On the Friday morning, Geoff and Stephen loaded their cars and drove to Farnham. Photo records of previous shows helped, but some modifications were required, and new record photos taken! Note two of the boards stacked vertically in their travelling frame.
The first stop was our hotel to book-in and meet with Ted, our guest operator, and have a cuppa! The school venue was undergoing serious work on a new building and access/parking had been fluid in the run-up to the event, but on the day, it worked out very well. Good access to our space meant unloading was 'short and simple' so the layout set-up went smoothly. We were amazed how much space was in front of us, an excellent working and viewing environment.
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A new timber wall, part of the full-length 3" front extension, which did get used and was very handy on occasions. It also allowed stock to be displayed closer to the viewers. |
Geoff had cut the duvet into 4 pieces, for ease of putting it over layout. However, as we wrestled with how to install it without crushing the scenery, a passer-by suggested we hang it over the fascia/lighting frame, which worked perfectly. Why didn't we think of that?
As there was good access to the storage area (fiddle yard), this view was readily available. It shows the three holes into the fiddle yard. Left: the quarry line, Centre: the route to the rear yard of Edwards factory and Right: the mainline, connecting to the 'rest of the world'. The cassettes are aluminium angles on an MDF base and have plug-in end caps for safety. They can be stored in the fiddleyard or moved to a separate table. Empty trains can be set up ready to go, saving time. Many just get moved from one portal to another!
It was an excellently organised and run show. We had a great time and received more enquiries for other shows, which we will consider. There was a lot of attention from a video team who will let us know when it's available on YouTube. It was also the railway clubs 50th Exhibition and they have already created a celebratory video of the show: Farnham show 2025 video.
Finally, our thanks go to Ted, who without his help we might not have been able to attend. He definitely eased the strain of a 2-day show.
And, of course, we wish Chris a speedy recovery and look forward to him joining us for a running session and hopefully, a future show.
