For any society member who up to now has not gone along to a group meeting, may I urge you to try.
Julien Webb has put details of the West Midlands group which will meet this evening and we will be holding our next meeting on Saturday 29th June
in Rainford, Merseyside.
THere are many groups around the country and you can often pick up meeting dates from the Branchlines in the Newsletter and in our case on the diary
page on the 009 website.
I am certain you can improve your modelling by going along and maybe you can pass on your modelling skills to others.
So may I ask you, do go along to one of the Society group get togethers, I am certain it will benefit a lot of people.
Feel part of the 009 Society and not just model on your own.
You know it makes sense.
Stan Williams.
I'll be along to the next group meeting anywhere in Ukraine!
I have to completely endorse what Stan says.
Personally I don't get to enough "do's", I've only made it to Stans little extra once and it was well worth the 5 hours driving.
I also make a point of doing the east midlands and the north east open meets annually (13th July and 7th Sept., respectively [2019]). Mansfield is an 8 hour round trip for me.
The meeting of like-minded modellers is worth its weight in gold.
Andy
Quote from: Tom Haythornthwaite on June 11, 2019, 05:28
I'll be along to the next group meeting anywhere in Ukraine!
The answer to that one is
AS much as I would like to go to my local group meetings [East Midlands], I'm afraid my shift pattern makes it awkward but I do try and get my layout to their show every other year or so.
Mick the other one used to give his location in the russian annexed bit so maybe a bit difficult politically !
I always attend the Greek group meetings !
Thanks Alan, sorry Tom, good point!
Mick
Quote from: Stan Williams on June 10, 2019, 07:54
For any society member who up to now has not gone along to a group meeting, may I urge you to try.
Julien Webb has put details of the West Midlands group which will meet this evening and we will be holding our next meeting on Saturday 29th June
in Rainford, Merseyside.
THere are many groups around the country and you can often pick up meeting dates from the Branchlines in the Newsletter and in our case on the diary
page on the 009 website.
I am certain you can improve your modelling by going along and maybe you can pass on your modelling skills to others.
So may I ask you, do go along to one of the Society group get togethers, I am certain it will benefit a lot of people.
Feel part of the 009 Society and not just model on your own.
You know it makes sense.
Stan Williams.
Hi Stan,
I'd love to be able to take part more!
However, there is no Area Group in Scotland.....................
Thanks
Phil H
Hi Stan,
I'd love to be able to take part more!
However, there is no Area Group in Scotland.....................
Thanks
Phil H
[/quote]
See if anyone else in your area wants a get together.
Its what we did in the Norfolk & Suffolk area and we now have a very successful area group.
Quote from: cnw6847 on June 13, 2019, 19:19
Hi Stan,
I'd love to be able to take part more!
However, there is no Area Group in Scotland.....................
Thanks
Phil H
See if anyone else in your area wants a get together.
Its what we did in the Norfolk & Suffolk area and we now have a very successful area group.
[/quote]
Hi Richard,
History repeats itself.
I've done this with DEMU and it worked for a while, then fell apart
I'm trying it at present for the N Gauge Society.
The common trait is that the interested people are too far apart in Scotland and can't agree on a convient meeeting place.
Thanks
Phil H
No problem Mick
No one else ever turns up for the Greek area meetings -perhaps I should change my deoderant !
I can recall the times when a list of everyone's name and address in the 009 Society was published in the News! This was very helpful for finding other local members. I still have thes lists.
I remember sending out group invitations to all those in Essex that were on the list.
Obviously this is a complete no-no to do this in today. How times have changed.
Brian Meldon
Quote from: B.Meldon on June 14, 2019, 14:06
I can recall the times when a list of everyone's name and address in the 009 Society was published in the News! This was very helpful for finding other local members. I still have thes lists.
I remember sending out group invitations to all those in Essex that were on the list.
Obviously this is a complete no-no to do this in today. How times have changed.
Brian Meldon
Hi Brian,
A comment - based on my former position title - 'Data Protection Officer' and having been registered with ICO as such
It is still legal to do this as it is deemed to be within the criteria 'Promoting the societies interests'.
This should be done by the Memb Sec as he is technically 'The Data Holder' on behalf of the society.
So - subject to that Memb Sec being willing and able, to do this, it would be possible for the society to establish if there are members willing to participate in an area group in a specific area.
