Christmas 2015 Newsletter
Christmas 2015 Newsletter
Issue 157
This was one of our informal quarterly meetings where our members showed off their latest Meccano creations.
At around 2:00pm we had a short committee meeting, followed by the Model Tour in which members were invited to give a short talk about their models — in particular their entries for the Secretary’s Challenge!
Report written by Chris Warrell
The main thought in our minds on the Saturday morning of our Meccano show was: would we be able to get into the hall? Would the dance class have camped out overnight to ensure that they were first in? Would we have to resort to pelting them with Obtuse Angle Brackets to gain entry?
We needn’t have worried though. Once we got in it didn’t take long to set up the tables. We borrowed five tables from Saint Luke’s Church since I’d packed as many members into the halls as I could. And this was in addition to Ralph bringing three of his own for the Meccano stand.
Models in Sherard Hall
This year we had the Model Village taking up three tables in this main hall and another three for the Make It With Meccano taking up half the space in the Dobell room.
The latter proved to be incredibly popular all day with two tables dedicated to it and another one for the new Meccano Creative Challenge. Tim Surtell was in charge of both areas and was handing out certificates to all the children who completed a model.
Some of the Challengers working on their models
Those participants trying the Make It With Meccano session had to construct one of half a dozen models. With the Challenge, the idea was to build anything from a limited number of parts. Over fifty children tried their hand at this and each model was photographed. Later in the day Adrian and I judged the entries to find a winner. The winner, Nick Beck, built an insect of some sort and he won a Meccano set.
Challenge winner Nick Beck with his model
Nick’s winning model
You can see all the Meccano Creative Challenge photos in our Facebook album.
Watch our Meccano Creative Challenge video
Once again we had a record number of people attending during the day. The exact figure isn’t known but there were some 350 adults and over 250 children, so over 600 in total.
The Model Village looked very impressive — the various buildings, most of which we’d seen at previous meetings, were arranged around Chris Fry’s cricket green. Additional features were a new church by Adrian Ashford taking the corner position and some new signs from Alan Wenbourne.
The model village
Another view of the model village
Thanks to the two Cathy’s (Warrell and Claydon) who were in charge of the catering again. Once again there was a continuous stream of visitors and exhibitors who wanted feeding. Luckily there was enough food. They were to have had help from a friend of ours, but she had to go to work once she’d dropped Cathy off, so she sent her husband Martin to help instead!
Ralph Laughton manning the Meccano stand
Models on Display
Sherard Hall
Peter Clay — L-form Meccanograph; Van with telesteering; Push-and-go tractor and trailer; 4-wheel steering vehicle.
Frank Paine — Toyshop display model of Tower Bridge; Twin-cylinder motor cycle engine based on 1950s № 10 leaflet; Car chassis based on 1930s Super Model design; Mechanics Made Easy outfit № 4 (almost complete), dating from 1904, in display case.
David Tracey (visitor from Runnymede Meccano Guild) — Ferry boat from 1967 set № 8; Aircraft carrier from 1966 set № 6; Tug boat from 1967 set № 7; Cabin cruiser from 1957 set № 4.
Ivor Perrett (visitor from Runnymede Meccano Guild) — Three-strand plaiting machine based on December 1955 Meccano Magazine model which uses Bush Wheels with Set Screws to form gear wheels to give intermittent motion for the three shuttles.
Ralph and Sue Laughton — Spin Master Meccano display of products including the new Meccanoid G15 KS and G15 robots/
Alan Wenbourne — Pegasus Bridge; M4 tractor.
Thomas Greatrex — Meccanograph; radio controlled models.
Guy Loveridge — Volk’s Railway.
Santiago Plicio — The Tyrant fairground ride.
Dave and Marylyn Taylor — Meccano spares and sets.
Greg Clarke — Jack-up ship (off-shore wind farm assembly vehicle).
Ivor Ellard — Tower crane; Road grader.
John Cowdery — Aircraft; Helicopter; Rowers; Sprinters; Hawk aircraft; Robots; Weight lifter; Car.
George Foard — Magic motor barrow boy; Pneumatic driller; 1911 Rolls Royce; Aerial uni-cyclist; 1893 Benz cyclecar; Sewing machine; Two aeroplane engines.
Adrian Ashford — Diesel roller; Low floor bus; Tractor; Windmill pump; Tug boat; Owl; Lysander aeroplane.
Chris Fry — Bell ringing ball roller; 3-bobbin rope making machine; Triumph TR3A sports car; Modified 10 model dump truck; MIG 21
Model Village
Adrian Ashford — Church.
Chris Fry — Railway, footbridge; cricket pitch and pavilion.
Brian Elvidge — House.
Brian Leach — House.
Chris Warrell — House.
John Gay — Pub.
Cathy Claydon — Post Office.
Richard Marsden — House and garage.
Les Chatfield — Signal box.
Frank Paine — Windmill.
Ralph Kinmonth — Garage; Tardis.
Peter Clay — Street light.
Alan Wenbourne — Road names.
There was also a car and a bus.
Penford Room
John Gay — Hornby Dublo 3-rail OO gauge model railway from the 1950s.
Cathy Claydon — Thornycroft Antar and trailer, all in Army green, based on Dinky Toys № 660 and Special Model leaflet № 30 respectively; Tank in Army green based on 1950s set № 8 model for bottom half and 1950s Dinky Toys № 651 Centurion Tank for turret.
Richard Marsden — Double decker bus; Tank and tank transporter; Fire engine; Monorail.
Nigel Lynn — Ferris wheel with revolving cars; Juvenile two-abreast gallopers.
Richard Lynn (his son) — Cakewalk fairground ride.
Chris Warrell — Pontoon crane; Mobile crane; Bike; Daleks, Railway crane.
Dobell Room
Richard Watson (visitor from North West Meccano Guild) — Plastic Meccanograph; ‘Hands-on’ models; John the Navvy; Dalek; Conrad (little suck-a-thumb model by Bernard Périer); Railway tricycle; Crane from Bury goods shed.
Eric Smith — Crazy Inventors walking steamboat.
Brian Elvidge — Fire truck; Excavator; Mobile crane; Konkoly factory steam engine.
Graham Nixon — Tuning radio-controlled car.
Tim Surtell — The Lightening Leap; Spanish Knight; Meccanoide; Make It With Meccano and Meccano Creative Challenge area.