Busy Time of Year

[rue_d_etropal]

Like buses you wait ages for a local exhibition, then 3 come along at one time.
I am at Rainhill Exhibition this weekend with my 3D printing demonstration and a couple of (non narrow gauge) APA box layouts.
In old days every club had its slot, so there was usually something on each weekend. Now some have moved around, and this might be nice for those who can do a couple of shows in one day, it does not help those providing the trade(and therefore a large chunk of money for the exhibition).
Last year NGN had to be cancelled and everyone rallied together and there was an extended OO9 society event in Leigh. It was a superb show, and everything seemed to run smoothly despite being in two buildings , and a wedding in church opposite. Now this year NGN has moved forward a week and clashes with Rainhill exhibition. Quite a lot of narrow gauge interest here, and their Christmas show had an extra treat of a room of OO9, which is planned to be repeated this year.
I know of at least one wellknown trader who can not do NGN this year because of this clash, and a double blow is the cancellation of another big local show due to council incompetence.
So please support as many of the local shows up here as possible. I would love to go to NGN but can't. I was even invited. The new location looks very good and is easier to get to by train. I exhibited at the last NGN show. It was superb. Never known it that busy.
Maybe if more people suggested arranging exhibitions so there were fewer clashes , especially as there are far too few narrow gauge layouts at exhibitions up here.

[Colin Peake]

I have had a feeling for a while that we may have reached saturation point with exhibitions. Locally late Feb/March is a very busy time. Lincoln's expanded show was last weekend, this weekend there is (less locally) NG North, but also a local show in Mansfield, then Nottingham the following weekend, the two-day Sheffield show is the weekend before Easter, and then there is York at the end of the month! Due to other commitments Nottingham and York are sadly off the agenda this year - although we haven't been to either lately anyway for one reason or another. Plans to go to Mansfield on this Sunday (after NG North on Saturday) have been dropped as the layout list looks less interesting after an 009 layout pulled out.

Something has definitely happened with the dates this March though. I suppose that NG North used to be on the second weekend, this time it is the first, but Nottingham must have moved forward a weekend too, as it was always the weekend after NG North. I wonder if the early Easter has an effect?

Just to add to my concerns about saturation, I see the Cleethorpes show in May has now been cancelled, which is unfortunate as it was a nice local show, with the attraction of a 15" gauge railway down the prom (and for many years the venue was right next to the railway!)

Colin

[rue_d_etropal]

This year is not helped with Easter being early, but the move of some exhibitions from January/February to March to get better weather(looking out at snow today!!!!) is the main problem. NGN was always 2nd weekend so everyone could plan around it(I mainly mean trade and exhibitors). When it had to cancel last year it was the NW modellers who came to the rescue, many connected to clubs which exhibit at start of March, and they now have NGN clashing with their weekend.
I want to promote narrow gauge modelling and a specialist show up north is important but getting narrow gauge layouts into some mainstream exhibitions is important but can be difficult, and any specialist show should take this into account. Maybe I am over reacting , but I will ask around this weekend to see what some think. Just hoping snow does not cause any problems/.
Talking of snow, for those who have tried to avoid it, it seems to be unpredictable, and therefore planning an event for March can be just as easily effected by snow as one in January, and I would therefore suggest spreading out exhibitions(in effect going back to diary 20 years ago) would help the hobby a lot.
Not sure if I am going to York this year, as there is not that much that interests me especially narrow gauge, to justify cost and time. It only needs to be one layout, and last year it was the French narrow gauge in 1/32 scale. Chances are that many of the popular layouts will visit another exhibition up here anyway.