Roadshow Reports

Posted on behalf of Charles Leekham, OOLS Roadshow Manager

Foremost among the many endearing aspects of The Great Model Railway Show surely lies the unrivalled choice of Venue. On the 30th and 31st October ‘Petrol heads’ combined with the Model Rail community to enjoy a dynamic weekend to share their wonderfully varied interests under one roof.

Gaydon Motor Museum fits snugly into the Warwickshire countryside providing a permanent home to over 300 preserved cars belonging to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, forming the world’s largest collection of Historic British Cars on view to the public.

Opened in 1993 the original building is a superb example of contemporary “Art Deco " styling owing much in appearance to 1930 "Odeon" architecture, also a recognisable feature throughout the familiar station buildings within the London Underground Network. Designers, Birmingham based Weedon Architects, combined a masterful exterior with the multi-functional spatial requirements consistent within the floor/deck plans of a Cunard Liner. Not surprisingly. It works wonderfully well for a top notch but somewhat complex exhibition such as the G.B.M.R.S. providing that seamless transition between inter connected and diverse spaces to maximise the public enjoyment of the many and varied layouts on display, combined with an additional wow factor of "surprise" at almost every turn.

At our previous appearance in 2019 the OOLSC was located in a cosy corner of the predominant gallery 2. However, the ever growing popularity of our club layout among the visiting public eagerly engaging with the magic of OO Live Steam running, combined with the allure of hands on opportunities to ‘have a go’ unfortunately resulted in an overflow of the visiting public blocking the general access routes to and from the gallery. Thus for this year, it was deemed more appropriate to allocate the Club Layout to the generously proportioned "back offices". As it turned out this was exceptionally convenient for loading and unloading whilst very convenient for transiting around the main exhibition areas.

The 2021 floor plan indicates a total of 67 exhibitors and traders offering a selection of superbly imaginative layouts and traders stalls positively brimming with a huge variety of much sort after collector's items with price tags to tempt a wide range of pockets. Certainly the stands circumventing gallery one and 2 seemed to be enjoying a brisk trade throughout the weekend. With seemingly endless queues and a prominence of happy families savouring mounds of scrummy sausage and bacon sarnies et al, seated around admiring their purchases in the welcoming atmosphere of the on-board cafeteria.

There were lots of lovely exhibition layouts on view representing some amazing views into the minuscule of model railway engineering and detail. This event also stood out for the wonderful and somewhat inexpensive layouts being used to demonstrate the absolute joys of O Gauge past and present, throughout the main Conference Hall and most especially to the remarkably economic and joyous set up run by an old B-L chum I hadn't seen for over two years, running some truly choice ACE products in Lecture room 2. Thank you Len, totally brill.

A really big "Thanks" must go out to all our OOLSC team running the layout for this wonderful Event including Chris Oakes, Nick Beard, George James, Adrian Campbell, Charles Leekam with an especial thank you due to our fellow club members David Woods, John Newton (and family) and Nigel Hoskison.

Together with endearing memories of some dodgy navigation (both Nigel and myself), superb cask ale, rather good food and wonderful company at the nearby Antelope Inn.

Charles Leekam

OOLSC 2021