In the past I have found that identifying the members Post Codes then they can geographically bundled together works.
Thanks
Phil H
ps - just checked - still registered as data officer with ICO - only moved on from that job 10 years ago!
Just a reminder that although I won't give you any other members' address I will happily email any members in your local postcodes and give them yours, if you would like me to. It may help in forming new groups or maybe just getting in touch with local members.
Brian E
(MemSec)
Or even easier get the Editor to stick a request in the News asking people to get in touch... that's how the Midlands Group started up! Plenty of people making comments about lack of groups but no-one actually doing anything about it... Get off your backsides and make it happen as I am sure there would be enough interest for a Scottish Group for instance.
Quote from: Hobby on June 15, 2019, 13:10
Or even easier get the Editor to stick a request in the News asking people to get in touch... that's how the Midlands Group started up! Plenty of people making comments about lack of groups but no-one actually doing anything about it... Get off your backsides and make it happen as I am sure there would be enough interest for a Scottish Group for instance.
Hi Hobby,
You spoilt southerners!
You cannot apply the same sort of criteria to putting a Scottish (or Welsh) Area Group together as you can an English one
There are no clusters of cities as there are in England.
Being close to another person that is interested in being part of an area group in Scotland could be as much as 50 miles apart and still be in the same postcode area!
I've followed a similar process for DEMU in Scotland and now trying to do it for the NGS in Scotland.
Thanks
Phil H
You shouldn't make assumptions about people, Phil! I'm not a Southerner nor spoilt, and I lived in Central Scotland for nearly a decade and my mother and sister lived in Aberdeen for many decades so I do know my way around Scotland quite well. I don't know where you are based but I do know that, if they wanted to, members from Scotland could set up a group and have meetings up there, OK they may not be holding meetings every month like many others, but that's not a criteria!. Most of the population live in the Central Belt so setting up a Group based there would make sense with the more outlying Scottish members such as Graeme (Aberdeen) visiting as and when they could. The distance from where I live to other members who live the other side of the West Mids is only about the same as Glasgow to Edinburgh (under 50 miles) so similar logistics! Many people attend Stan's meeting that have to travel far larger distances than that!
However rather than discuss it on here and make assumptions about the Membership that neither of us know are true why don't you put an advert in the News like I suggested and see what happens. You've taken the time to reply on this thread so it's only a small step to send Chris Ford an email and get him to publish a request, it doesn't cost anything and if my experience in setting up the West Mids group is anything to go by it's well worth it... If you get going and I'm up visiting my wife's relatives in Edinburgh I may even get along myself!
Over to you!
Blair
As a longstanding Scottish member if I remember correctly from about 1980 through to about the early 90's there was a regular meeting of a Scottish group in members homes in Edinburgh, North Berwick in the East through to Bo'ness in the West. There was a hard core of about 5 or 6 members however as happens people move away and others have families, change of hobby etc and the meetings died out. Moves to try and get a Glasgow group up and running failed.
About 8 years ago Dave Chapman in Aviemore re-constituted the Scottish group as SCOONS [Scottish 009ers] and arranged informal meetings, announced in the 009 News, mostly at the Glasgow or Perth shows when the 009 stand was in attendance. As far as I can recall the only time there was a meeting away from a show was 3 or 4 years ago when about 6 of us met at a members house in Duns with attendees from Aviemore, Stirling, Edinburgh, East Lothian and the Borders.
As you correctly surmise Phil, the scattering of members far and wide is the main obstacle. I can think of three 009 Society members in Edinburgh plus myself down in East Lothian plus Andrew Hastie in Fife but otherwise I have no idea how many others there are lurking in the background.
The current situation appears to be that Dave Chapman is, in the absence of any announcements in the 009 News to the contrary, 009 Scotland Group heid yin so you might want to contact him via the membership sec. as regrettably I have mislaid his e-mail address.
Malcolm
I don't want to muddy the waters, but the Italian group meet up in facebook space more regularly than in real life. I believe they meet up at exhibitions.
Stats time again (I do think it useful to have real information): There are currently 64 members in Scotland. There are small clusters around Edinburgh and Glasgow. The rest are scattered literally across the whole country, from far north to south and from the islands in the west to the east.
Just sayin'
Brian
Thanks, Brian, it confirms what I thought, it's up to them, a Group could be set up but to do that someone will have to bite the bullet and actually do something... I await the next 'News with interest to see if anyone bothers...
