Sunday, November 19, 2017

IPMS Telford 2017

Belgiun cakes and models

The first lesson I learned last weekend was that buying an advance ticket is a good idea.

I learnt this as I stood in the queue for admission to the IPMS show, arriving ten minutes after the event opened its doors. I waited for 40 minutes. Next to a family with an annoying, whiny child.

The reason for all that waiting was the huge number wanting to visit. Indeed, this was a bumper year according to the organisers. I'm glad I didn't get there 10 minutes later, they would have been standing for an hour.

Hall 1

Inside, there were over 140 traders waiting for me and tens of thousands of models to look at. It's a daunting prospect.

West Sussex Club in miniature

To be honest, I could ramble on about all this, but you'd rather cut straight to the photos. Instead I'll just say that much of the day was an exercise in denying myself things. 

I denied myself several plastic kits:
  • Revell Visible V8 for £45 - Massive box to carry and then store until I got around to it. 
  • 22 inch Eagle Transporter - £130 (RRP £300) but another big box, big project and I'd really want the turned aluminium nozzles with are another £150
  • A studio scale SHADO mobile for £550 - OK, if funds and storage space were more generous. Who wouldn't want one?
  • 4 model boat kits in a box £10 - Slightly random selection of scales and not very detailed. Useless in many ways but fun. 
  • Airfix B type bus kit £10 - Looks fun but what would I do with it? 
  • Italeri Mk2 transit van kit £20 - Less than 2/3 normal price and I'd like to build it a lot, but not yet. 
  • Airfix 60s racing Alfa romeo £12 - It just looked pretty on the box. Put it back...
  • Skyvan kit. I don't do aircraft. No, I don't
And there were loads of others. The trouble with me is that I can't wander around a show like this without being tempted. Everywhere I see things that would be great fun to build. I just have to keep telling myself that I have more than enough projects. 

Rusty bug
I also had to resist eating lots of sweeties. Most of the stands seem to have a bowl at the front to tempt visitors. The Brussels model club did get me with the marzipan cakes though. 

As it was, I came away with a vintage Lindburg motorised tugboat kit. It looks big enough for small radio control and will be fun. An added advantage was that the box was just a bit too big for my rucksack so constantly reminded me I had spent money and should avoid spending too much more. 

That and a Revell beach buggy, simply because I can't justify the old Airfix version I really want and it was only £5.99. 

There are some tools and other bits too, but I'll mention them in the future. 

In the meantime, I had a really good day and I took some photos. Head over to Flickr to see them

Next year, I'll be the one with an advanced ticket in my pocket!

1 comment:

Mr Taylor Anthony said...

This gets me thinking.it would be fun to see some of our masters of modelling try another discipline, get Tony Wright building a stick and tissue aircraft for example or a top armour modeller build a look kit. There ought to be more cross discipline exchange of experience.