Explosions Museum, Gosport, 29^th/30^th October.

This year we had 16 members plus Ken Winter’s grandson, Jamie, attending as follows. John Edwards, Bob and Monica Jenner, Chris Hooper, Jim Davis, Alan Hall, Dave Reith, Geoff Young, Ken Winter, David McNair-Taylor, Colin Watson, Charles Davis, Roy Skeates, Mark Gentry, Bob Rice and myself.

Earlier this year Geoff Young and I had discussed the possibility of finding a suitable location for Geoff to display all of his models covering his model building over the years. Due to the numbers and size involved it had to be one of the displays exclusive to the SWA, ie either D-Day Museum or Explosions. The decision was Explosions, and a layout of space was arrived at during a visit to the Museum and a meeting with the Museum management. Geoff’s display occupied the centre of the Conference Room with the main SWA display along the top with building activity down one side together with Charles’ display and Roy and Colin along the opposite wall. A total of 40 models were on display.

There was a display of models in build and of different types of kits put in the Meeting Room with the objective of trying to get people interested in our hobby without frightening them off! David McNair-Taylor’s Sirmar Type 45 proved popular and there were two fairly large Carriers available, Bob Jenner’s OPV, one Deans MGB boxed and one Italeri e-Boat also boxed. There was a good bit of interest and one or two dads headed home with the hopes of their children ringing in their ears.

Unfortunately we had again opposition from the Great South Run which interrupted access to the River Bus at the Portsmouth side. I thought we had avoided this conflict this year as we had moved our weekend, unfortunately so had the organisers of the Run. We will try again next year.

Geoff Young is doing a piece for the Marine Modelling International which they have agreed to publish, on the Explosion event and in particular about his models, should make interesting reading.

During the Weekend we were offered the opportunity to join a guided tour of the Priddys Hard Ramparts, not normally open to the public. Several members took up the offer and found the tour both enjoyable and informative.

John Hawley