Ally Pally - 15-16 Mar 25

[Martin Shaw]

There are quite a number of times when I consider that residing so far away from both London and Birmimgham is a significant advantage. I was at the SECC three weeks ago and even though it's on my doorstep I had lost interest by mid afternoon so I came home, my day out including travel, entrance and lunch cost me £30 which is fair enough, a day out at Ally Pally or the NEC would I expect be significantly more. Trips to Central Hall Westminster with my father over 60 years ago are a distant but most treasured memory.

 

[PaulRhB]

Not the first show for me this year, already done Doncaster and Portsmouth and if I can get to Railex I will too. I have broad tastes so most shows offer something and two of the essentials in my diary are both one day tiny shows but a guarantee of fun and inspiration.
AP and the NEC have an advantage of pulling layouts down from ‘oop norf’ I otherwise rarely see. Also working over 50% of weekends limits my show attendances. Big shows nicely offer stuff I don’t see regularly and a lot in one weekend.
In the last two visits to AP one layout made the show for me, Wolfstatt and at the next one West End Drift, layouts at opposite ends of the size and subject spectrums but well presented, run and operators who were interesting to chat to.
I also usually go to all shows with a friend or two which splits the costs of parking and just makes for a long entertaining day out. Maybe that’s the secret, don’t make the show the only highlight of the day.
It’s going to take me 2 1/2 to 3 hours each way by trains and I have my eyes on a nice relax on the chairs just off the smaller hall.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

When it comes to a national showpiece event, I fail to understand why we cannot organise a large show on the lines of Intermodellbau at Dortmund Messe bringing all modelling disciplines together, railway, radio control, aircraft, road vehicles and ships.

 

[timbowales]

When it comes to a national showpiece event, I fail to understand why we cannot organise a large show on the lines of Intermodellbau at Dortmund Messe bringing all modelling disciplines together, railway, radio control, aircraft, road vehicles and ships.

I thought one of the magazine publishers had?

 

[Bigjohn]

After my experiences with MRJ at central hall last century I would avoid any exhibition organised by a magazine, and this was pre “rucksack menace” era.