As our last meeting was only two weeks ago this Smokebox will be quite brief (thank goodness I hear you say).
First let me wish you all the very best for the New Year, this will be our first meeting back to our regular 1st Sunday in the month.
In spite of the poor weather we had a good turnout for our Christmas meeting, we were expecting 30 and we got 15. Thanks to those who did manage to get there, also thanks to those who took the trouble to let me know you would not be able to make it due to illness or the weather, I do think that Brian managing to get himself marooned in Luxembourg was going a bit too far. I was disappointed by the number of members who had said they would come, and then did not bother to let me know they could not make it.
There was a plentiful supply of sandwiches and savoury nibbles, thanks to those members who brought along extra goodies. As we had catered for the 30 people who said they would be there we all took home a very tasty goody bag.
My thanks to Sue Friendship for organising the raffle.
Forthcoming Exhibitions and Shows
We will be taking Ridgmont to the following shows in 2010
Large Scale Model Rail on the 20/21 March
Stoneleigh on the 10 April
I will be collecting names of runners and volunteers to help with the loading/unloading and build of Ridgmont for both shows at our January meeting, please enter your indicate which shows you like to help will the loading/unloading and running.
As you may know we are being limited by the Association to 10 named operators for running at the AGM, inevitably we will have more names than spaces. We will try to find an amicable way of allocating the space to those members who want to help with the loading/unloading as well as running. Anyone over and above the 10 allocated names will still be able to run; they will just have to pay to get in.
Other Shows of Interest
The London Model Engineering Exhibition at Ally Pally, Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th January.
Chris Pretty
Oh no – here he goes again!
Just when I´d convinced myself that you good folk did not need me boring you with yet another annual out-pouring, our erstwhile editor (aka Chris) started twisting my arm to have another go, (I don´t know why, but he seems to think that some (one?) of you actually enjoy reading my yearly literary disaster-piece) . So, with apologies to anyone who feels they are obliged to read on until the end, here I go again!
2009 began quietly enough until someone dropped a bombshell and we were effectively evicted from the LB Scout hall – I have to say that, in my days, the Scout Law expected members to show more consideration than we were. So, there we were, homelessness was imminent and an urgent search for a new location started. However, through the efforts of a number of our members, the search for a new home was relatively quick and, as you all know, we soon installed ourselves in the hall at Eaton Bray. Albeit that we have had to alter some dates and also the times of our meetings for 2009. In many ways the new hall is far superior, and also we now have a hire contract so cannot be invited to leave at a moment´s notice – unless of course, one of our coal firing fraternity burns the place down! One downside that we did not have time to resolve is that the configuration of the hall makes it more difficult to gather the same number of layouts and vendors for SIB as we would normally, thus the absence of SIB2009. However we do hope to resume "normal service" in December 2010.
During this last year we have been out and about making an exhibition of ourselves a good deal more than usual, presenting Ridgmont at no less than five venues around the country:
Large Scale Show
G-Scale AGM
Soar Valley MRC 25th year exhibition
Wickham
Kew
In addition to this, through the efforts of Graham & Carol and Andrew (thank you all), Prayle Grove and St Gennys have brought 16mm to the public´s attention at a significant number of other model railway events. So, all-in-all, it has been a rather hectic year on the exhibition front.
For a change I myself managed to attend a number of the aforementioned excursions with Ridgmont, but I´m sorry to say failed miserably to get to our own Christmas Bash on the 20th December. In my defence, I plead mitigating circumstances whereby Eurotunnel´s inability to flush several obstructions (aka Eurostars) out of one of its tubes left me stranded in parts foreign! All of which leads me to the usual, but sincere, thanks which go to those members who have supported the club´s attendance at the various exhibitions, and indeed to those who threw their weight behind the search for a new home – THANK YOU all!
I know that there are others who contribute to the running of the Group but it must be said that without the efforts of our esteemed Secretary, not only would Ridgmont not have been present at so many exhibitions, but I honestly doubt if we would still be in existence as a club. Not only does Chris officiate as club secretary, but he also takes on the roles of exhibition manager, premises manager, catering manager, Smokebox editor etc., etc., and as such almost singlehandedly keeps BAG16mm going – for which I think we all owe him our grateful thanks.
Which leads me on to a bit of a plea for the coming year. As I mentioned above a good deal of work falls on the shoulders of Chris, and I know from my own experience that it is not always so easy to find the time or opportunity to assist in the work needed to keep things going. But, I also recognise that our numbers are slowly dwindling, meaning that the burden, both in terms of effort and financial, of keeping the group in existence is something of which we all have to take an interest. As you know we have had to increase the subs. to deal with the financial question but can I ask that all members try to do two things for the club in the coming year? Firstly, try to find a way of making a (non-financial) investment in your club to try and spread the load (even penning the odd article for Smokebox would help!) Secondly, do anything you are able to increase the number of members – I do not encourage kidnapping but try anything within the law! I feel we are fast approaching, from the wrong direction, the "critical mass" of membership which is necessary to keep BAG 16mm viable – please do not let one of the longest established 16mm groups die of apathy.
Anyway enough of my whingeing. Regardless of the chivvying, I would like to wish you all a happy new year, and let us hope that we can look forward to a year where the Beds Group starts to grow and develop once more.
Oh – and we should not forget to have a bit of steaming fun while we are about it!!