A Personal View from a first time exhibitor at Skegex - Steve Briancourt.
This year Skegex was held mid-week but our club still managed a very good attendance. At least seven of our members plus our webmistress made the journey to Skegness, in spite of the appalling weather. Setting up on the Tuesday was uneventful. I can't speak for the others but the USS Missouri complained loudly and bitterly all the way. However, after assembly it surprised me by functioning despite finding at least one nut on the floor.
On the Tuesday evening most of us went to a buffet provided by the hosting club, NMMG, who also invited exhibitors to a dinner on the Wednesday evening. The atmosphere over the three days was very congenial, with people willing to help others when problems arose. Many dealers were there, some with bargains to be had if you were willing to join the mayhem. We had two very enjoyable meals in The Tarantino Italian Restaurant on the Wednesday and Thursday evenings with various club members.
Thank you to all our club members for making Dianne feel so welcome on the boys' days out. Thanks also to the organisers who put in the unseen effort to make this event what it is. We hope to be back next year.
Below is a short summary of our exhibits and a taster of pictures. Many more photos can be seen on the NZ Meccano website, including all those from other clubs.
Firstly, some overviews of the hall as seen from the stage.
Chris Bates's tram was operational, including lights on each end of the tram which went on and off appropriately for the direction of travel.
Richard Smith brought a 1950's tractor and a Pontoon Crane. Click on the photos of the descriptions to enlarge them for more information.
Neil Bedford displayed two models: firstly his 1930's Morgan Three Wheeler on a nice mount; secondly his newly completed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a video of which can be seen on YouTube.
Philip Drew's A Question of Time demonstrated the power of geometric progression. Nearby, Pete Evans showed his Burrel Steam Crane Tractor.
As this was the first time I had exhibited at Skegex (and only the second time I'd ever been to it) I was unsure about what to do, who to see, etc., but everyone was very helpful. Thank you to all other members of the SWMC for their encouragement and support before and during the exhibition. Having finally finished my model of the USS Missouri I was apprehensive about its reception. A late change in the table allocation (thanks for noticing this Richard) resulted in the USS Missouri being centre stage. As with most Meccano models, some ongoing maintenance was required during the first full day but overall it carried on like a trouper. I am very chuffed to have won the Issigonis Shield after a nail biting placement countdown.
You can see a video of the presentation on YouTube courtesy of The London Meccano Club.
Below are some photos of models built by members of other clubs, including the other prize winners.
2nd Prize winner John Hornsby with his Gottwald Crane, an immense self erecting crane.
3rd Prize winner Richard Payn with a beautifully engineered mobile crane.
4th Prize winner Andy Knox with 'Lawnmower Man'.
5th Prize winner Brian Chaffer with his Hispano Suiza 12-cylinder Aeroplane Engine.
David Couch from New Zealand brought his 'Meccano Artist'. This is controlled by an Arduino which he has programmed to draw 56 different drawings.
