Stafford 2026

I suppose that I ought to mention that I managed to blag a free ticket for Stafford this year, by virtue of having given the exhibition organiser my old layout, "Edgeworth". Mind you, this, and York, are both on the list of shows I happily attend as a punter, paying to go in. Stafford is always a worthwhile trip. Partly because I get to take the train, and then vintage bus, to the showground. Yes, it would be cheaper to drive, but not nearly as fun. 

Of course, as I'd save my money on a ticket, I was duty-bound to spend at least the entry fee on the club second-hand stall. But that's for tomorrow. 

I've been visiting Stafford for a long while. In the old days, it took place in February, often with snow on the ground, and in three adjoining halls rather than this single building. They have gradually grown to completely fill the "new" hall, with all of the generous balconies being in use. 

Being in one room gives the show a nice atmosphere. It is a big event, but still feels like a club show, which is what it is. 

Layout quality is always excellent, and I normally book a shoot or two for BRM. This time, I recognised many of the display as ones that have appeared on our pages, at least one of those was so pleased with the way we showed off his excellent layout, the magazine itself is part of the display!

Yes, I am a bit smug about this. North Cornwall Brewery is my kind of layout, and so when the owner is pleased with the photos, I am delighted. 

Despite being a big show, there are a good number of small layouts, the ones I think inspire people, and those that I'd like to build. I don't think there was a single stand-out "Phil would like to build this" model this year, but many fell into this category. Maybe I'm so busy with other things that even my imagination doesn't fancy adding another project to the list! 

Trade was excellent, with many of the big names represented, including Dapol, who don't do many shows now. 

But the cake. I finally, after many years, succumbed to the giant custard tart. 

I'm sure these things used to be size of a coracle, but even now, they are pretty large. But, I had snuck out of the hall to the old cafe, and just gave in. You always regret the things you don't do, people say, and this year was the time to stop looking. 

Handy hint, the waiting time for the old cafe, which was beside a dog show, was much less than the one in the hall I'm told. Since your wristband allows you in and out, this worked well. Better still, they are finally taking cards, so no more looking at the menu and deciding how much cash you have left.

Anyway, another really enjoyable show. There are more photos over on my Flickr feed.  

Saturday Film Club: The History of Steam Power and what it means to us!

Yes, another video from the Groudle Glen Railway. What else would you want to watch? 

What colour is a blue brick?

 

Sometimes, work means I have to do some odd things. A few weeks ago, there was an emergency run to buy pencil crayons. Yes, coloured pencils. 

For the station building project I was working on, I had to colour in some blue engineering bricks. Now, in the past, I'd been told "Prussian Blue" was the colour. I tried it, and it very much wasn't. Far too blue. 

That being the case, the project ground to a halt until I located the correct colour, hence a hurried trip to my local art shop, Picturesque, in Warwick, with some photos of real buildings. 

Now, the people running the shop are used to oddballs coming in, and didn't bat an eye at someone testing every flavour of grey in the rack on a bit of card kept from the kit fret. It took a long while for me to work through all the ranges and settle on a selection. The bricks are a lot greyer than you think, but with a hint of blue. Sadly, no one makes a "blue brick" pencil to make things easier for me. 

In the end, I came away with a few: 

• Derwent Blue Grey
• Stabilo CarbOthello
• Derwent Mid Grey
• Derwent Steel Blue
• Derwent Iron Blue
• Derwent Payne's Grey

Eventually, a mix of three randomly rubbed on the etched bricks did the job, or at least to my eyes. It's all subjective anyway...

 

Station, nettles and bushes in November's BRM

 

Lots of making going on in November's issue of BRM. I start with some etched metal nettles. Very nice, but definitely a foreground plant, as they aren't cheap. That said, when only the best will do, this is a very good option. Very easy to use too. 

Next, a seriously time-consuming model. 

MMR Models GWR station is a stunner - but be prepared to put the time in. Nothing is difficult, but there are a lot of parts, and you really need to be pre-painting most of them too. Is it worth it? In my opinion, yes. There is a terrific sense of satisfaction making a model like this, and if that is part of the calculation you make when deciding how to model railways, then that matters. 

Finally, on BRM TV, I'm making hedges. 

My camera has been out, photographing the OO gauge layout, Bere Banks. 

 British Railway Modelling magazine is available from all good newsagents, or our online store. 

Workshop Wednesday - Sherwood Bus Depot

 

On the way to a photo shoot, I found myself running early, so I stopped off in the Nottingham district of Sherwood. The forest is close by, in case you wondered. 

It's an interesting place. More charity shops than you can shake a stick at, but also a local baker and lots of visible signs of community action to brighten the place up. I popped some of them in this Instagram post.  

Halfway along the street is Sherwood bus depot. According to this document (PDF), it was built in 1901, originally as a tram depot. Buses replaced trams in 1936.

One half is now a 'spoons pub, and the other used to be a bus depot, though it closed a month ago.  

Frustratingly, the satnav route back home after the shoot didn't replicate the route out, or I'd have examined the building further over lunch in the pub.  

You can see this building on Street View.