Waterborne Wedneday: Tin Bath Racing

One of our Manx highlights was the Castletown Tin Bath races. It's one of those events that people on TV travel shows seem to find, and the rest of us never see. 

Taking place in the middle harbour, it's a big deal. OK the town isn't huge, but we found ourselves parking on a lane a good few minutes from the water. Not a problem, and when we arrived, it became obvious why. This is popular!

There are three main events. The first involves a rope strung across the water. Competitors take turns to ride along this, trying to drop into a giant rubber ring in the middle. 

Then there are more giant rings for the snake racing. Several are tied together in a line, and the competitors lie in them and backstroke their way along. Quite how the steering works is a mystery, but it's all good, splashy fun. 

Finally, the main event, which takes place in several heats during the afternoon - the tin bath races. 

These are real tin baths, some decorated, with a bit of wood across the back holding a couple of big plastic bottles or fuel cans for extra buoyancy. Competitors have to row from one end of the harbour, around a buoy, and back again. This looks fun, if you like close proximity to dark, wet and cold water, but it's also hard work.  Baths don't exactly sythe through the water!

Not all the competitors make it, and the local sub aqua club is on hand to pull people out of the drink, and just to be sure, the lifeboat is moored up with crews on board.  

We all loved it. I'm sure there is modelling potential here, but I'll be happy with a fun afternoon at the races and some nice beer. Mum would have been even happier if the lobster buttie stand hadn't sold out by the time we found it though!

Visit the official World Tin Batch Championships website. 

A few more photos on Flickr.  

Remembering the Little Chef

 

I loved visiting a Little Chef restaurant. 

An Olympic Breakfast was a thing of beauty, especially if you were heading back home after an exhibition. Obviously, this wasn't always prefect; it was in the car park of one of these establishments that someone broke into our van and stole my stockbox, toolbox and camera bag thirty years ago.  The story of dealing with the insurance claim formed the basis of my first ever paid for article though, so silver linings etc. 

For The Collector, my latest project is turning Hornby's 1990 "Roadside Restaurant" into my favourite eating establishment (OK, favourite while on the road. Nothing much beats the cafe as Sea Lion rocks). 

Presumably, for licensing reasons, the kit isn't branded with the LC logos, but that wasn't going to stop me, and I made up my own sheets to cover the awnings and brand the walls. 

If you prefer not to remember Little Chef, other businesses have taken over their premises on the A1.  

And if you can't find an original kit, the model is still available from Gaugemaster, now called the Fordhampton Happy Chef Roadside Diner  

Phil's commune?

 

Commune: A commune is a shared living group, a local government unit, or a deep mental connection.

There is a park full of office blocks near Stratford that has appeared on the market. Ryon Hill is known to me as a couple of my friends were based there for work. 

You can read the full details here. 

It's a nice place, with some 80s-style buildings, and I think it would be perfect for a commune.  

Not some hippy-dippy rubbish, or the sort of place where everyone falls under the spell of a svengali, and all end up being abused and killing themselves. 

No. I'm thinking of a community of people who like making things. Craftspeople. People like those who read this blog. People who celebrate creativity. 

My completely unfunded plan, is that the upper floors of the buildings would be converted to modest apartments. Personally, I reckon I need something about four times the size of a Premier Inn room for a bedroom, kitchen, living space, bathroom, and a small office.  Couples and families will need more space, but we can work on that. There's a lot of space on offer on the site. 

The exciting stuff is the downstairs. You only get to live in the commune if you are an active participant in a hands-on hobby or craft. Thus, I'd have space to put up some model railways and a separate studio for making things. 

Other crafts would enjoy the same facilities. I'm not sure if these should be shared, or private. Probably a mix of the two. The classic car restorers could have the parking area under one of the buildings for welding, grinding etc. For safety alone, it's probably sensible that they enjoy a share garage. Arguably, part of the area should be split off for model engineers - with space for up to a 2ft gauge track running around the site. 

We'll also have retail space for people to sell their wares, and buy others. Look out for a branch of something that looks like Beatties! That's alongside art supplies, wool, material and all other types of shop that people like us enjoy a rummage through. 

I'm assuming that most of the occupants will have other "proper" jobs, so a shared workspace (there is already the remains of a Costa) would be wise. That way, you can do your job during the day, and your passion at evenings and weekends (stop sniggering at back). I'd like to see a library and pub too. Just because I like those sorts of places. Maybe a museum as well, with restoration people on-site. I could happily donate a load of exhibits for the railways and Isle of Man galleries. 

I'm thinking as well as railway modellers, engineers, classic car restorers, the place would be home to bakers, artists, gardeners, potters and pretty much any other practical hands-on creative activity. 

My dream is that all these enthusiasts will be lovely people, so peace and harmony will reign. We'll have regular exhibitions to appreciate each other's work, and share ideas. I'm sure the retail will attract custom from nearby Stratford-on-Avon and further afield. 

Some sort of governing board will be needed; I'm not proposing this as me in charge. I want more time for modelling anyway! We'll all be required to help out for a day a month around the site, keeping it tidy and assist the gardeners with the plant life. That serves to look after the grounds, and ensure everyone feels ownership of the place. 

You're probably thinking this is one of my madder posts, but I dream of something like this. A place where people can enjoy their hobbies and share that enthusiasm with others. Am I the only one? 

If I'm not, and you have a large amount of money burning a hole in your pocket (or you are phenomenally rich and want to offload what is loose change to you), then please get in touch! 

Steam on the Arrow Valley

 

One of the fun things with the garden railway scene, is being invited to run on other people's lines. I recently had the opportunity to try the Arrow Valley Railway, a 45mm line about half an hour from me. 

My railmotor was first out. Being electric, it's perfect for this sort of thing, and allowed me to the explore the track, which you have to move around to see properly. As you can see, Little Phil and Brian were waiting at the station. 

It's bad form not to bring a steam loco, or at least I think it is, so my Lady Anne came out after its recent run at the club. It promptly embarrassed me by refusing to light up. However, removing the gas jet isn't too hard, even for someone as clumsy as me, and within ten minutes I'd fixed the problem. And yes, I am stupidly proud of myself for doing this. 

On the track, the loco was sprightly. Regulator half open was sufficient for running, even a little fast at times!

 

Saturday Film Club: 10 Mesmerising Manufacturing Films from the 1960s

I've always enjoyed films showing how things are made, and so British Pathe have done me proud here. And there are two more to watch too!