This year's show at the National Waterfront Museum, the first one organised by the club alone, was a great success.
The Museum reported that with 3000 visitors attending, the number was two or three times higher than that which they would have normally expected for an October weekend: a considerable achievement for us!
The traders present all reported brisk business and, reassuringly, all want to return next year too, so we can guess that their stock sold well. We're especially pleased that Ray Heard had a good first show with us as he'd come all the way from the West Country. We would like to extend our thanks to Ray Heard, Holt Model Railways and MIB Models for their kind donation of raffle gifts.
Our chairman, Noel Blows, was pleased with the numbers of prospective new members he talked to and our outreach efforts to bring the Swansea Engineers into the 'Railway Modelling' tent were rewarded by the fact that they enjoyed the show and they, too, want to attend next year.
Across the show's two-days there was a warm feeling of lots of people really enjoying themselves. Which is the way it should be!
Bridgend MRC's magnificent O gauge 'Penfold Priory' layout showed us truly first-rate modelling at its best winning them "Best Layout in Show". They say their 00 layout (due in for next year's show) is 'even better'. On the home front, SRMG put up some excellent layouts from club members and everyone had their first view of the creditable progress made so far on the club's O gauge model of Swansea's South Dock. Most were staggered by the sheer scale of this ambitious project also and will watch its continuing evolution with great interest.
We would also like to take the opportunity to announce our winners of our raffle. They are as follows:-
1st: Peter Lydiate, Neath
2nd: Mrs Jayne Jeavons, Llangyfelach
3rd: Cyril Jones, Swansea.
Congratulations to all three,
We're already starting to think about 2016: if you have any ideas for next years show please email email us here with the subject as "SMRS2016, I have an Idea!".