BLACKPOOL MODEL BOAT SHOW 2009

The Blackpool show took place 17^th & 18^th October in the 'Norolympia Hall' annexed to the Norbreck Castle hotel as usual. Our team comprised Alan Derham with HM Ships Liverpool and Vigo and an incomplete Delight; new member Keith Dixon with his first model - a plank on frame Bismarck and Patrick Moriarty with a bouquet of four Flowers; 2 RAF Marine Craft and George Peat's old Monitor M33. A model-less Adrian Clutterbuck was with us but only when his duties with the RNLI at the stand opposite allowed. We would have had a couple of other members if they had known that we were manning a stand at this show.

The Northern clubs were well in evidence and there was a good attendance by the trade, but several well known names were missing. No Jotika, no PS Ships and no Scoonies for instance. On both days, the crowd kept us busy. Many people passing our tables with blank (or awestruck) expressions on their faces but, thankfully, a fair number who showed genuine interest and were capable of asking intelligent questions. Some were more interesting than others. Alan gained some interesting insight into details of the 40/60 STAAG mountings in his Delight from the former gun-captain of her Ml Flag-deck mounting. Keith had a friend in attendance for most of the time and he will soon become member, I am told, and we hope that at least two of the six application forms that we had taken off the stand will be returned.

Other models at the show were a mixed bag. There was a part built 1:96 HMS Hermes which took up three tables on its own and an impressive all metal HMS Glow-worm at 1:48 also part built. Two large Darnell U-Boats also drew a lot of attention and rightly so. At the other extreme was a very futuristic trimaran 'stealth' aircraft carrier and an early steam/lateen sailed vessel and an early ironclad. Best stand in show went to Clutterbuck's RNLI team.

Patrick Moriarty