Scalefour Crewe 2023, Progress and News

[PeteT]

Thanks to all those involved with organising & implementing the weekend! Great time helping Justin on the Rumney stand, & a good curry was found on Saturday night.

Seemed a great balance of exhibits & trade - looking forward to next year!

[Terry Bendall]

Got home from Crewe about an hour ago. I thought it was a very good show and the organising team should be congratulated on their work in organising the event for the first time. Orgaising an exhibition can be a daunting prospect but they made it work, and not just work, but work very well. I thought the venue was very good - sufficient size for the event, fairly cool on a very warm weekend and unloading immdiately outside the entrance doors. In normal times public transport by rail would be very good so a great pity about the strike which I am sure put some people off coming. The M6 was slow for us coming up on Friday but regular exhibition exhibitors and traders will be very used to that and it is just a fact of life.

I am sure the most disappointing thing to the organisers was how few people actually came. No doubt someone will give us the totals later. Obviously the rail strike did not help but fairly quite Sunday roads are not that difficult. Very sad that more people did not come.

Further thanks must go to the wives and partners of the organising team who provided the refreshments including making by hand the rolls for the exhibtors lunches. Very much over and beyond the call of duty so many thanks for those who took this on.

Having got this one out of the way, next year it wil be a lot easier!!

Well done to all involved

Terry Bendall

[kelly]

I can only echo Terry's words above. A lovely show and the venue is great.

Looking forward to next years show. Well done everyone who worked on the show.

[mikeknowles]

Back home following a most enjoyable weekend exhibiting Boston Frodsham. Thankfully a much clearer run home, only taking 2 hours 15 minutes.
Many thanks to Richard and the organising team for their hospitality and to the catering team for the great sandwiches and cakes.

[dahewett]

Many thanks to Richard and all who helped out in putting on an excellent exhibition. Never easy the first time. All the team operating Market Bosworth thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. The journey home took half the time compared to the trip on Friday!

[Dave Holt]

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the show, today. Good layouts, some key traders and lovely catering. Well done to all concerned. I'm very much looking forward to next years show.
Dave.

[steamraiser]

An enjoyable show, worth the trek up from Bristol.

Be warned the Stafford north bound services do not sell cooked breakfasts - most disappointing.

[mkfuzzhead]

Thanks to all those involved for a very pleasurable exhibition; cracking layouts, great trader support and a very friendly atmosphere.

[Tony W]

A big thanks to Richard and all the Crewe team for organising a great show. It was really pleasing to note that the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of Scalefour North had transferred itself successfully across the Pennines. A new show in a new venue is a daunting task but I thought the whole team handled it with aplomb. We were experiencing our own steep learning curve with Slattocks Junction and I think we will need a few sheets of paper at the debriefing session tomorrow!! My thanks must also go to the rest of the Bring and Buy team. We weren't exactly overrun with goodies to sell this year but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Same place, same time next year? Perhaps when everyone realises another pandemic might not happen just yet they may decide to part with a few things they'll never get round to building. Its just a thought........!

Tony

[Steve Carter]

If you didn't make it to Scalefour Crewe then you missed a big treat.

Richard, Will and all those who made this new and exciting event happen deserve a massive thank you, so thank you.

A great venue, top catering and a show full of things to inspire you along your route in 4mm finescale modelling.

[Wizard of the Moor]

I thought that it was a really good show too. Congratulations to the team for sticking with it despite all the difficulties making it happen. Good venue, with decent lighting for the layouts, easy parking, friendly atmosphere and great to see familiar faces. I only regret not being able to stay longer.

Roll on next year!

[Lord Colnago]

Now that the dust has settled on Scalefour Crewe I would like to say a big thank you to Richard and Will, who despite everything thrown at them, kept plugging away and produced a great show with a good selection of layouts, traders and demonstrators. I know that, despite the difficulties, they found it a rewarding experience and are happy to give it another go next year.

I would also like to thank all the layout owners and operators who provided the entertainment for our visitors, the demonstrators for passing on their knowledge and skills and not forgetting the traders, who gave us all the opportunity to lighten our wallets. I am always grateful to that trusty band of volunteers who give their time to run the Bring and Buy stand, you are very much appreciated.

I cannot finish without a special mention to the catering staff who were tireless in their efforts to keep everybody well fed and watered over the entire weekend as well as ensuring that many of us did not go hungry on our journey home.

I hope that I haven't forgotten anybody, my sincere apologies if I have. I have only had positive feedback on the show and the venue and I would urge those members who are able to make some time to visit the show next year. You won't be disappointed.

John.

[Will L]

Last night those from the Crewe Area Group and the Society committee who were most involved in getting Scalefour Crewe up and running got together to review what happened. The organising group were really positive about the whole event, so while doubtless there will be a final reckoning that will be put before the society committee, I would like to record a few of my own random reactions to the show.

1. Wasn't it a good venue. Its not just that it was in smart decorative order, which it was, it was light and airy, easy to get into and out of and (on a hot day) cool inside. The Crewe Alex Staff we dealt with were unfailingly helpful and cooperative. We didn't have to hire in tables and chairs as they already had them and they were included in the hire. Not only that, they had set out the tables and chairs were we needed them before we arrived. A pleasure you don't get at most places. It was also noted that they had the cleanest toilets any of us have ever seen at an exhibition.
   
2. Didn't you lot spend a lot of money. It is true that the Bring and By was a bit thinner than usual, (unless you wanted to stock up your library) but several of the traders have said that their takings were good and comparable with Scalefour North. Jeremy on the Society Stand did well to. The lesson for me was that while we did have a few traders who didn't want to do it, the ones that did, did OK, and that was because they were the right traders for a fine scale show.
   
