Harrogate Show, UK. 7th to 9th May

[Blogwitch]

Is anyone going to the best show in the UK at this time of year.

Stew and myself will be going, hopefully on the Saturday.

If you are going that day, and want to meet up, shout out, and we will arrange a time and place to congregate. Or anyone going on other days can do the same.

Just to let you know, if you don't already, the great Arc Euro stand won't be there this year, they are rebuilding their empire at home, and don't have the time to spare.

http://www.eventcentre.co.uk/events...eringandModellingExhibition.html?ContentID=21

Last year's show, just a tiny bit of it.

http://modelengineeringwebsite.com/Harrogate.html


Bogs

 

[fcheslop]

I'm hoping to go either Friday or Saturday with my sidekick Jimmy but don't tell him i said that.I must have walked round last year with my eyes closed as I cannot remember seeing half of those models or maybe it was just my brain cell on overload . Looking to buy a new rotary table but just don't know about the quality of the equipment on sale the last one i bought was dire and spent longer repairing it than using it then the pinion shed its teeth sorry rambling again. Hope your visit goes well
regards Frazer

 

[John Rudd]

I'm hoping to go Saturday too.... ;D

I need to buy lots of bits for steam engine /boiler making...

 

[woodchip85]

Hi bogs, ill be going on the Saturday and ill like to meet up for a chat. Ill leave the time and place up to you as I've no idea where the best place to meet would be, as I've never been before.

see you soon, woodchip, AKA Dave

 

[Blogwitch]

I suppose most people that are going on the Saturday will be there around midday.

So if anyone wants to meet up, find the Chester UK site at 12 o'clock. All the ones with drawn haggard faces will be the HMEM members, caused by too much time in a dark and dismal shop.

If you miss me, you will need a trip to Specsavers. Large, with a short white beard and hair sitting on a mini mobility scooter. A few of us already know each other, so if you see a gang, head for it, and don't be afraid to butt in to let us know who you are, we gave up eating newbies a few years ago. If I remember, I will try to put a HMEM poster on the front of my buggy, just stop me and ask the way, or even talk to me if you have the urge.

If you can't make it for that time, please let us know here, and I am sure we can arrange to get you to meet a few people, Stew and I will be there fairly early, as I have a lot of catching up to do, and I think Stew is taking enough cash for both of us to buy everything in there :big:. But on the other hand, we will also be leaving earlyish in the afternoon.

The more the merrier, put a name to a face.


Bogs

 

[John Rudd]

I'm going....

I look forward to meeting some of you too.......See you around 12 at Chester's, we can poke a bit of fun at Gareth and Ant..

 

[doubletop]

You realize that those of us who can't make it will be requiring a full report from those that do. So along with your cheque books, so you can buy dodgy rotary tables, go with your cameras and notebooks.....

Pete

 

[fcheslop]

you haven't seen my dodgy photography talk about cutting heads off i must be the only person to be able to take out of focus pics on a auto focus camera :. Will be there early Friday just look for the fat guy with the beard drooling over anything shiny or near any espresso machine .
regards Frazer

 

[Blogwitch]

DT,

My bestest camera at the moment is being held together by an elastic band, I don't think my new bestest one will be here by then, but I will see what I can do, and I am sure you will get loads of pics from the other lads as well.

John,

I don't want to poke too much fun at the Chester lads, Gareth is treating me very well at the moment.
It will be good to meet up at last.

Frazer,

I don't know if you realise, but your description fits about 50% of the guys who will be at the show. Beards and being overweight seems to go with the job.

The rest of them usually have beer bottle glasses and folically challenged.

This is the first time I will be in a chair, so I am really looking forwards to the heavy backpacks in the face, but what they don't realise, I will be in a perfect position with a pair of pipe grips to do the most damage.

Lots of squeeky voice ignorants.


Bogs

 

[fcheslop]

Well John, I will fit in OK as I can tick all the boxes except the beer make mine a triple espresso so hope fully there wont be a que for my favorite fix.Hoping to do a return visit on Saturday but don't know yet still working on the better half :big:

 

[Blogwitch]

No pictures yet, but I have had some email feedback.

Yesterday it was very crowded (as usual on the first day), with all the bargain hunters out in force. What they don't realise, gone are the days of bargains, it is all up front and a full price nowadays. All you are doing is saving on postage costs.
Saving by picking up my castings from the show has already paid for this trip out and most probably some of Stews' as well.

For all you early risers that read this before going.

Don't forget, 12 o'clock at the Chester UK stand. Saturday only.


Bogs

 

[SBWHART]

What a great day out meeting up with a bunch a real nice Guys, putting faces to names and having a laugh , I for one really enjoyed the day..

Highlights of the show:-

Stew breaking the 100m sprint answering a call of nature. :big:

A gentleman on a red buggy getting a Bogstandard Gentleman's Bog mixed Up with a Bogstandard Ladies Bog :big:

A few pics I took before my camera broke:-

An interesting project underway

A nice steam plant

A dewinton

A nice radial

Did any one take any more pics ?.

Stew

 

[arnoldb]

Thanks for posting Stew ;D

Lovely photos! - do you perhaps have any more of, or a higher resolution on, that Dewinton ? - I'd love to see that; makes my "Fred" look like the amateurish attempt it was ;D

Oh, and where's the video on the "nature sprint" ? :big:

Kind regards, from a very envious Arnold ;D

 

[SBWHART]

Her you go Arnold:- dip your bread in this

There is a video of the toilet dash (wash room) but its too blurred due to my speed. :big:

Stew

 

[Blogwitch]

I got a couple more Stew, as well as yourself.

