GMES 2017

[Jo]

I'm holding one of his castings to ransom Mike 

Jo

[Stuart]

We don’t want any casting couches here thank you very much 

Had enough hearing about willystien in the USA 


Shame about the shows it not good to hear

Stuart

[Jasonb]

I'm holding one of his castings to ransom Mike 

Jo

Well I'm hoping that you the time you let me have the casting all your fondling will have worn the rust off of it

[Jo]

Don't fear I won't be fondling anything of yours  I have my own castings which don't have a protective coating  .

jo

[wirralcnc]

That is one nice looking engine/castings. Who do I have to see or bribe to get my hands on a set....

[Jo]

The same MEM member who supplies three types of Anzani engine castings and the go large Gnome castings 

Jo

[mikecole7]

  I have just started taking my engines to these shows and I really enjoy meeting people and talking about the engines and  now the shows are packing up, I hope it's not me. I agree with Vixen it's a disaster. I only hope the Bristol show continues.

[Jo]

For me the only reason to go to shows now a days is to see old friends and talk to people and try to spread the joy of making model engines 

Sadly, while I know the traders do not make much money (or make a loss) it is only by these type of shows going on that people even realise that it is possible to make swarf at home.


The only other option is to hold private events like the Southern Counties Traction Engine Group where we all get together 3 times a year, bring along what ever we have been making, enjoy a presentation and share some nice goodies to eat   

Running engines at Old Warden is fun but it is a bit far for me - But again there are not many of us  .

Jo

[steam guy willy]

In the old days the London MEX used to send a truck round the country to pick up models ......!!
Willy

[Jo]

I had a response back from the GMES Treasurer:

Hi Jo,
I was unaware that you were undergoing surgery, how are you now?

Are you still at *!* or have you managed to “escape”?

Contrary to what you have heard, GMES are not dropping the Rally, however we are "Re-Branding” it as the Gala and making changes to make it fit better with the needs & wants of our stakeholders.

Entry will now be free & we are cutting out some of the large fixed costs to make this sustainable.

We will still have traders & the exhibitions. Hopefully we will see you there on the 7th/8th July.

Kind Regards

CP

no sure what re-branding means I recall the large fixed costs were: The marquee, Toilets, Insurance for exhibits  , car parking, Other council legal requirements like Emergency medical cover.... It would be rather different with out the display tent 

And they are holding it on the same weekend as the F1 again 

Jo

P.S. Did I ever mention I am still hopeful to find someone to take me to Silverstone for the F1   

[Vixen]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Doesn't sound too hopeful does it.

Sounds like it will be a typical summer garden fete, gala, open day etc etc with the usual cake stalls, brick-a-brack and cho-cho rides for the kids.

No admission fee, no expenditure on a marquee etc equals no model engineering exhibition, just somewhere else for parents to take the kids.

Gloom and doom

Mike

[Alyn Foundry]

Hello Mike.

Well, to me it sounds like the traditional Stationary engine rallies that I exhibited at, year after year.

I can understand that the owners of brightly polished bare metal models would hate to get them wet but for me, seeing running exhibits is far more interesting than the, dare I say, sterile motionless shows we have here in the UK?

The N.A.M.E.S. exhibition I visited 17 years ago was amazing, virtually every model was running, a whole new dimension, the public stood and watched for ages.

As exhibitors we were obliged to have our own public liability insurance, I personally never heard of a claim in the North Western circuit in all the time I was rallying.

You never know, this change might actually be better, just have to wait and see.

Cheers Graham.

[Jo]

Hi Graham,

Commercial Hit and Miss type stationary engines are designed to sit outside in the rain. Engines like Mike's fine scale Bristols are not

We used to do IC engine running at the Guildford club: They (or was it the council  ) required this to be behind 6ft high steel mesh fences and for us to be a good few feet behind those fence while running - the club grounds are rented from the council so the local council makes the rules = they require the club to insure any running engines on its grounds. Private grounds may have different insurance requirements.

Jo

[Alyn Foundry]

Indeed Jo.

Probably the wrong venue for a pair of wet Bristol’s! 

The six foot mesh fence sounds a bit OTT though. At the 1000 Engine rally the public is separated by stakes and plastic mesh at about three feet high. I know that safety is paramount but I sometimes wonder if our “ Nanny state “ has got a little out of control?

Cheers Graham.

[Vixen]

Ha ha Graham,

I think you may be confusing the Guildford venue with a "Miss Wet Teashirt" contest. 

Mike