4th GLASGOW NATIONAL
WARSHIP WEEKEND 9th & 10th JULY 2011
SWA went to Glasgow
again this year. Patrick and Jane Moriarty for both days (with 5 models on
Saturday) with Steve Pickering and Tom Plummer, from Ayr
Model Boat Club, joining in on Sunday (total of 9 models). The weather on the Saturday was glorious with
hot sunshine and very little wind.
Sunday produced a little more wind and some heavy showers.
Saturday’s line-up
comprised: HMS Kittiwake, HMS Maxton and
HMS Virago at 1:48 and HMS St Brides Bay and USS John D Ford at 1:72. On Sunday Steve Pickering joined us with HMS Velox and his part complete German Destroyer of 1916, both
at 1:48 also his sail driven HMS Dolphin from the mid 1800s. Otherwise HMS Virago and Maxton were there at
1:48, HMAFV
2756 at 1:24 and the 3 Flowers; FNFL Aconit, HMS Crocus and HMS Jasmine all at 1:72
Numbers were down on
the last couple of years. Only 98 models
being on show this year compared to 135 last year. Perhaps the cost of fuel is inhibiting a
number of people from travelling. Of the
9 Northern members of SWA who were sent personal invitations to the show, seven
replied with good reasons for not coming.
One unable to get a respite carer for his
wife, others going to other shows and Tony Swan was celebrating his Golden
Wedding. I am sure that we all hope that
the Swans had a great day.
Notable changes this
year were that Dave Wooley was present, reporting and
photographing, on the Saturday and not for the main event on Sunday, also that
a number of clubs set
up their own gazebos and displays. We
shared with the RNLI which led me to display my RAF RTTL 2756 on Sunday! This all provided centres
of interest for the public (and modellers) but did
not seem to affect the ‘craic’ which was as good as
ever. The manoeuvering
competition was more complicated than in previous years with teams changing
formation several times as they went round a square course of about 50 yards
side and then docking on each other. Next year it is proposed that there will
be an individual competition as well.
Something to do with ‘zig-zags’ I believe!
The weekend had an
international element as usual with people coming from Sweden, Canada and
Australia and it maintained its standing as one of the largest club organised model warship show in Europe. We can expect up to three new members to
join, one of whom is a Swedish modeller, Fredrik Zaar, who flew in from Stockholm specifically to photograph
the show.
Patrick Moriarty