Unfortunately, because I was sat down for most of my visit to the show, I became a non entity amongst a crowd of people more interested in looking around rather than looking down, so 99% of the time, I just couldn't take any shots to try my new camera out, or very few, I saw very little of the show until about 3 o'clock, when the crowds started to thin out a little. But stew did take a couple with it when his refused to work.

I managed to take a very short vid of some truly magical working model steam boats. Notice the two little steam engines working away on the back shelf.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCJVv8S3W4s[/ame]

These first two shots show those two tiny engines, they mustn't have been more than 8" long overall, but they were just magnificent to watch.

Here are three that Stew took with my camera.

I have no idea what this is.

Stew said that because there was a bit of interest in nodding donkeys, he would take a picky of this one.

And another shot of another radial.

Well it proves that my new camera works in normal, zoom and video, I have now got to get into the shop to see whether it will focus down to the 10mm they reckon it will.


As to the show for myself.

First, great hilarity as we were parked at the traffic lights to the show entrance road, with Stew going bright red, shouting for the car in front to move and the lights to change, plus much bouncing about and rapping fingers on the wheel to try to keep himself from wetting his trousers. He only just made it to a supermarket toilet. A definite candidate for a sprint in the next Olypics.

My turn next.

Inside the show, I noticed a disabled toilet, and me being almost in the same condition as Stew was earlier, I rode my buggy in, right into the disabled cubicle. After missing the bowl and piddling on my shoes a couple of times, I heard a load of females talking. On leaving the cubicle, noticing no stand up urinals, and a couple of surprised women washing their hands, I realised I was in the wrong place. A quick exit as fast as the buggy would go.

At midday, we all meandered separately to the Chester UK stand, where we met not only old friends but new faces as well. we must have spent about an hour making new friends and beating our gums about things we have done and what we will be doing. I was also accosted as I went around the show by a couple of members off the Madmodder forum. If he is reading this, many thanks Andy, for the concern and uplifting chat we had.
I have also received an email off Rich (Firebird), to say that both Julian and himself were both at the show, but unfortunately failed to connect up with us. I have been wanting to meet with this dynamic duo for some time, but it now looks like it will be some time in the future before our paths cross again.

I picked up the casting for the R&B engine while I was there, and believe me, it was some heavy bit of kit, not for me, but my porter Stew, I'm sure I saw his face turn from red to purple as he was trying to carry them. I also picked up a making kit (castings and fittings) for a largish flame licker. I will give a bit of a review of them after I have recovered from my great day out.

So what was my impression of the show itself.

I missed the last one, so I can't compare it to that one, but comparing from the time before, I was a little disappointed about new models on display. There are usually a fair amount of stunning new displays, but they seemed sadly lacking this year, but maybe I shouldn't be expecting too much, some of the great engines we have seen at previous shows must have taken many years to build, maybe no one has finished any this year, yet.

Bogs

 

[John S]

Nice meeting up with known and unknown faces.
Thanks to John [bogs] for some fine grating magnetic packers [ or whatever they are called ] A couple of the lads at the Chester meet I did know, some were new to me like John Rudd and Rob Wilson.

Saw Rich and Julian earlier just to swap insults with.

Rob Wilson was a pleasant surprise, after all the fine finished work he puts out I wanted to hate him but he's such a pleasant guy I found it hard to do

I had a nice relaxing day, far better than a quick rush round at the start of a show which is what I have been used to doing.

Managed a natter with David Clark, editor of ME and MEW and a nice chat with Giles Parkes on the SMEE stand, a real gentleman.

Didn't see Ivan Law as I normally do as he's a judge there but noticed that Barry Jordan was judging this year, anyone know if Ivan is OK ?

John S.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

You all have no idea the roller coaster I just rode.

I enjoy the UK immensely and have several friends there. My last trip there was last year with my wife who was assigned to Brussels at the time.

So when I saw those fantastic pics of the show...I'm thinking...maybe I can go next year! Riding high!

So I searched where Harrogate is. Riding low! I'll never convince wife to hop a train and go up there for a show.

Or can I? Help me out guys. What can I entice her with? It won't be machining and engines. Think wine, cheese, art, gardening, or Sean Connery. Any of that there?

Thanks for the pics.

 

[tel]

In a word Zee - BLACK PUDDIN'. They have some mighty fine Black Puddin' in them parts.

 

[Blogwitch]

Zee,

Sorry there weren't more pics, maybe someone who is going today can add a few more.

It all depends what your better half likes.

Harrogate is like the Bath (town) of the North. Famous for its Spa waters during Roman and Victorian eras.

Some v-e-r-y expensive shops around, if your credit cards can stand it, while you sneak to the show.

http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/harrogate-266

or for a virtual tour

http://www.vrharrogate.co.uk/harrogatemap.html


Bogs

 

[zeeprogrammer]

tel...thank you...no. I'm sure it's quite tasty...especially with a couple of bottles of wine...prior to the third bottle once the dish arrives at the table. ;D

bogs...thanks. I've sent the links to wife. Excellent stuff. We'll see what happens. Chances are low but I'm hoping.