Ally Pally show

Out of interest and being nosy - what do you make and sell Billy?

Just been reminded that one of the advertisers on this site based less than ten miles from Ally Pally does not go to that show yet does go to Bristol.

As I've only been interested in model engineering for the last two years I've only been to the Harrogate and Midlands shows, which I've enjoyed. My wife and I treat them as a holiday. We stay two nights and as they are both near to attractive towns, my wife spends the day having some sort of spa treatments and doing a bit of retail therapy and I get to spend all day at the show. Costs a fortune but I think of it as a holiday with an exhibition nearby rather than an expensive day trip. I was a bit disappointed when the Manchester show (admittedly modelling rather than ME) was cancelled after only two years as there were quite a lot of youngsters with their dads and it reminded me of going to shows with my dad when I was a boy. I think there is a good chance that the 'Maker fairs' will replace them and the ME shows will die off, just like lots of us.

Gary

Over the past five years I've taken a 3 1/2" gauge Q1 to show on the Polly stand at Bristol, Ally Pally, Midlands and Sandown shows. I've also organised, set up and manned dozens of trade stands in another industry over the last 40 years or so. in the UK the pattern seems to be that once an exhibition is established the organisers will milk it for all it's worth, with high charges for space and minimal investment. Many industrial trade shows have disappeared in the UK for the reasons already mentioned in this thread.

However the factor that can't be replaced by an online shop is the sociable side of meeting many like minded people, and talking about the hobby. The royalties I receive from selling Q1 parts via Polly are certainly eaten into by the expense of two visits to each show, to deliver and collect the model. I take my model as a private entry so that I can at least get away before all the trade stands are dismantled, but last year in the snow at Ally Pally the buses to the car park stopped at 5.00 on the last day so I had to slither my way down the hill to the car park with the loco and tender on a sack truck! London bus drivers don't receive much snow training.

However I have met many interesting and useful people at these shows, even getting access to a set of SR drawings for the Q1 as a result of one discussion. A pity the loco was already completed by then!

Expensive food is obligatory along with the queues to buy it, but model engineers should be ashamed of themselves if they cannot avoid this cost with a little ingenuity. The Bristol show is conveniently located close to a well known supermarket built on the site of Thornbury Station, so a cheap sandwich, a bit of exercise and some railway archaeology can be combined.

I sincerely hope the present shows can find a way to survive, the organisers do need to get the traders(and clubs) participating in bigger numbers somehow.

Nick;

Well! That explains it! (smile) I flew trans-atlantic to Harrogate last May, 3 goals at the show; 1) meet Kirk Burwell, 2) get some 8mm silver steel for my Unimat CNC lathe, and 3) see a Q1 model in person, and, possibly meet you, too.

First two were met, but not the third. Polly stand had posters up for the Q1, but did not see any models, not even a chassis. The club stands were *packed* but did not find one there, either.

Oh well - had to go to the NRM twice and say hi to the larger Q1, to try and appease my sense of disappointment. And, go walking in the North York Moors for a week with wife and friends.

Such is life!

John A. Stewart.