The Chris Kedgley Memorial Skills Day - 8 March 2014

[Paul Willis]

[Edit: this is happening again in March 2015: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=4090]

You will recall that a few months ago the hobby lost a true gentleman in Chris Kedgley http://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2682

Not only was Chris a long-standing member of the Scalefour Society, but he was also Chairman of the EM Gauge Society, and did much to foster good relations between the two societies.

The EMGS has made the announcement on their website of a day of modelling, as a very fitting tribute to Chris. A specific, and much appreciated, invitation is specifically extended to Scalefour Society members. It looks like an excellent day, and I hope that many of you will be able to attend to support it.

The information given by the EMGS is:

"The Chris Kedgley Memorial Skills Day

Saturday March 8th 2014
Admiral Lord Nelson School (former venue for expoEM South)
Dundas Lane, Portsmouth, PO3 5XT

11am to 4.30pm

Cost EMGS Members FREE (Don’t forget your membership card)
Scalefour Members £3
Non-Members £5
Partners Free.

The venue offers excellent catering facilities and some on-site parking.

The family of Chris Kedgley, the former Chairman of the EM gauge society who recently passed away, have "Gifted" his models and un-built kits to the EMGS. Chris was a highly skilled modeller who as well as building also painted and lined his models.

With the proceeds of sale from these models the committee have decide to hold a "Skills Day" in his memory. This will be similar to the one held at the final expoEM South in November 2010 an event that Chris was actively involved in.

Although Chris was the backbone of the EMGS committee he was also a member and supporter of the Scalefour Society and as such their members are invited at a reduced admission.

The event will comprise of a large number of Demonstrators (Circa 20) covering a wide range of modelling skills. Visitors will be encouraged (where practicable) to "have a go".

Demonstrations already confirmed include:-

• Soldering for absolute beginners (Roger Sawyer)

• Resistance Soldering (Barrie Fitch)

• Etched Coach Kit Construction (David Bridges)

• Simple Layout Wiring/ The "Bouncer" signal operation (Tony Witts)

• Laser Cutting Technology (Johnathan Buckie)

• Architectural Model Construction (David Hawkins)

• Track and Turnout construction (Chris Budd)

• TEMPLOT (David Smith)

• Split Chassis Loco Construction (Richard Dagger)

• Wagon Springing Systems (Tony Barnes)

• Ready to run conversions (Ray Hodson)

• You can build almost anything with Plasticard (Peter Bailey)

Want to get your hands really dirty? Tony Hill, master landscape modeller, will be showing you how to achieve those scenic effects as published in his books. (Don’t forget to bring you own apron!!)

If you have a loco that you can’t get to run, then bring it along to Tim Venton’s Loco Clinic. It will be situated next to the Test Track. Tim can’t promise to fix it for you but he may have some ideas and pointers for the way forward.

There will be at least two layouts "In build" - Andrew Ullyot’s "Clevedon WCPR" which features baseboards made out of "Trylon" model foam, an extruded Polystyrene, and Karl Crowther’s new shunting layout "Hebble Vale Goods" featuring stunning laser cut buildings and DCC operation. Visitors will be able to look underneath (no drapes) and behind and discuss with the builders their designs and innovations.

If space permits it is hoped to have a couple of completed layouts one of which will be Richard Butlers superb "Westcliff".

Plus the EMGS test track and Trade Sales Stand

This event is organised on behalf of the EMGS and with the support of the Board by Tony Sullivan (EMGS Publicity Officer and former Exhibition Manager for expoEM South) with the considerable help of members of The South Hants MRC.

Contact Tony on 07806 093340 or mnw1919@gmail.com"

Cheers
Paul Willis
Deputy Chairman

[Will L]

Now that is a good idea. Pity I'm not closer to Portsmouth.

Will

[Ian Everett]

That looks like a superb event and I wish, like Will, I lived nearer.

However (and this is a long shot) on the very same day I am running a "Tea and trains" afternoon in Askrigg village hall which anyone would be welcome to attend in the unlikely event they are in Wensleydale. This is not really an exhibition: it's really a try-out in exhibition conditions of Clecklewyke prior to Scalefour North, as I cannot erect it in its complete form in my house. It will be on a series of tables, which I could not fit in the railway room, so I need to test out its new support system. This is made difficult because the baseboards are mounted on two different levels (with a bit of error built-in) so I need supports of different sizes. Simple, you say, but I do not want to discover I've made a mistake on April 12th. (I still have painful memories of last year's S4N...)

So, to pay for the hire of the hall, and to make a bit of profit which will go towards a local charity, I'm inviting anyone to have an afternoon tea with the added bonus of a finescale railway to see. Coffee mornings and the like are very popular with people round here, so it should be fun.

Ian

[Trevor Grout]

You will recall that a few months ago the hobby lost a true gentleman in Chris Kedgley http://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2682

Not only was Chris a long-standing member of the Scalefour Society, but he was also Chairman of the EM Gauge Society, and did much to foster good relations between the two societies.

