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CMRA Exhibition Conference Saturday 21st April Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage SG1 1LZ Event runs from 10.00 till 16.00. The Chiltern Model Railway Association is holding a Model Railway Exhibition Conference on the 21st April 2018. The idea behind the conference is to gain the views and experience of those who organise or help at exhibitions, exhibit with a layout or stand, attend model railway exhibitions as a trader or as a member of the paying public. This with the view to improve the experience of all involved in promoting the hobby through model railway exhibitions both small and large. Exhibitions are organised for a number of reasons, amongst them are raising funds, to gain Club members, gain publicity, or as a focal event in the year. However, whilst it may not be the organiser’s primary aim, any exhibition open to the public is undoubtedly a shop window for the hobby. Today it is not simply a case of gathering together a few layouts and traders in a hall, there are now numerous other considerations which are ignored at our peril. There is also visitor expectation to consider – what do they expect to see having paid their money and come through the door – will they leave satisfied, having felt they have had value for money and be prepared to come again, or feel short-changed. Will they then tell others this is an event to be avoided. The Exhibition Conference is designed to be highly participatory, with a view to spreading experiences. The CMRA recognises that shows differ widely, from primarily commercial events such as the Warner Exhibitions and Key Publishing shows to very local shows consisting of a few layouts and traders, however there are common themes. The day will address a number of topics, each will start with a short presentation from a panel, drawing on their own experiences. The audience will then be invited to participate in the debate, either through questions to the panel or expressing their own views. Even if you are only involved as an exhibition visitor, your input here regarding your experiences is absolutely invaluable. Areas that the CMRA are looking to cover include: • Show Planning - Venue, Finding layouts, Admission charges, Budgeting costs, overseas exhibitors • Venue Planning - Floorplan, Security, Car parking, Disabled and emergency access, evacuation procedures • Show Publicity - Advertising, traditional such as handbills & posters, magazines, internet and social media • Insurance - When and what to insure. Impact of too little insurance. What may not be covered. Liabilities • Electrical Safety - Cabling, trip hazards. Layout, trade and demonstrator's Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) • Health & Safety - Risk assessments, Safeguarding of children & vunerable adults. First Aid provision • Participant's Perspective - Stand Presentation. Exhibitors and visitors experience. Social meetings. Best in show awards. The Conference is free for members of CMRA Associate Organisations. As Associate Organisations now number some 150 clubs and societies as well as many of the national scale/gauge organisations http://www.cmra.org.uk/members.html this shouldn't be a difficult criteria to meet. The CMRA will be providing a free buffet lunch for those member attendees - however so that the Association can put the necessary catering in place, it is essential that lunches are pre booked by email to the Association Secretary, Stuart Marshall, using the address secretary "at" cmra.org.uk Non members of CMRA Associate Organisations are of course most welcome to attend, however the Association asks for a donation of £6.00 to cover the cost of their buffet lunch. Again pre booking via Stuart is essential.

According to the event's webpage, The National Festival of Railway Modelling will be returning over the weekend of 8th & 9th December 2018.

The Leisure Centre is to the east of the railway station and has several ground level car parks. A little further away are the town's multi-storeys. The rates vary for the car parks shown with the most expensive ones being the two railway station ones - marked as RS and RN. If you wish to keep your car parking charges to a minimum it is best to visit on the Sunday where the rate for all the car parks - except for the railway station ones - is £2.00 for all day. Note the one marked P is reserved for exhibitors. As warned above the very large car parks to the west of the station - off the plan to the left - are for the Leisure Park, not the Leisure Centre, and although free for users of the Park attract a large fine should you leave your car there and walk over the footbridge to the station and the exhibition venue.

Added two more layouts to list in initial post - Bradley Park and Vladston Field. Also updated list of trade and demonstrations (on website).

