Was it really 2019 when I last visited the Southampton show, in nearby Eastleigh?  Last Saturday I kept Mr Dawes company as he drove down to the show.  An easy journey, and we even found a nearby parking spot when the college car parks had already filled up.  A cold but sunny day (help, I’m sounding like Ron here) and the birdwatcher in me was pleased to clock Red Kite, Buzzard and Kestrel as we travelled, and best of all, a raven flying over as we queued to get in to the exhibition.

And a very good exhibition it was, too.  A top quality club show, with some excellent layouts, good trade and plenty of society stands, demonstrations, and even some exhibits aimed at the junior member.  Personal favourites could take a few days, but here are four layouts that really impressed.

I’d get in big trouble with the Cha(i)rman if I didn’t put this layout first…..  As an ex-milkman, Express Dairsy Sidings (EM) was unbeatable.  A 4′ long ‘Inglenook Sidings’ shunting puzzle, it was built during lockdown (like quite a few small layouts.)  This little layout is full of character, and we (and anyone else) were offered a chance to take on a little shunting.

From a tiny to a large layout.  Eastwood (P4) is a lovely layout, based on a real station near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.  Modelled in Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway days after the Great War (the station closed in 1951 and little of the site remains today), it offers an uncluttered view of trains passing through the landscape.  I think this probably was my favourite layout on the day.

Let’s go back from large to small.  I was rather taken by Melin Dorhyd (OO9), even if I couldn’t pronounce it.  Modelled on a real location on the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway, it’s another great (if very much smaller) spot to watch the trains go by.  An you’ll note that it has no points at all ‘out front’ – what could possibly go wrong?

And going back up in size, if not scale, we have Portsea (TT).  Portsea has been around a long time, but looks as if it has been ‘refreshed’ and new detail and bits added.  It models the Portsmouth area in British Railways days, and I particularly enjoyed the procession of Southern EMUs (and the occasional DEMU and DMU.)

More next time.