The EMGS has made the announcement on their website of a day of modelling, as a very fitting tribute to Chris. A specific, and much appreciated, invitation is specifically extended to Scalefour Society members. It looks like an excellent day, and I hope that many of you will be able to attend to support it.

Snipped


Cheers
Paul Willis
Deputy Chairman

Perhaps the Society should be looking to host such an event, after all it would help people to "make the leap" so to speak.

What you you think?

[Paul Townsend]

It looks like an excellent day, and I hope that many of you will be able to attend to support it.

Snipped


Cheers
Paul Willis
Deputy Chairman

Perhaps the Society should be looking to host such an event, after all it would help people to "make the leap" so to speak.

What you you think?

I plan to go to it and reckon it will be a good day out.

Surely S4Socy has occasionally supported its AGs in mounting similar but probably smaller events.

As a one off for a specific reason this is a big one but locals of half or 1/3 its size are still worthwhile I suggest.

[Philip Hall]

My only regret is that we will be travelling at that time and so I will not be able to take part in this fitting tribute to my old friend. He was always one of that band of modellers who enjoyed making things, rather than collecting them, so he would be pleased that we are encouraging the acquisition of the manual skills that are so important to our hobby.

I shall look forward to seeing some photographs later on just to rub in what I've missed...

Philip

[Steve Carter]

This event will be a fitting tribute to Chris and I hope it will be well supported and successful as this is a fantastic opportunity to further finescale modelling in a friendly and practical way. I took part in the last expoEM South event that was very much a 'hands-on' workshop and very enjoyable where you were encouraged to 'have a go'
You learn more by 'doing' than 'reading' or 'watching'.
Perhaps this idea is something to consider to further enhance the Scaleforum experience?
The demonstrations always seem popular and I think many people are keen to 'have a go' given the various comments on the forum after last years Scaleforum.
Just my thoughts.
Steve

[Paul Willis]

...

The EMGS has made the announcement on their website of a day of modelling, as a very fitting tribute to Chris. A specific, and much appreciated, invitation is specifically extended to Scalefour Society members. It looks like an excellent day, and I hope that many of you will be able to attend to support it.
...

Perhaps the Society should be looking to host such an event, after all it would help people to "make the leap" so to speak.

What you you think?

Hi Trevor,

You mean like this one?

Workbench Ad1 Colour BRM (Medium).jpg

Advertised in both BRM and MRJ. Or the repeat of it in Manchester in the following year. Or on a more specialist note, the Lathe Workshop that was put on for those that wanted to learn machining skills.

There is also the prospect of a further workshop in the South West area in the near future, working with a Society Area Group, if this comes together as planned.

The Society is very happy to put on these sorts of events. However it does need local support, as the Committee cannot make these things happen alone. So please bring forth the initiatives, and we can see what is needed to make them happen.

Cheers
Paul Willis
Deputy Chairman

[Trevor Grout]

Just the ticket, but I think it could be more widely advertised with what, who, when just like emgs has done..

[Jo Palmer]

What a wonderful memorial for a truly lovely gentleman and a fantastic opportunity for people to get to learn new skills. Having had the honour of a day's master class with Tony Hill working on my layout I can say it is an opportunity not to be missed if you have the chance to attend (if you need to grab his attention at any point he can be bribed with Jaffa cakes!)

[Andrew Ullyott]

Very much looking forward to this. Chris was a true gentleman.

[Terry Bendall]

Perhaps the Society should be looking to host such an event,

The Society is very happy to put on these sorts of events. However it does need local support

As Paul says, these events can happen. So far we have held two general modelling in P4 events, in London and Manchester which serveral committee members have helped to tutor, and two lathe workshops in Leighton Buzzard and Dechmont, a little way west of Edinburgh which I tutored. All we need is some local help to find a suitable venue and perhaps help with the tutoring as well, depending on the content.

There are of course several area groups that do similar things. As with other aspects of the work of the Society it is down to the members to make the requests.

Terry Bendall

[Ian Everett]

on the very same day I am running a "Tea and trains" afternoon in Askrigg village hall

The above is now incorrect, as I have discovered it would clash with another village event. I will post in another place the details of my try-out of Clecklewyke.

In the meantime (and back on topic!) I hope all goes well with the EMGS skills day. I did not know Chris well but whenever I met him I was very impressed by his simple humanity and generosity of spirit - he knew what was important and gave a lot to make such things happen. A day devoted to improving skills is a fit memorial.

Ian

[Tim V]

The venue is about a five minute walk from Hilsea Station, so very good access by public transport.

Good lunches as well!

[DaveHarris]

Thanks for the public transport tip Tim. I think this event will be an excellent tribute to a first class modeller and true gentleman

[Tim V]

A reminder that the Skills Day is next weekend, I will be there on the Loco Clinic stand (as I was at Scaleforum) next to the Test Track.

Come along and if you have a dodgy loco that you can't seem to get right, bring it along, I may have some clues.