The Chiltern Model Railway Exhibition 2018 Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre Lytton Way Stevenage SG1 1LZ Saturday 13th January 2018 - 10am till 5.30pm. Sunday 14th January 2018 - 10am till 4.30pm. Organised by the Chiltern Model Railway Association (CMRA). There will be more than thirty superb working model railway layouts with a well balanced coverage of scales, gauges and prototypes. An excellent selection of specialist and general trades will be present together with demonstrations, static exhibits and society stands. The venue is situated only a couple of hundred yards from Stevenage's main shopping area and offers a town centre location with the benefits of good transport links and car parking. For those coming by public transport the railway station is literally just over the road and is joined to the venue and town centre by a pedestrian bridge. Services are mainly operated by Great Northern, lying on the route from London King's Cross to Peterborough & Cambridge. The station is also served by trains between London and Letchworth via Hertford North. The bus station is also close, less than a minutes walk away. For those travelling by car the venue is on the dual carriageway A602 which is easily accessed by two junctions on the A1(M), one from the north and one from the south, with an estimated 5 minute travelling time from the motorway. Several large car parks are adjacent to the Arts & Leisure Centre. List of layouts expected to attend: The Bridge by Doug Kightley - Portayal of The Forth Bridge in 1:450 scale 3mm gauge (T) Bridge at Remagen by Al Turner - German WWII Autumn 1944 in 1:160 scale 9mm gauge (Continental N) Kingswear by the MAP Model Railway Group - 1944 GWR Devon terminus in 2mm/ft scale 9.42mm gauge (2mm fs) Llangerisech by Nigel Ashton - Cambrian terminus in 2mm/ft scale 9.42mm gauge (2mm fs) Law Junction by the East Neuk MRC - 2003-06 West Coast mainline in 1:148 scale 9mm gauge (British N) Midsummer End by Steven Hughes - Fictional West Country GWR terminus in 1:148 scale 9mm gauge (British N) Rannoch Moor by the Bristol East MRC - West Highland line in 1:148 scale 9mm gauge (British N) Sandmarch by the Stevenage & District MRC - Current railway scene in 1:148 scale 9mm gauge (British N) Addison Park by Phill Hutchings - 1950s London Transport terminus in 3mm/ft scale 14.2mm gauge (3mm fs) Lakebank by the Launceston & District MRC - 1928-31 ex Furness Railway terminus in 3mm/ft scale 14.2mm gauge (3mm fs) De Niggende Saligheyd by Hugo Baart - Dutch narrow gauge line in 3.5mm/ft scale 9mm gauge (H0e) Mauch Chunk by the Barrowmore MRG - Late 1940s Central Railroad of New Jersey in 3.5mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (H0) Penhalig Quay & Black Rock Sands by Bob Farell - Welsh Highland inspired tourist railway in 4mm/ft scale 9mm gauge (00-9) Bradley Park by the Hampton Court MRS - Freight yard with warehousing in 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00) Fisherton Sarum by Graham Muspratt - Late 1940s Southern scene in 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00) Kepier Colliery by John Cook - North Eastern NCB industrial in 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00) Missenden St Marys by the Missenden Abbey Modellers - Demonstration layout in 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00) Readham by Steve Cox - Network Rail through station in 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00) Vladston Field by Stevie Nicholson & Marisol Sanchez - Fictitious heritage railway in 4mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (00) Ynysybwl by the Cardiff 4mm Group - 1922 Taff Vale Railway in 4mm/ft scale 18.2mm gauge (EM) Lower Exbury by Alison Barker - South Hampshire by water in 4mm/ft scale 18.83mm gauge (P4) Sandford & Banwell by Pete & Jeff Day - Early 1930s GWR Cheddar Valley line in 4mm/ft scale 18.83mm gauge (P4) Shelvington & Rydes Hill by Matthew Farrell & Lee Polson - Mid 1970s Southern Electric in 4mm/ft scale 18.83mm gauge (P4) Aerial & Pickles by Jack Treves - USA Farming line in 1:48 scale 16.5mm & 9mm gauges (American On30 & On18) Up the Line by Kevin Hughes - World War I western front light railway in 7mm/ft scale 16.5mm gauge (0-16.5) Arun Quay by Gordon Gravett - BR(S) West Sussex quayside in 7mm/ft scale 31.2mm gauge (Finescale 0) Fullers Wharf by Malcolme Hine - North Derbyshire industrial in 7mm/ft scale 32mm & 16.5mm gauges (0 & 0-16.5) Staindrop by Chris Robertson - 1928 South West Durham LNER terminus in 7mm/ft scale 32mm gauge (0) Teign House Sidings by Bob Harper - Teign Valley Railway broad gauge in 7mm/ft scale 49.15mm gauge (S7 standards) Mers Les Bains by John & Peter Smith - Early 1950s French metre gauge line in 1:32 scale 32mm gauge Sutton Wharf by Christopher Payne - Narrow gauge industrial scene in 1:25 scale 16.5mm gauge Warton Road Preservation Society by John Witts - Preservation line in 13.5mm/ft scale 63.5mm gauge (Gauge 3) Hambleden Valley by Steve Howard - Narrow gauge rural terminus in 1:22.5 scale 45mm gauge (G) Further details about the exhibition including trade, demonstrators and societies can be found on the CMRA website: http://www.cmra.org.uk/exhibition.html

Hi Dave, Glad you enjoyed the retrospective. Yes please to you bringing Charmouth to a future show - will drop you an email with some dates.

