N Gauge SouthEast – 2021 – abandoned
I’m sorry to have to announce that we have decided to abandon the 2021 NGSE show, originally planned for April 2021.
This is a long way ahead, and it was not a happy decision, but it actually turned out to be quite an easy one to make. Our new venue of Reigate College were still unsure whether they could host us in April 2021. They will not be renting the college out this autumn, as it will be forming its own ‘bubble’. It is possible that this will extend into 2021. They were also planning building works next spring.
And of course we have no idea what Covid will be doing by then. The last couple of weeks seems to indicate that ‘normal by Christmas’ is a little optimistic. It still seems unlikely that all of the UK will have received a vaccination by April, and from the discussions on various forums including this one, running a show with distancing, masks and the like will be difficult – and of course expensive. It is also debatable whether enough people will turn up to break even.
Finally, having cancelled this years’ show at very short notice, I, for one, couldn’t face the possibility of having to do it again next April.
So, we look to 2022 – Reigate College have been very helpful and they said they hope to see us then!
What we will do next year is to hold one or two open days / mini-exhibitions at our usual meeting place in Redhill. Perhaps one in May, a little later than normal, and one in October. We hope that these will work as a day to play trains, and a social opportunity for ESNG members and local enthusiasts. These will be easy to set up – we hope to send out a few invites to exhibit – and cancel if things get bad again.
