main Hall, Stage and Cafe area, plus separate but adjacent Gym). There were also Traders in the Corridor and we had other attractions outside. Next year we will be at the same venue, Ely College and the show is on Sat 18th May 2019. Tony Wright should again be with us - so don't forget to bring those troublesome locos for him to look at with his Loco clinic - I think he said he was a bit short of punters to help this year. Hope to see you there!

We had a BRILLIANT 40th Model Railway exhibition in Ely! The winner of the best layout competition, voted for by the public, was Fen End Pit. A very deserving winner - for a number of reasons. David was so, so happy. A great result. And to cap it all. We got a VERY low level flypast by the Lancaster Bomber over Ely College at 5.05pm as we were packing up the show. To all our Exhibitors, Traders and Visitors and Club Members that helped make it such a special and enjoyable day, thank you! Malcolm Hine, our Exhibition Manager, can you please book the Spitfire & Hurricane (as well as the Lancaster) for the flypast next year... Finally, our very best wishes to Club Member Neil (who was unexpectedly rushed into Addenbrookes on Friday)...That’s why Aviemore had to be substituted at the last minute. We sincerely hope you get well soon and that Aviemore will be at our 2019 show - as always on the 3rd Saturday in May.

Ha ha! You're never going to let me forget that "little mishap" (well, OK, quite a big mishap!) whilst babysitting your layout a few years back. If I remember correctly is was at a Bury St Edmunds show, in the days when it was in Risby Village Hall. We're all looking forward to seeing you in Ely tomorrow Dave - always a pleasure to hear your dulcet tones! We've got a number of exhibitors and traders already set up in the both Needhams Hall and the Gym at Ely College on Downham Road. All being well, the remaining invited stands and exhibits will descend on us in the morning, followed by lots of eager punters escaping from the media frenzy about you know what! Hopefully, everything will be ready for when we open the public at 10.30AM. Safe travels everyone and we look forward to seeing you all tomorrow, Traders, Exhibitors and Visitors. Here's to what we all hope will be a highly enjoyable Model Railway Exhibition, our 40th in Ely no less!

Ever wondered what our Club is like? Sue Marchant did us truly proud on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire today. Start listening from about 20 minutes in where we get a 12 minute slot. And then again another good slot from about 36 minutes in until about 47 minutes! https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p065jjcd She even gave us another plug for the Exhibition at the end :-)

Just a quick note that another batch of Grantham DVDs have been made. These will be handed to Jonathan at this Saturday's Ely show (our 40th!) so that they can be hand-delivered to your distribution warehouse up north sometime soon ;-)

Looks great! For those that live hereabouts I'm told that BBC Radio Cambridgeshire (FM96.0 and 95.7, and on Digital Radio, iPlayer etc.) should be broadcasting a short piece about our Club, our hobby and our upcoming Exhibition on the Sue Marchant show between 3 and 4PM tomorrow (Tuesday 15th May). Sue visited our Clubroom a couple of weeks back and spoke to quite a few of the members - so it'll be interesting to see who made the cut!

Malcolm is too modest a modeller to mention that his layout, Fullers Wharf, is not only at the exhibition but is also in this months BRM magazine (superb photos by Andy York I must say). Not wishing to lead the election... but I've just upgrade our "Best Layout" Voting Box ahead of the show as it was looking a bit battered and tired. We include a voting slip in each programme we give out - the programmes are free - the vote counter (me) is open to financial persuasion. Only joking!!!!

He will indeed - but for now just look at our Ely MRC website: http://www.elymrc.org.uk/exhibition.html

Hi everyone, Just to let you know that we're all getting excited/in the final stages of preparation for our annual show at Ely College on Saturday 19th May, starting at 10.30AM and closing at 4.30PM. Yes, I know it clashes with the Royal Wedding but you can always watch the highlights on catch up! Malcolm Hine, our Exhibition Manager, has put together a superb range of layouts and traders for the show, including his very own 7mm Fullers Wharf. You can get full details about the show on our Ely MRC website , link in my signature. I'll put a poster in here and mention that we have lots of FREE parking at the Ely College site and the exhibition is, as usual, in two large halls. The Peterborough Model Engineers will have a steam train ride outside and there will also be a scale model of a traction engine for child rides too. So leave the Mrs at home and bring the kids so she can watch that wedding in peace!

Here's the Ely Standard's take (and photos) of our recent exhibition. http://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/on-track-for-a-fantastic-day-in-ely-with-model-railway-fans-1-5036513

Just a few quick iPhone general view snaps of this year's winner of our public vote for 'Best Layout'. Congrats to Pete Goss! Malcolm always tries to set the bar high with his exhibition planning (which starts several years ahead of each show) so we're all really looking forward to next year's! It'll be our 40th in Ely!!! Keep the 3rd Saturday in May free in your diary as 19th May 2018 will be a show you'll not want to miss.

Dave, you'll be pleased to know that I've just come out of a 3 hour "emergency crisis meeting" in the Drayman's Son Micropub in Ely with our Exhibition Manager Malcolm and Treasurer Michael to discuss if we needed to be up all night to re-print all the Programmes with 'Canons Lane Scrapyard' replacing 'Victoria' in the listing. After the second pint we decided it really won't matter... ...after the third pint, we decided it would be fun to see how many people actually vote for 'Victoria' in the public competition for best layout (even though 'Canons Lane Scrapyard' will be there instead)... ...after the fourth pint...er...I forgot what the crisis meeting was about... Here's to a great day tomorrow at Ely College :-)

Just to let Exhibitors and Traders know that during final setting up on Saturday morning we should have a few hot bacon rolls being made available by the College catering staff in our cafe area (one end of Main Hall) at around 9.00AM. If you want one cost will be £2.50 (please have the correct change and it's a first come first served basis - once the've gone, the've gone!) Any exhibitors or traders arriving Friday evening (for setting up) please remember that we don't get access to Ely College until about 4.30PM (we're not allowed on the grounds whilst students are still around). Just a final reminder that we open to the public at 10.30AM on Saturday.

Final preparations for what we hope will be a great show are underway. This is the Club's new DCC N gauge layout, Westgate Park which was taken down last night ahead of moving it to the show for Saturday - it's first ever outing (yes I know it's not finished but it's come on leaps and bounds the last few months).

A reminder to all our Ely & District MRC Members (and wives, girlfriends etc.) that we normally have a superb collection of home made cakes "appear" just in time for the Cafe to open (in the main hall) next Saturday 20th May...these cakes don't just appear out of thin air you know - someone has to make them! Hint, hint. I've booked the van (extra LWB Sprinter) so the barrier and tables collection crew (me, Keith and Andy C) can collect said items from CMRA's Welwyn store next Friday ahead of the show. Someone REMIND ME NOT TO DRIVE UNDER ELY RAILWAY BRIDGE in it (when we also go and get Westgate Park from the Clubroom later that afternoon) or there might be a disastrous scalping of the van's roof!!! - and Stuntney Road will be even more jammed up than normal Exhibition poster attached - plus Club's website in the signature. POSTER A4 V2 2017.pdf