THE GUILD'S 50'TH ANNIVERSARY BIRTHDAY PARTY

The Guild celebrated it's 50th anniversary in fine style on the 9-10 September 2006 by putting on the biggest exhibition it has ever attempted and probably the biggest 0 gauge show in the world ever.  Some 170 traders and 35 layouts - many not exhibited before - including many from overseas.  We also had a modern diesel engine named for the Guild, which is painted - I am told - bright pnik!

I spent two whole days there and still did not have time to do it all justice however, some of things that impressed me were:

Bucks Hill, a large, continuous run, GWR/LMS joint effort on its first outing.  It performed well when I saw it but could do with a backdrop to hide the fiddle yard.

82G.  The Loco clinic's excellent layout designed specifically to show off engines.  Far from completed yet since all the temporary buildings at the other end are to be replaced with new in due course.  Full of atmosphere all it needs now is some steam, smoke and the wonderful stink of sulphur.

Cannons Road.  A mixed gauge GWR "might have been" for a terminus in the centre of Bristol.  The 517 is scratch built and the station promises to be very impressive when completed.  One is tempted to take one's modelling period even further back.  However, much of my time, effort and money have been expended on aiming for the early 1900's so this is unlikely to happen now.

Cardiff West Dock. Another "work in progress" will showcase the GWR, Barry and Taff Vale in another "might have been" scenario in a very small space.  I liked the quality of modelling and mixture of company's.  Few people, to my knowledge, have modelled such prototypes.

Dunkirk Marine.  This appealed to me on two counts.  I had seen it at Nancy, but not operating and, it models a scene I never managed to see live because the night ferry service was taken off about a month before I had planned to travel it on a long leave to the UK.  It is modelling to a high standard of a very unusual prototype.

Hassel Harbour.  Another non Grub Water and Relief layout, it appealed to for the wonderful bridge - which I think was the best example of bridge building in the show.  Made of a mixture of plywood, steel and plasticard it was designed by a bridge engineer and has expansion joints that were activated by the atmosphere in the hall!.  All the bolt heads too were inserted in drilled holes, not punched out from behind.  An impressive piece of model engineering.

The show as a whole was a tremendous success; Mike Williams and the events team should be feted for providing such a superlative show for us that was so well organised.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the Guild dinner on Saturday night, attended by about 240 people (what a shame that a number of attendees insulted both the organisers and the rest of us by ignoring the dress code, they should have been denied entry in my opinion).

Jack Ray gave us a moving and nostalgic picture of how it was that we all were now benefiting from the foresight and hard work of those intrepid founder members.  The richness of our legacy of their efforts was well shewn over the two days.  Fifty years ago 0 Gauge was a rapidly dying discipline, today it is a growing and healthy hobby that provides both friendship and expertise to all who ask.

The German contingent from Arge Spur 0 presented the Guild with a number plate from a major class of German steam engines "50 1956", a wonderful gesture.

Pete Waterman, as guest of honour, gave a highly amusing and witty speech - completely with out notes of course, as is his style -  that finished the night off wonderfully.  Perhaps he should have been on the stage himself instead of managing others who are.  I felt privileged to be a very small part of the whole thing.

There were of course many, many other interesting and fascinating things to see, for instance a kit - almost entirely in lost wax castings - for Rocket - complete with specially designed motor/gearbox and unique Slater's wheels.  At £250 I was sorely tempted!  The sights shewn here though were the ones that particularly attracted me.

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