In Wales there is a cluster of cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea plus the towns in the Welsh Valleys.
Peter
Although are group goes by the title Merseyside & South West Lancs Group, we have visitors from far and wide.
ie Cumbria, West Yorkshire, Hull, Wolverhampton, Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Wirral and Merseyside.
If people are interested they will come along especially if your get togethers are interesting.
We have had three meetings in 2020 and the numbers through the doors are 42, 52, and 40.
Are next meeting is Saturday 29th June starting at 1pm at the All Saints Parish Hall, Church Road, Rainford WA11 8HE.
If you fancy coming along, you are most welcome to join us.
Stan.
This is an example of being part of a group.
James Hodgkiss is attempting to build his first 009 layout which will be based on French WW1 railways.
He is having his trials and tribulations regarding good tracklaying for starters.
Well help is at hand, because at our next meeting on the 3rd August, James will have the help of a number of good modellers and in particular
Paul Windle (one of the finest modellers in these lands) is going to help him through the sticky bits and hopefully by the end of the day,
James will have a working layout and any faults will have been ironed out.
Just another reason to join an area group or set one up.
Ask yourselves, how many times have you started a layout, just to pack it up ?
Stan.
I agree Stan, but as always it needs someone to do the work start it all up. As we've seen from several replies on this thread there are people who would like someone else to be that person.
Sad but true!
Was there every a group in Kent?
I believe someone did start up a group and a few years ago, we exhibited Gairloch & Wester Ross at the Canterbury Exhibition
some years ago and I remember we signed up 3 or 4 people to join the 009 society that weekend.
Are they still members ?
Stan.
Isn't the Greenwich Group SE London so reasonably local? Don't know about any others, Sussex downs Group?
All Groups are listed here:
https://009society.com/news/area-groups/?v=79cba1185463#areagroup
The 7mm NG Assoc list is here and overlaps a fair bit!
https://7mmnga.org.uk/area-groups.php
Quote from: Hobby on March 06, 2020, 11:04
Isn't the Greenwich Group SE London so reasonably local? Don't know about any others, Sussex downs Group?
There is also the Greenwich & District Narrow Gauge Railway Society, but this is separate from the 009 Society.
They have weekly meetings alternating between members' homes in South London and Essex.
Brian Meldon
Quote from: Stephen Rainsbury on March 05, 2020, 23:54
Was there every a group in Kent?
Yes, there has been.
Ten or so years back there were some informal meetings at people's homes on a more or less ad hoc basis, then a more formal group evolved with regular meetings held at Maidstone and a layout under construction; unfortunately the latter seems to have folded.
I guess there's nothing to stop a few people meeting up either at somebody's house or other suitable venue (pub?) and see what develops.
Simon.
Quote from: Simon Hargraves on March 06, 2020, 12:10
I guess there's nothing to stop a few people meeting up either at somebody's house or other suitable venue (pub?) and see what develops.
Simon.
Its a thought, are there many of us in Kent? I think that Giles for RM Web might do, of course there is my Brother in Bexley and one of the guys exhibiting at Orpington is from Sittingbourne but I spoke to several people and can't remember who it was :-)
Quote from: B.Meldon on March 06, 2020, 11:24
Greenwich & District Narrow Gauge Railway Society, but this is separate from the 009 Society.
Interestingly most groups listed in the websites list cater for all NG modelling these days, Brian, hence many are listed on both the Society website and the 7mmNG Association website listing. that seems to be the way to go these days and I'm rather glad it is. It makes for a much more robust group, with more members, and a wider variety of interests. No doubt those in charge will correct me if I am wrong but I believe the Society will affiliate such a group if they have a minimum number of Society members (3?)...
Quote from: Stephen Rainsbury on March 06, 2020, 12:16
Its a thought, are there many of us in Kent?
There are 90 members in the combined Postcode areas CT, DA, ME, TN.
Brian
Quote from: B.Meldon on March 06, 2020, 11:24
There is also the Greenwich & District Narrow Gauge Railway Society, but this is separate from the 009 Society.
They have weekly meetings alternating between members' homes in South London and Essex.
I think my brother is still a member. In practice Greenwich is a good 45/50 minutes form here on a good trip so you could easily run the risk of spending more time driving. By train it would be at least one change and take well over the hour.
