esngblog

An exhibition manager’s work is never done.  We’re still finalising the accounts from the 2014 show a month ago, and I am beginning to think about 2015.  This may be slightly presumptuous, as I won’t know whether I am still exhibition manager till after our AGM in July.  But judging by the last 15 years of the club, a palace coup is extremely unlikely, much as I would like to pass on the job.

We’ve fixed the date – April 11th 2015 – and booked St Joseph’s school again, as it worked so well this year.  I’m beginning to send out invites to our usual traders, and we are pleased that Invicta Models of Sidcup have agreed to have a couple of tables.  They will leave some ‘N’ gauge stock for a stand on their way to the bigger Crawley show that is over the same weekend.

As for exhibits, what will be there?  The N-mod circuit will be back, of course.  Perhaps with some new corner boards, as the existing ones are just getting too long in the tooth.  I’m hoping that Neil and Ian will be able to bring their large Settle & Carlise and small preserved line layouts respectively.  We have tried to have a policy of exhibiting ‘home’ layouts every other year, so the show looks a bit different each year.  I may even have my N-club modules up and running – after all I do have a year to make them presentable!

And then we have to invite three or four guest layouts.  It’s probably time to start visiting a few shows, and twist a few arms.  We need people in the south of England, who are prepared to do a one-day show.  Otherwise the expenses, with the cost of accommodation and travel just gets too big for a small show.

So if you’re reading this, and live in the south of England, and have an ‘N’ gauge layout that you want to exhibit at a small but friendly show, do feel free to add a comment.

The photograph below has nothing to do with railways, but I came across it on the BBC web-site today and it’s too good not to post.  Ten years ago I spent two months in Legaspi City in the Philippines on an Asian Development Bank flooding and irrigation project.  Our office was at the foot of Mount Mayon, one of the most perfect volcanic cones in the world – perfect as it erupts regularly, so gently leaks lava rather than blow bits off itself.  Legaspi golf course has a variable number of holes, depending on whether the fairways have cooled down from the last eruption.

Our office was on the right of the picture right at the foot of the volcano, just outside the exclusion zone.  I don’t think I’ve ever worked with such a perfect view nearby – but the project itself was a tough one!