Year 3 of KMW, promised to see the event evolve into the multi-disciplinary show that I have always hoped it would. If ever there was an exhibition designed for me, this should be it.
Signs were good. We had a bit of sizable Scalextric, and radio control cars, as well as trains and plastic modelling.
However, while the new content was good, and the railways an excellent selection, there are issues that those of us who have been around some modelling disciplines for a while are not surprised at.
Many years ago, I was involved with the Town & Country Festival, at what is now Stoneleigh Park. This was a family day out with animals and other farming stuff, traction engines, horses, and models. I helped out with the railway section, but there were also halls for boats, plastic models, model engineering and RC cars. A good August Bank holiday day out.
But, in the meetings, comments about the lack of change among some of the displays were raised. The railway stuff changed every year, but others seemed to trot out the same models each time. The plastic modellers defended this by saying people expected to see the "old favourites".
And this is the problem here. I've been to each KMW, and I'm starting to recognise displays from previous years. There is a G-scale railway in the plastic section, which I remember. It's excellent, but needs a break. The same with the boats, fantastic models, especially a properly weathered tugboat, but some were also on a return visit.
I suspect this is down to bookings being made with organisations, or SIGs, unlike the layouts, which are booked directly. The group of plastic, or ship, modellers then puts on the display drawn from the people who will come out and bring models. That's not a big pool in some cases, but the most important thing is to fill the tables.
This is a terrific shame. KMW is a good event. Assuming there is one next year (the crowd seemed a little thin) then I'll be there. I enjoyed a good day out, and am sure this will continue. Perhaps the other disciplines just need to learn to put on a bit more show.
5 comments:
This was my first year attending, so I wasn't suffering from repeat fatigue, when it came to the various static displays and I loved the inclusion of the RC drifting and Scalextric track, but when it came to the layouts, recording for my good friend Lawrie, a few of them have been seen so many times on the channel now, that it's hard to shoot them in a way that shows off something new or fresh.
Project Overlord is one of those layouts that will be loked back upon as one of the all time great models. It has acheived exhalted status, up there with Peter Denny's Buckingham and the like..... Right now though, I'm tired of it, I no longer even bother to stop and take a look, because it's everywhere, I know i'll see it again at the next show.
Morning Phil,
Is this a bit of a cultural thing? I seem to remember some of the non-railway sections of the old Brighton Modelworld show in the Brighton Centre being like this. For at least some of its existence, it was organised by the Sussex Association of Model Railway Clubs, with exhibits also from boat, military, plastic (IPMS, etc.) and aeromodelling Clubs, and a big slot car track. There was always some excellent content in all disciplines, but I do remember seeing a lot of repetition which seemed to be regarded as inevitable in some cases, especially with the larger and "niche" exhibits. I vaguely remember (as a young member of a couple of different MRCs) it becoming almost an unwritten rule to take something "different" every year if possible, but I guess not all clubs would have the resources to do so. I considered going to KMW, but didn't in the end as there were other things going on, a pity as I do enjoy the variety.
Hopefully the planets will align so I can get there next year...
Cheers,
Simon.
I don’t think the model engineering exhibition at Alexandra Palace takes place anymore but I took my young son in 2018 and 2019 (having checked the photos on my phone) and we saw a lot of the same things, exactly as you describe, Phil. Even he said (aged 8) that he felt he’d seen everything twice and that we should ‘miss it next year to give them time to build new things’. Not sure if it returned post-Covid…?
Sadly, COVID killed that show off. I'll admit, it was well worth the drive into north London.
I was also thinking that this was a problem with Brighton Modelworld. Great when my son was young, but so many displays were so similar it wasn't worth a trip every year. The danger is then people stop going...
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