Stephen
Is that really a long time for a meeting that is only once a month at most? Both my local groups are 40/45 minutes away. It's inevitable when attending meetings for a specialist group of people such as ours, there's rarely many in the same area. If you want to attend local meets od railway enthusiasts then it has to be a conventional model railway club! At least there's plenty of choice of groups in England, if you look at the NGRS you will find that their regional groups are even more thinly spread than ours...
Quote from: Hobby on March 07, 2020, 08:21
Is that really a long time for a meeting that is only once a month at most? Both my local groups are 40/45 minutes away.
For me 45 Minute heading into Kent is not a big issue, but once I get across the M25 into London I hate it and can't easily relax. Speed limits that make no sense, difficult parking restrictions, and people that seem to think they own the roads more than most other places I have been to. Where possible I go by train, but then coming home at night there is always somebody drunk who wants to talk to me or be sick. No I don't like being in London at night at all!
I like the idea of a Kent Group, but having been involved with other groups such as Robot Wars and am still heavily involved with Scouts I just know that I will end up over-committing, and organizing a group open day/exhibition. To make it worse I know several ideal venues all within minutes of a motorway.
For me the nearest Group is either Northwest area at Rainhill, Lampoons at Leeds, South Yorkshire at Doncaster and Oldham. All well over an hour away. It would be interesting to find out how many members live in the High Peak/Buxton area. Maybe we could form a group to fill in this blank on the Group map.
Quote from: Retiarius on March 07, 2020, 13:54
It would be interesting to find out how many members live in the High Peak/Buxton area. Maybe we could form a group to fill in this blank on the Group map.
There's about 50 members within the area memtioned, not including those in the major cities around it or those on the sides furthest from Buxton.
Brian
Quote from: BrianE on March 07, 2020, 14:28
Quote from: Retiarius on March 07, 2020, 13:54
It would be interesting to find out how many members live in the High Peak/Buxton area. Maybe we could form a group to fill in this blank on the Group map.
There's about 50 members within the area memtioned, not including those in the major cities around it or those on the sides furthest from Buxton.
Brian
Thank you Brian. Is there any mechanism to contact potential members in an area?
I doubt you will be able to get that information to contact them direct, though maybe a letter sent by you and distributed by the Society's membership secretary would work.
Might I suggest the old fashioned way first, though, stick an advert in the next News and on the website with your contact details and ask anyone interested to contact you. That is how most groups start. I'd also suggest that you put it about on NGRM what you want to do and ask people to PM you, that will get some non-009 Society modellers as well. The more the merrier!
Quote from: Retiarius on March 07, 2020, 13:54
For me the nearest Group is either Northwest area at Rainhill, Lampoons at Leeds, South Yorkshire at Doncaster and Oldham.
Have you considered the two groups that Bob Telford reports on in 009 News? North Lincs and East Midlands Groups?
East Midlands meet 4th Saturday afternoon of the month in the Portland College Mansfield and North Lincs 2nd Tuesday evening of the month in members homes in the general area, Bob is at Gainsborough, which might be a bit too far from the Buxton area but Mansfield is 36 miles so may be practical for you as it is nearer to Buxton than all those that you listed except Oldham? It's all recorded in Branchlines every issue! I'm not sure if Lampoons as a Group is still an active one or indeed ever was a Group in the usual sense - the "p" in the title stands for "Provisional" after all! Maybe Garry W can confirm?
Mick
As a matter of interest is there a group in Scotland? No official ones are listed but years back there was a loose association, that I think included members from NI, and met up perhaps once a year at Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow.
I rather lost touch, but in February went to my first MR exhibition for several years.
I think Dave Chapman is exhibiting a layout at the Perth Show and was hoping other society members would go along.
A group tried to form when the M&SWest Lancs group exhibited layouts at Model Rail Scotland and we had an 009 publicity stand there
and we where there in 2011, 2012,2013.
There was some informal meetings at the show and I know we enrolled a number of new members over those 3 years.
From memory some meetings where organised at peoples homes, but they do appear to have come to an end.
At the end of the day, if people want to make something happen, they normally have to go that extra mile to make it succeed.
Stan.
Thanks Stan. That's good news. Luckily the Perth show does not clash with our wedding anniversary this year! There should be plenty of time to make contact with other members and arrange to meet up.