Four decades

40 years ago, I made what has unexpectedly turned out to be one of the most important decisions of my like. I left the Scouts, and joined The Leamigton & Warwick Model Railway Society. 

When my Dad and I (at 13, I was too young to go on my own) arrived at the celler, found at the top of town, we didn't really know what to expect. Initial impressions weren't great, the place was scruffy and damp, but the welcome was warm.

With the club show just over a week away, we found ourselves roped in to help out - and when it turned out that we were happy to muck in moving seats and barriers rather then just stand around paying trains on the test track, the lads warmed to us. 

From there, a shy 14 year old found himself being invited to run layouts at exhibitions, because I did this as seriously as the owners wanted. Not on a po-faced way, but running at scale speeds and, most importantly, keeping things moving. Perhaps working with adults helped, I always got on better with them than kids my own age, and they treated me as an equal.

Gradually, I travelled more, and we built our own layouts. It's always been an exhibiting club, and so being able to tell tales of the previous weekend was popular. 

I've rarely been involved with club project, prefering to do my own thing, but that doesn't mean I won't help if I can. When someone is cutting a piece of wood, the most useful person in the club is the one who hold the other end.

Over the years, the club has moved. First to the upstairs of an old egg packing shed, and now to our current location in a converted drying shed. It's a good job this last move is more recent, although over a decade ago, as that first trip, we cycled and did so for many years!

Club life has (generally) been good for me, which is why I recomend it to everyone. Turn up, help out, and don't expect to be in charge after a fortnight, and there's a lot to be enjoyed.  

Update: There was cake.