Scaleforum.

[alan woodard]

Thanks for another great show to all involved.
Skint again, but shall start saving for next years S4um.

[RobM]

I'll second that............
Managed to get home £5 under my self inflicted allotted budget.
Just thankful that next year will not involve driving around the M25 or should I say parking on the M25............I left at 4pm and landed here at home at 10pm after the 2 incidents that were running.........
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
R

[Trevor Grout]

I'll second that............
Managed to get home £5 under my self inflicted allotted budget.
Just thankful that next year will not involve driving around the M25 or should I say parking on the M25............I left at 4pm and landed here at home at 10pm after the 2 incidents that were running.........
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
R

I shall spend it for you Rob, send it over........

regards
trevor

[RobM]

Trevor......can you do visa or paypal?.............can't remember how to write a cheque and that would mean also mean walking to the post office (3 miles) to buy a stamp..........
R.....

[Terry Bendall]

Thanks for another great show to all involved.

Thank you Alan. Scaleforum 2012 seems to have gone well and the numbers through the door look encouraging. More details of attendance will be given once the final figures have been calculated and checked. Yesterday morning most of the traders reported good sales for the previous day. Andrew Hartshorn of Wizard Models mentioned that at the end of Saturday he had broken his Scaleforum takings for any previous whole weekend. Mind you he may not have many Exactoscale components left...

Scaleforum does not happen without the support of a lot of people. If we mention names we are in danger of leaving someone out but I think particular mantion must be made of the stewards, most of whom are members of the Epsom and Ewell Club, and some are not even members of the Society. Some of these good folks have been doing the job for a long as Scaleforum has been at Leatherhead, and if you don't know how long that is, look on page 30 of Scalefour News 179. What is even better news is that some of the stewards are willing to continue to help us when we move to the Stoke Mandeville Stadium next year. It would never be fair to mention stewards without including Peter Swift who always does stiring work in recruiting the stewards, working out a rota for them and ensuring the the show runs smoothly. As many visitors will know, the M25 westbound was closed between Reigate and Leatherhead on Saturday morning and one of those who had to explore the rural byways of Surrey in serarch of an alternative route was me The result was that I did not get to Leatherhead until 8.25am. I knew that everything would be running smoothly in my absence because Peter would be there.

There are a number of other key helpers: Colin McCallum who did excellent work in dealing with the finances and reliving the traders of their hard earned cash and keeping an on-going record of ticket sakes. Dave Keeler who organised the exhibitor reception and ticket sales was another key person who unfortunately had to miss yesterday because of family problems. The annual rummage sale, otherwise known as the Bring and Buy was organised by John Armstrong with a team of excellent helpers including Roger Sanders, Doug Thomas and Phil Reid. Looking after the electrics and PA was chief sparks Mark Tatlow who ensured that all the train sets had the power to perform. David Dornom did stirling work on managing the display case and competitions and Philip Hall and David Brandreth worked wonders with their magic picture taking machines. Many exhibitors will have cause to be grateful to Angie Sanders who looked after the exhibitors' tea supplies and ensured that this essential exhibition lubricant never ran dry.

All the layout owners, demonstrators and help desk operators reported a great deal of interest in what they had on display and more than one had talked themselve into a sore throat by the end of the wekend. Members of the Committee and Society Officers were of course much in evidence on the Society stand and elsewhere. It was sad that Chairman John could not be there due to a long awaited operations being of course scheduled for this weekend but we took great pleasure in seeing President Iain Rice and past chairman Jim Summers at the show and fillng in for John.

One of the things that the visitors never see is the clearning up operation at the end of the day and if you had observed it you would have seen all the people mentioned above plus some others not yet mentioned at the end of a very busy weekend packing things up and taking them downstairs to load into the large Transit type van that is necessary to hold everything for transport back to Leighton Buzzard. In an hour or so, all this material will be taken back to our storage facility, apart from that which lives in the shed at the bottom of my garden. These good folks included Chris Challis, he of Railwells, who has given great help at Scaleforum in the last few years with ticket selling, and who has shared his vast experience of exhibition organising with me, one of our local members, Jeff Phillips who helped with setting up, ticket selling and clearing away at the end of the day and Keith Norgrove who in adition to stepping into the breach to help with demonstrating, also helped with setting up and clearing away.