3. The catering worked well and got much favourable comment. I think limiting this to as a basic drinks, sandwiches, and cakes service was a good move. Not having a cooked meal offering or surly catering staff to provide it didn't seem to matter. Actually the friendly attitude of Katherine and her catering team was a significant factor in the "Very Friendly Show" feedback we got repeatedly
   
4. The transport gods did seem to have it in for us, and you do have to feel sorry for those who fought there way over the M62/M6 on Friday. So my thanks go out to those who managed to get there. Its not clear that the M62 is ever be an easy journey these day, but those on t'other side who face this problem might want to think about the possibility of coming down the M1 to the A50/A500. As for the railway, well they did run on Sunday and hopefully this year will have seen Transpennine Express at its lowest ebb.
   
5. Having seen the impact of having a fair ground on the car park next to the venue, we now know this was a none problem. In fact if we do it again on the same weekend, we may want to advertise it as an extra attraction!
   
6. Was there anything that really didn't work? Well yes, the treasurers latest generation of contactless payment terminals. Just as well we still had cash and that we knew where the neatest cash machines were. Hopefully by the time of he needs them...

I think you can take it that Richard and I generally enjoyed the experience and would have no objection should the committee want us to do it again. So all those who turned out to help, exhibit, or trade, deserve our thanks for their assistance in making what we found a successful weekend. And as for next year, there is the possibility of adding an extra reason for you all to attend.

[Terry Bendall]

I think you can take it that Richard and I generally enjoyed the experience and would have no objection should the committee want us to do it again.

The best news for a long time I hope th team will want to keep up the good work.

Terry Bendall

[David B]

Having fought my way up the M5 and M6 on what must rank as one of my worst motorway experiences (it was Friday), the show at the end was very well worth being at - a light at the end of . . . whatever.

I agree with everything Will says. For me, there were two disappointments, the greatest of which was the low turnout and for that there may be a number of reasons, none insurmountable. It comes down to people making the effort. If they had, they would have had a really good day out.

The other was the lack of a stand from which one could replenish modelling supplies. The demise of Eileen's was impossible to counter but it was still nice to see Derek at Crewe. I wanted some paint but paint there was none. However, two days later I was unexpectedly in Alton (Hampshire) so I managed to stock up at the model shop there.

[ChrisMitchell]

I will put my hand up and admit I decided it wasn’t worth the effort to travel down to Crewe from the NE, and I speak as someone who has regularly made the effort to travel Scaleform, even when I lived in Belgium.

One reason was that I was in the area a week or so earlier. However, although I might have liked to see Slattocks Junction, 3 of the other layouts I had seen last year in High Wycombe. I also thought the number of traders was rather limited, none of whom I would have been desperate to hand over my cash to.

Sorry to say it as I found it. Nevertheless I realise it was only the first year, so hopefully I will feel more excited about attending in 2024.

Chris

[Paul Cram]

I thought it was a very good show and worth the journey from Essex.

[jon price]

Despite living by the middle of Hadrian's Wall I was aiming to go to Crewe, but there were no trains on the day I would have gone. It sounds like an excellent show and definitely worth attending. I will certainely be interested if it runs next year.

[ginger_giant]

I would have gone to Crewe if I'd not been down in Torquay for a wedding. Looking forward to next year when I might be along with other Craggies that didn't make it due to the the rail strikes.

[Tony Wilkins]

The transport gods did seem to have it in for us, and you do have to feel sorry for those who fought there way over the M62/M6 on Friday. So my thanks go out to those who managed to get there. Its not clear that the M62 is ever be an easy journey these day, but those on t'other side who face this problem might want to think about the possibility of coming down the M1 to the A50/A500. As for the railway, well they did run on Sunday and hopefully this year will have seen Transpennine Express at its lowest ebb.

Hi Will.
The A 50 has its moments. I chose the Sunday to avoid the Cup final traffic only to find one lane of the dual carriageway around Uttoxeter was closed off Westbound for grass cutting, which added nearly an hour to my journey time and one of my fellow EMAG members gave up due to it. Once I got there I did enjoy the show.
It seems to be a fact of travel life these days. Last December I attempted to go to the Manchester Model railway show, but due to a football match, there were no parking spaces left at either of the Park and Ride Tram stops I tried, so gave up. I shan't bother trying again.
Regards
Tony.

[Chris Mitton]

Was there anything that really didn't work? Well yes, the treasurers latest generation of contactless payment terminals. Just as well we still had cash and that we knew where the neatest cash machines were. Hopefully by the time of he needs them...

They're not mine, Will, They're PayPal's! They were indeed frustrating - they were forced on us because PayPal terminated the existing PayPalHere point-of-sale terminal system and replaced them with a system called Zettle. To be fair, two of those worked flawlessly at High Wycombe, so we bought another two this summer to work all the services we needed (door, Stores, Membership and Bring&Buy) at our future events. All four of them worked perfectly on test, connected to t'interweb via my mobile phone. But when we tried to unlink the BlueTooth connection and connect to others' phones, they didn't want to know. Mercifully, Steve's machine kept working on his original connection, so we did manage 57 transactions over the weekend (thanks Steve!).
When I get back from Italy early in July, words will be said to PayPal. Apparently there is a known problem (would have been nice if they'd told us that and, better still, the solution). We'll crack it in time for Scaleforum - and they'll work at Scalefour Crewe '24

But well done to Richard, Will and their team for an excellent first attempt......

Regards
Treasurer(still, but only just)Chris