News

Open Day and mini-exhibition 2024

This year’s Open Day and mini-exhibition of club and members’ layouts was held on Saturday 5th October at All Saints Church Hall, Leavesden.  Attendance was a little up on last year and club members had lots of opportunity to run trains on the layouts. Sales at the club shop made a good contribution to club funds. A list of layouts attending is shown on the Exhibitions page and a video is now available to see on our YouTube channel.

2025 Annual Exhibition

Next year’s Exhibition will be held on Saturday 10th May 2025 at Queens’ School, Bushey.

We already have eleven  exciting layouts booked – see Exhibition page for the list.

2024 Annual Exhibition

This year’s Exhibition was held on Saturday 11th May 2024 at Queens’ School, Bushey.

There was a splendid collection of twenty-three layouts exhibited, ranging from the miniature to an O gauge scene stretching the entire length of one of the halls.

A video of the Exhibition has been posted on our Youtube channel – see the link on the Contacts page or just search for South West Herts MRS videos.

A message from our Chairman reads: “A huge thank you to all members, wives and friends who helped with the exhibition on Friday and Saturday.  We have received a lot of very good feedback from the public, the traders and the exhibitors.  I think it was enjoyed by all and I have had about seven of the exhibitors asking to return with other layouts.  The ladies running the lunchtime did a very good job and several positive comments were received on the exhibitors’ lunches”.

The visitor numbers were over 420 adults.  This is down on last year, but on the first weekend where we had decent weather, I can’t blame families for wanting to get out into the sunshine. We still had a nice surplus so we can call the event a success.   There were several enquiries from prospective members and a number of the membership application forms available were taken away. 

Here is a very complimentary response from one of the exhibitors and this is typical of the feedback we have received.’

“On behalf of Oxford & District Model Railway club and members attending, I would like to thank you for a brilliant day that we all enjoyed. We were very well looked after and appreciated your excellent hospitality.”

 

Outings

We have had to abandon plans for an outing this year.

Film night

The Film Night was duly held for Tuesday 22nd October but with a very low turn-out. However the select few (seven including Peter, who operated the laptop) were treated to a newly compiled video tour of the Locomotive Services Group facility in Crewe, where a BR locos and carriages were  seen during refurbishment and servicing. The second movie was a remarkable Training Film from 1956 entitled ‘Mishap’ detailing the extremely complex procedures to ensure safety, rescue and rerouting of trains following a simulated derailment. Finally we toured the Exe Valley line (which shut in 1963) in  the company of local enthusiasts giving the history of the line and traveling its length. 

Lincolnsfield Open Days

The next Open Day is on Sunday 27th October and we always hope to have at least  two layouts up and running to show to visitors. Volunteers are requested to add their names to the attendance sheet on the club notice board for availability to ‘man’ the clubhouse on the open days.

‘Back to Basics’ sessions

These are aimed at beginners who want to broaden their knowledge but as there are a wide range of topics (such is our hobby) many members may like to attend 1 or 2 of the sessions.

The format will be in groups of 3-4 and will include a ‘have a go’ section where attendees can ‘get their hands dirty’.  Sessions can be repeated if numbers interested exceed the small group size, so no one will miss out.

Further sessions will be arranged according to demand.

Members’ Projects

See the Members’ Projects page for layouts available for Exhibition.

If you are prepared to show your own layouts (especially portable ones) to the world, we will add details and pictures to the web page and also Facebook. Please contact the Secretary if you have news and / or pictures of your own own model-related project.

AGM and Committee Meetings

The 2024 AGM was held on Tuesday 12th March.

Minutes of the meeting have been circulated and posted on the club notice board.

The newly elected Committee members are as below: –

Chairman and Exhibition Manager: John Davy

Treasurer: Ron Drew

Secretary: Ken Halse

Committee member and Exhibition Trader Coordinator: Peter Hodge

OO gauge rep: Mike Roaulle

N gauge rep:  Laurence Preston

Members without portfolio: Malcolm Calaby, Philip Chown.

The next Committee meeting is on Wednesday 6th November.

Minutes of the last meeting have been sent out and posted on the club notice board.

We continue to wish all our members and their families good health and happy modelling.

 

Close Menu
×
×

Basket