Yes my other half, Georgina, couldn't really take part as I asked her for feedback on the "difficulty" or not of the questions. A self confessed chocaholic there was just one of the sweets in the 26 alphabet sweet questions that she didn't get - so that part of the quiz was judged to be just about right!

The Gravetts did come first in one event - they, combined with the Sidmouth crew, formed the team that won the table top quiz at the Saturday Social answering questions on topics as diverse as sweets, catchphrases and palindromes.

Many thanks to all our visitors, layout owners, demonstrators and members of the trade who contributed to the success and friendliness of this year's Uckfield exhibition. And thank you for all the favourable comments on this forum - they are much appreciated by the Club. For the record a couple of awards were made over the course of the weekend: The Keith Nock Memorial Trophy - presented to the favourite layout as voted for by members, exhibitors, trade etc and presented at the Saturday Social. Recipient: Lightermans Yard by the Kent & Essex Area Group of the 2mm Scale Association Runner Up: Arun Quay by Gordon & Maggie Gravett Best in Show - plaque presented to the favourite layout as voted for by the visiting public and presented at 4pm on the Sunday Recipient: Denton Brook by Giles Favell Runner Up: Arun Quay by Gordon & Maggie Gravett A photographic retrospective has now been uploaded to the Club's website at http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhib17nf.html Provisional details about the 34th Uckfield Model Railway Exhibition on the 20th & 21st October 2018 have also been uploaded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ApFVQy0eDA&feature=youtu.be

WillowTreeShed has uploaded a video of the exhibition on YouTube. At nearly an hour long all the layouts are featured apart from Surrey Arms - apparently it was too crowded when he tried. Well worth watching.

With a day to go, looking forward to meeting up with several of this parish with their layouts. David Taylor with Bridport Town: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/1956-pictures-of-bridport-town/ Giles Favell with Denton Brook: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96274-denton-brook-7mm-industrial/ Tom Everitt with Ropley: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/105616-ropley-mid-hants-railway-in-n-gauge/ Andy Gautrey with Wiley City: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33657-wiley-city/

Arun Quay, which is making its debut as a "finished" layout at the exhibition, features in the latest edition of Model Railway Journal No. 258 I understand that there may be a small amount of copies for sale at the show - it depends whether the exhibitors get there first!

No. 258 is out!

No. 258 is out! Barry Norman is in the chair for this issue 242 Arun Quay and the Art of Compromise by Gordon Gravett 252 How to convert 0 Gauge RTR Locos to Scale 7 by Colin Dowling 254 Small Suppliers Forum 255 The Craft of Carriage Building Part 2 by Alan Brackenborough 261 Refining Heljan's Class 47 by James Wells 265 Canada Street and the Inlaid Track by Peter Johnson 273 Swinton Bridge by Andrew Gibson 279 Letters 280 Diary 280 Obituary - Richard Chown Looks to be a good read - photographs of Arun Quay are superb, looking forward to seeing it in the flesh at Uckfield this weekend. http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhib17nf.html I believe there may be a very limited number of MRJ 258s on sale at the show - depends whether the exhibitors get there first!

Looking forward to seeing the layout at Uckfield this coming weekend. http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhib17nf.html

Looking forward to meeting up with you and the rest of the guys

Message from Phil of C&L Finescale Track Building Systems - please could anyone wanting to pre order and collect at the Uckfield show this coming weekend please could they contact him - 01372 748490 - by the end of tomorrow morning.

By popular request the Civic Centre's eatery Luxfords will be opening at 9am each day and will serving Bacon filled and Sausage filled rolls along with tea/coffee. So if arriving early come and have a bite to eat prior to entering the show - doors open at 10am on Saturday and Sunday. Only 5 sleeps to go.

One of the layouts making its debut at Uckfield this year is Tarring Neville. The layout appeared at the show in 2016 very much as a work in progress. Its builder Andy Jones, who constructed the award winning 00 layout Herstmonceux, has just sent us this teaser as to how the project is progressing.

Looking forward to seeing the layout at the show.

I personally attend two day exhibitions on the Sunday where I can as I find them less crowded especially at the extremities of the day - first thing in the morning and late afternoon - with the additional benefits of easier travel and car parking. In previous years the Uckfield show has followed this trait with, as per the Club's website, the Sunday being a quieter day both in the town and the exhibition.

Hi Dave, Looking forward to meeting up with you and the team as well - just under five weeks to go!

Can confirm that C & L Finescale Track Building Systems will be at Uckfield. List of layouts and trade on the Uckfield MRC website http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/exhbi17nf.html Uckfield train station about 3 minutes walk from venue - no steps apart from odd curb or two

Hi Andy, Pleased that you are willing to bring Wiley City to the show. Looking forward to seeing you and layout next month.