I've often said that I love little shows every bit as much as big ones. It's often at the smaller events that you find unusual layouts, interesting trade, and delicious cakes.
Needing a bit of a shopping trip for the NG7 layout, when I spotted that the Trent Vally 7mm NG group were putting on a show just over an hour away, I thought it would be well worth a trip. And I wasn't wrong.
If I'm honest, I spent an awful lot of time chatting. I got in when the doors opened, left when they closed, and still hadn't given each layout the attention they deserved. On the other hand, I'd bought some books from an estate sale, picked up some of the shopping list for the layout, and shot "Wheal Ponder" for a future issue of BRM, so a productive day.
One highlight was seeing Apadobe Mine in the flesh, and chatting to Steve about it. I've followed the layout on his blog, ever since I shot his first layout for a magazine feature. In the flesh, it looks great, with lovely cliff work, and nice colours. All in an Ikea box.
Under construction was this 16mm scale Inglenook project. It ticks a box for a layout I'd like to build. Something a bit scale with scenery in 16mm with 32mm gauge track appeals to me as a future project, and it's nice to see this in a 4ft long space - I could fit that in. One day.
There are a couple of layouts beyond this I didn't get the chance to point a camera at, but as I say, there was much chatting.
And cake. Pre-show advertising promised cake and bacon butties - and the delivered on that.
In my current state of being low on modelling mojo, this event was just what I needed. My willpower kept me away from buying more projects from the second-hand table, but I saw lots to inspire me. Mt Dad has said int he past, and he's right, that were we exhibiting a layout nowadays, it would be something oddball and narrow gauge. Just like the ones in this hall.