The dust has settled on this year’s Open Day/Show.  We can report a good number through the door, and it was especially good to have a fair number of local residents visit with their children – many below school age.  All the kids were very good, and fascinated by the tiny moving trains.

Work started on the Wednesday afternoon.  The church was not being used for the rest of the week, so we set up the N-mod layout, and used it for the club night.  We had 7 members attend and help with the work (and a special mention to son Michael, who helped me stack a lot of heavy chairs.)

Saturday was hard work.  We were down a couple of members, one with covid, and the other with a gammy leg.  Special mention to Brian, who had demolished an aluminium ladder, whilst standing on it, and despite bruises lasted the day and took the video.

Moving on to my pictures.  Chris kept the N-mod moving….

Opposite him, Martin ran his Dav-Tree. Still a little plywood to cover, but the scenery is coming together well.

Sean was running Forrestone, and showing off his new Revolution 66.  Mr Bean is still driving his Mini across the bridge….

Beginners corner.  Sean’s son Lucas was running his layout in a box, Oakley Lane, and my son Michael ran Windermere.  Both very much their own work, with some advice from dad!

Neil was showing Rhine Rails.  This layout has some history.  I remembering coming to our show in the Methodist church many years ago.  The builder died a couple of years ago, and the family offered us the layout.  Neil took it on, and it’s back for another show with ESNG.

I brought along my lockdown layout ‘Kuritu II’ as a diorama, as I was too busy trotting around to do any running.

Our second modular system was the N-Club International double track layout.  Richard was meant to bring some modules, but found he had double-booked himself.  So I was shocked to find that I could make a respectable layout with my modules – bar one, Allan’s temporary Toblerone bridge! 

Essential support services.  Lily and Ian did their usual fine job managing the coffee and cake, whilst Derek and the club shop, and Neil’s emporium, seem to have sold a fair amount.

Derek also showed a few of the ‘Johannes’ mini-modules, designed on a length of Kato track as an entry to the hobby for young people.

Everyone was very good helping putting the church and hall back together.  The day, of course, finished with 16 of us retiring for an excellent curry and we well-earned beer.  We had a little while to wait for the curry house to open, so Sean captured the “ESNG Care Home”….

A good day!  Very hard work, and for several days beforehand, but worth the effort.  Next year?  Who knows.  I seem to have failed in my attempt to resign as exhibition manager.