Winter 2024 Newsletter

Winter 2024 Newsletter cover

Winter 2024 Newsletter
Issue 189

September 2023 Meeting

This was one of our informal quarterly meetings where our members showed off their latest Meccano creations.

At around 2:30pm 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!

At around 3:30pm Brian Leach gave a talk on electric cars.

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Meccano Show 2023

London’s most popular Meccano event returned to Falconwood for its 44th year on 7th October. Featuring working models of cars, cranes, trains, fairground rides and more, the show offered a great day of family fun with free admission for accompanied children.

Visitor numbers were lower than last year at 126 adults and 89 children — the dip may have been due to the heat wave forecast for that weekend.

In the main hall, SELMEC members and guests displayed their Meccano creations. In particular we welcomed first-time exhibitor Cindy Ashford and her charming Teddies’ Playground diorama.

Cindy Ashford’s Teddies’ Playground diorama
Cindy Ashford’s Teddies’ Playground diorama
A view of the main hall
A view of the main hall

Visitors could build models from instructions in the Make It With Meccano Workshop, and could also enter their own models in the Creative Challenge contest to win prizes. This year’s winners were:

  • 4–7 category: Ryan Li, 6, who built a motorcycle.
  • 8–13 category: Tymon Zarczynski, 10, who built a forklift truck and also chose a forklift set as his prize.
  • 14+ category: Richard Biscoe, 39, a repeat winner who built a helicopter.
Ryan Li
Ryan Li
Tymon Zarczynski
Tymon Zarczynski
Richard Biscoe
Richard Biscoe
Ryan’s model
Ryan’s model
Tymon’s model
Tymon’s model
Richard’s model
Richard’s model

The nursery and conservatory hosted several non-Meccano guest exhibitors:

Tony Rutherford of the Beckenham and West Wickham Model Railway Club displayed his OO gauge Cedar Court Wagon Yard layout.

Tony Rutherford’s Cedar Court Wagon Yard layout
Tony Rutherford’s Cedar Court Wagon Yard layout

Tony Jackson of the Bexhill Model Railway Club brought his Hornby Dublo tabletop layout.

Tony Jackson’s Hornby Dublo model railway layout
Tony Jackson’s Hornby Dublo model railway layout

Peter Wood of the Croydon Model Railway Society exhibited his Hornby tinplate tabletop layout.

Peter Wood’s Hornby tinplate tabletop layout
Peter Wood’s Hornby tinplate tabletop layout

John Hewes of the Electronics Club ran a Circuits Workshop where attendees could build working electronic circuits like traffic lights using real components and microchips.

Building circuits in the Electronics Club’s Circuits Workshop
Building circuits in the Electronics Club’s Circuits Workshop

Bob Vine entertained with his ‘Load of Balls’ display of amusing but useless mechanical ball contraptions and hands-on toys for kids.

One of Bob Vine’s marble contraptions
One of Bob Vine’s marble contraptions

Thanks go to Chris Warrell for managing the pay desk, Cathy Claydon for running refreshments, Brian Leach for transport, and our members for staffing the rotas. It was another successful show highlighting the creativity and fun of Meccano model-building.

Chris Warrell would have normally added a list of members who attended, but most of the list went missing! Sorry about this.

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