This weekend the Wigan Finescale Modellers are putting on their annual show at the Robins Park Leisure Centre. It is opposite the DW Stadium with good parking and well signposted. The weekend weather does not look very promising to tidy the garden or go to the beach. As I type this post the weather is typical for Wigan, only the snow has melted to rain. So why not come along as there is plenty of 009 interest and also very good trade support giving you the chance to get hold of all the bits, pieces, materials, tools that one needs for your modelling. Parkside Dundas are always in attendance as well as A1 Models along with the likes of Eileens Emporium and Todmorden Supplies who were at this year's AGM. The Society will have the display showcases and a supply of the kits for members attending. So come along and introduce yourselves for a chat, Stan Williams and I will be running the ex Hull club layout 'Rothampton'.
Roger
I'm hoping to be there
- got to show support for Lord Ghylldale
Sorry to sound a dissenting note but I have had a very unpleasant experience with the organisers of this show. Last year, through Stan, thank you, no problem at all with you, I got an invitation to take Corris to Wigan this year. I accepted and got back confirmation, full details of the show, details of the accommodation booked for us etc so put the show in the diary. To do this I rearranged an already booked holiday and turned down, subsequently, another show.
In November I checked the website to see what else would be there and saw we were not listed. I emailed the exhibition manager and got no reply, emailed him again still with no reply so emailed the chairman with no reply. In January I telephoned the exhibition manager to be told that they had a problem with the amount of space they could have and my invitation was in abeyance. I then received an email, at last, from the chairman telling me that because they had not had enough traders agree to attend they could not afford as many layouts. So that's two differing, and belated excuses with no apology.
I am not particularly bothered if they do not want my layout at the show, I am bothered with the lack of decency and manners. If they were only 'taking an option' on the layout for the show they should have said so. Corris has done probably 50 exhibitions in the last three years and I have never been treated so badly.
Be warned of the possible consequences if Wigan Finescale Modellers invite you to attend one of their exhibitions.
Rod
A good weekend had by all and a thank you to those members who came along especially to those who brought some of their models to show us on Stan's Rothampton that was a late stand-in which confused 'Joe Public' who could not find descriptive details in the show guide. Frank Allen brought along his recent Narrow Planet remote controlled model and another member, sorry not to catch his name, showed us his scratchbuilt Barclay Class E 0-6-0WT running on an adapted Farish 04 chassis. Absolutely superb piece on 009 modelling. He said he will be at the convention in September. Hugh Norwood supported John Varley and Jonathan Stockwell who had John's 'Ghylldale' in the main hall. Ex 009 NEWS editor Paul Davies came along to distract John and Jonathan and to meet up with Hugh. Stan and I must thank Paul Moxham for helping out on Sunday. Bill Luty and Garry Whiting manned the display stand in the third hall and two new members were enrolled into the Society. Charlie Insley did a loco building demo alongside his mum who did her tree construction demo near to Ghylldale.
In reply to Rod's earlier post in this thread Stan and I receive many invitations to do shows up and down the country. We too have been let down by organisers on more than one occasion. One very good acquaintance in a local club gave us a definite invite to his show. He retired as show manager and passed on all the preparations to his successor who, without informing invited exhibitors, scrapped everything and organised 'his' show which was a disgrace. He was subsequently 'drummed' out of the club. It took many years for the club to re-establish itself again and just as long for the initial show manager to pick up the pieces and courage to talk to Stan and myself and to invite us again. Apart from that one episode when the other clubs have not followed up their invite, i.e. no response or confirmation, we have thought nothing of it and got on with things. It is their loss, not ours.
Roger
Roger
I note your comments and must stress that I have no wish to turn this unfortunate episode into a range war. However, what really annoyed me was that when the chairman bothered, eventually, to reply to me, he was much more concerned with telling me how good the show was and how clever they were for putting it on than actually giving me an honest reason, and apology, for messing me around the way they had done. I suffered some financial loss over the rearranged holiday and also had to disappoint another club because of the putative clash of dates. That's all water under the bridge now but it does still leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
I'm glad you had a good show though.
Rod
I would have to say that I found the organisers of Wigan both very helpful, professional and decent. All shows have suffered from the depression and Wigan has not been immune.
While I realise that my layouts do not conform to '009 norms' Cliffhanger was extremely popular with visitors which in my mind is what public shows are all about. Despite being described as a 'box hedge', someone thought it was good enough to be the front cover of the show guide, at least.
It ran almost faultlessly throughout the show and we are back next year with County Gate (almost certainly last time on show in UK) and Bratton.