Next year Scaleforum will be held on September 28th and 29th 2013 at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Plans are well advanced for the show with more layouts, more traders, and more demonstrators. We have plans for a few new things which we hope will be interesting and exciting and there will be no problerms in filling the extra space that we will enjoy so book the date in your diary now.

Thanks to all those who came this year, and apologies for any key people missed from the list above.

Terry Bendall

[Bulwell Hall]

Good Morning

I should just like to add my thanks and appreciation to all concerned for the very enjoyable final Scalefourum at Leatherhead this weekend. As always there was much to see and many people to chat to and the event remains - as it has for very many years now - one of the highlights of my modelling year. I was especially pleased to be able to use the availiability of advance tickets as it enabled me to unload my wares at the Bring and Buy stall before the melee started! The purchase of the advance ticket was simplicity itself and I was a little concerned to read the comments made elsewhere about this service which is provided by and for members on an entirely voluntary basis.

Indeed walking around the show and especially noting the absence of Exactoscale made me realise yet again how vulnerable we were all are to outside influences be they financial or health related. We are all reliant on the efforts of a small number of people to bring us the supplies and organize the events that are essential to the enjoyment of our hobby. Many of the suppliers do what they do for little financial return whilst the society officers and members who make such an event work so well are entirely voluntary - a fact that we would do well to remember! The chaps running the Bring and Buy did a stirling job and I sold nearly everything that I brought along and was therefore able to indulge myself in some expensive etched brass from David Geen! Incidently was it my imagination or was there more availiable on the Bring and Buy this year - a sign of the general economic situation perhaps - and it seemed to be selling well?

Whilst this weekend at Leatherhead was the end of an era I look forward to next years event at Stoke Mandeville. On my return journey on Saturday I had an extended tour of the Surrey stockbroker belt as I made my way across to the M3 - so I am pleased that next years event in Buckinghamshire means that I do not have to go near the M25!

Gerry

[Paul Townsend]

May I contribute my twopennorth to the thank-yous?
I had booked my Saturday hotel in the Spring intending to do justice as a punter to the last S4um at L'Hd. I have only missed one since the City University venue!

In the event I found I was asked to be an exhibitor for the Broad Gauge Society so booked Fri night and brought Sylvia too as rail travel was out.
Journey from hell Friday afternoon, should be 2.5 hours, took 4.5!
Journey home Sunday eve no probs.

Only 10 days ago I was a BG Society exhibition virgin, then 2 in successive weekends!

I had tried various ideas and now know better what works and what is a waste of effort so next time will be easier and more efficient for me and helpers and should be slicker for punters too....apologies if we were too slow for you.

Arriving late and raddled was an excellent experience...stewards kind and helpful to a tee, and instantly provided tea for the weary too!
Organisation was slick and fault-free even for 2nd time only near virgin!

BGS did well all weekend and due to more sales than expected I was inadequately prepared and despite lots of help had to work pretty hard...good for BGS where we had lots of interest. Surprising that BGS has not been to L'Hd before!

Good news for BGS was less good for me personally, no time for my own shopping or delegated chum's shopping 8-{
However, B&Buy flogged most of my stuff so I went home with more cash than I arrived with!!!

I hardly saw models, looked like a good overall standard but nowt outstanding this year at a very quick run-round.

Grub and drinks for me was pretty good.
Security at chucking out time was thorough and courteous...very welcome for the less experienced.

Thanks to Terry and Co. I enjoyed myself!
Roll on Aylesbury...much more accessible from Bristol IMHO, but then I haven't done that journey on a Friday pm before.

[DaveHarris]

Would just like to add my tuppence worth as a new member. An excellent show and my thanks to both traders and exhibitors/demonstrators for their helpful attitude to a new comer. Also thanks to the organisers/helpers for all the work they have done to put on an excellent show.