Page 4 - July August 2014

President’s Car
Welcome to my penultimate President’s Car. It is with a heavy heart (and light kidneys) that I find myself sitting writing this while filling in time waiting for a flight to Sweden – I’m going to miss putting this together every two months.
It seems to have been a very busy couple of months that have passed, with much happening, but sadly little to do with modelling! There were a couple of excursions though. One by train to Princes Risborough MRC’s Railex at Aylesbury (the best way to get there, knowing what the parking is like), which in­ cluded a free shuttle from the station to the venue on a vintage bus. There was also an enjoyable visit to TVNAM (Trent Valley North American Modellers) show; it was very well organised and interesting, with many layouts and traders not normally seen. The organiser of that event along with Martyn Read also has a closed (no spectators) HO modular event coming up. I ask myself why we as a Region are not organising more like this. Within our membership we have the knowledge, the experience and the means. It just needs a few folk to find a good venue and invite some attractions (plus good advertising – of course). So I’m throwing down the gauntlet. Whether it is a result of collaboration between groups, or something organised by one or two members on behalf of a group, let’s see some more events and activity – please.
While on that note, but on a more positive one, I want to thank all the groups that have been organising open days. Although not quite the same as a ‘show’, they are invaluable in getting the word out there, finding new members and giving other groups an insight into how they can progress and maintain interest.
I’m pleased to report that the library is in its new temporary storage, and with the help of Paul Evans and Patrick Grace, is much reduced to those books that have been of real interest to most, plus a little of the unusual and obscure. Now instead of filling an area the size of a single garage, the library consists of 13 boxes (of various fill levels) sorted by road, topic or geo­ graphical area where there is little information on each road. We would still prefer to find someone willing to take on the library complete, and in its reduced form, as it is a much more attractive proposition. If you are interested and wish to discuss how you can help with this, please contact me, or any other BoD member. The bonus being that there is some quite attrac­ tive wooden shelving (in kit form) that comes with the job. The books we feel that are most unlikely to be requested, or are too obscure or specialised, are being offered to the membership under a silent bid system. You’ll find details of obtaining the list of available books, and how to send your bids, in this Roundhouse. Note the bid deadline carefully. I mentioned earlier that it seems to have been very busy, sorting out the library taking up two Saturdays, and this last weekend has been no exception. I would like to have gone to the Thamesiders’ Open day, but I have spent the weekend packing for my business trip to Sweden as well as getting things ready for my trip to the National Convention a week after I get back. This includes putting a tool kit together for a 7.30 am clinic on point building! Also a railway open day in celebration of a friend and fellow member’s birthday.
I am quite looking forward to my first National Convention, and my report on it will be in my last President’s Car. Hopefully I will see some of you out there.
It leaves me to say that I hope you have booked your place at our own convention in Bournemouth (it’s not too late) and to wish you happy trails through the holiday period.
NMRA (BR) Library Sales List
The books we feel are most unlikely to be requested, or are too obscure or specialised, are being offering to the membership under a silent bid system as before. This list will be published in the members' area of the region’s website (www.nmrabr.org. uk). If you require a paper copy of the list please send a stamped address envelope (C5) to:
Keith Webb
Hon Treasurer, Paul Evans, 64 Feering Hill, Feering, Colchester CO5 9NL, marking the envelope ‘NMRA Sales List’. Requests for the sales list should be made by 10 August 2014. Bids for any book should be sent, in a sealed envelope, by post to the Hon Presi­ dent: Keith Webb, 4 Fennels Road, Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1SL.
Alternatively, bids may be made by email to president @nmrabr.org.uk. The same deadlines apply.
Bids should arrive by Saturday 13 September. Any bids arriving later than this date will not be considered as part of the auction.
It is our intention that all sold books will be distributed and paid for at the Convention. Any books not collected at the convention will be posted after the end of the convention on receipt of payment. Posting and packing will be charged on top of the bid price.
Bournemouth Convention: Calling all prospective Contest entrants and Contest Judges
While we call it a Contest, for many participants the key outcome for them is the gaining of a Merit Award towards one of the AP certificates. So even if you aren’t of a competitive streak, please do consider entries to the contest: that Merit
Award is beckoning.
But if you do plan to enter models in the Contest, please ensure that you have your documentation properly completed before you come to the convention. If you need any assistance with the forms, or have any other questions, l will be pleased to answer. Just email me (contestchairman@nmrabr.co.uk) or call 01844 238682 for a chat.
The forms may look fairly daunting, but they are important. You’ve spent many hours making that model, you know it inside out. The judges will never have seen it before, certainly not in a judging situation. They’re pretty unlikely to be familiar with the prototype, either. The documentation is how you ex­ plain to them what they are looking at, why you think it’s a winner and why you think they should award it enough points for a merit award, too. You’ve spent maybe 100 hours on the model; so spend just one more hour to explain to them what you’ve done, how you did it and what you did it with. Show your prototype information, tell them of any special techniques you used. Don’t go overboard on this, because too much infor­ mation is as bad as too little; they won’t have time to read it. But for each of the five categories you need to describe, you should be able to write 100 words or so, and attach any drawings or other source information that will help them de­ cide that your model really is the best they’re looking at and worth that magic 87.5 points or more.
The Contest Room should be open to accept entries on Friday afternoon and early evening, and on Saturday morning before judging starts.
Contest Judges – l will contact you separately to ask who is available to help with the judging process at Bournemouth. Your generous help is much appreciated in this matter and hopefully the more judges we have, the quicker we will be able to complete our task. Do please start planning your convention activities and please keep the Contest Judging time on Saturday clear if possible.
Thanks, and see you in Bournemouth. Mick Moignard
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