Pete – Thanks for the very positive attitude.

I have attended maybe 1/2 dozen exhibitions in the UK over the years; living in Canada, it's a long way to go for a day out; "you guys" have it very good! I hope you meet many other good souls

I hope that the Ally Pally exhibition (and of course, the others around Britain) in 2020 are a great success.

John.

I will be on the St Albans stand on Saturday much of the time but of course sod's law means I won't be there just at the time you find us. Hope you enjoy our exhibits anyway.

Well I went today. I wouldn't say it was any better or any worse than last year, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great!

There were a lot of good models to look at, the detail on some of the motorcycles on the stand along the back wall was very impressive. Some nice boats too. I would say the balance in model types generally continues to move away from the 'engineering' base towards boats, planes and trucks. Not necessarily a critiscm as I appreciate the different fields and skills involved even if they don't really totally grab my interest. I find the radio control trucks and diggers fascinating to watch but it's not something I ever see myself getting into. Was impressed by the large planes. Was also nice to see some of the 'ordinary' models that obviously have done and still do a days work on the track. Loco's that are not polished to perfection, have the odd brush mark in the paint, file marks on the rods etc. These are more likely to inspire people to have a go I think than the traditional gold medal winning, flawless exhibits. Not decrying perfection before anybody rips my throat out, I just observe it as perhaps intimidating to the ordinary bloke in his shed just starting in the hobby! Full marks to the two bigger club stands, Chelmsford? (Sorry not good with names and places) where I watched a couple of people have a go at firing on the simulator, water on, pressure dropping and the wheels slowing down, coal on to try and bring it back, what a great way to demonstrate boiler management! Also the repair shed, well deserving of their prize. The fellow on the mini lathe on the SMEE stand facing a bit of aluminium worried me when he adjusted the tool post with the chuck spinning. Ornamental turners were amazing, again not something I could see myself doing but very clever stuff!

Traders; well done RDG, with Warco gone they obviously had the edge on engineering tooling, also good to see Tracey tools still supporting the event. Home and Workshop machinery still I see maintaining their gold standard pricing, indicative maybe of the costs that have to be covered by the traders? Metal prices seemed to vary widely, I bought a lump of bronze from Polly Models which College seemed to be selling for twice the price?

I usually travel up with 4 or 5 other club members, this year I was on my own, one having just had an operation, one dog sitting, one not wanting to make the journey, not sure on the others. Usually I meet at least half a dozen people I know, today only one. When I arrived about 11.00 there was a healthy queue still for tickets but inside it didn't seem terribly busy. Buying a coffee at the pizza outlet just inside the door about 14.00 I was the only customer and with the price less than £2 that couldn't have been the reason! I spent about £80 between various traders, a rake of tips from JB Tools, a length of stainless bar, aforementioned bit of bronze, an ER 25 ball bearing nut from RDG and a few other knick knacks to stock up so I didn't make anyone rich! Other than RDG I didn't have to wait to get to the stock for the crowds in front to disperse it was a case of walking straight up to the stands and making the purchase.

Will I go again next year? Probably but because it's what I usually do (and as another said because that's what I did with my dad going back to the Seymour Hall days, then Wembley) rather than because it was a great inspiration and uplifting experience! However if the traders dwindle further I think I will seriously question if the 2 odd hours each way and the cost of travel plus the entrance fee is really worth it! I can't put my finger on why I wasn't feeling it was a really great day out on the way home, I just didn't think it was! It wasn't a bad day out it was just OK.

Paul.

Started going regularly when it was at Seymour Hall – what a 'child in a toyshop' experience that was!. Finally gave up when it moved to Epsom. The enjoyment/satisfaction (and expenditure !) graph was on a constant downward slope. A great shame 'cos it was my annual 'treat'.

rgds

Bill

SMEE were there yesterday John, quite a small stand though. I managed a couple of hours but then I was done, it made it very comfortable to walk around as plenty of space in the aisles these days.

Mike

Just returned from Ally Pally.

It's been many many years since I last went to the model engineering exhibition.

I must admit, I was rather un-impressed. It's a pain to get to unless you live near. 2 and a half hours drive each way for me, which was, fortunately a great run, no traffic problems, but I wonder if putting it outside London might make it easier to get to and maybe cheaper for exhibitors to attend?

It seems to be a LOT smaller than I remember. Has it been gradually shrinking? I was done and dusted in an hour and a half!

Lots of punters though. It was getting very busy by 11am.

Didn't see much in the way of CNC or 3d printing.

Models on the SMEE stand were outstanding.

Shame so little was running. I didn't see any stationary engines going.

Good if you are looking for odd bits of material or odd bits of tooling, but not sure if bargains could be had.

My friends and I arrived at 9:30 and left at 14:00, I ordered the parts from Transwave to convert my lathe to 3ph motor and VFD, chatted to the Victoria pond club about my Grandfather and spotted a picture of his boat on their lap top, visited JB tools for cutter tips and bought some drills off another stall and enjoyed my 4.5hrs wondering around looking at the models etc

Agree it was quieter from both the public and tools but still a good day out.

Martin P

Hi, well I've just got home about an hour or so ago from Pally Ally Ally Pally, yes it's a bit leaner than previous years but many of the usual traders were there and still a good day out IMO, much more room to get about but still a bit of bustling at the popular stands. The guy at the Aerospace stand was very busy and I bought three nice medium to large solid carbide end mills off him for a fiver each, also got a fair few other bits and pieces at good prices too. I took a few videos to show my young grandchildren when I see them next, one of which was a rather ingenious working plant, moving plastic balls from one machine to the next and returning them back to the start by a kind of push-me-pull-you train, just about all built with Lego. I also saw a few stationary engines running on air. Oh! and I bumped into and couple of nice chaps who do a fair bit of moderating on here

Regards Nick.

Very disappointing, won't be going next year. Seems to get smaller every year and real pain to get to!

This show never was at Epson this was Pickets Lock then Wembly

Steve

Edit : this is reply to the bit about location.

Not quite. The following might not be 100% but:

The Model Engineer magazine show did Seymour Hall, Horticultural hall? Wembley, Olympia, Ally pally about 1988, Epsom, Ascot, Epsom again, Brooklands.

The Engineering in Miniature magazine started a show at Pickets lock (which became the Olympic stadium) then moved to Ally Pally.

It is the joint use of Ally Pally that confuses everyone. In the process there have been several different exhibition organiser companies owning the rights or putting on the shows to add to the confusion and of course the shows outside London have connections with these companies too as that is their business.

Edited By Bazyle on 19/01/2020 18:26:34

Hi Noel, the part that helps pay for the venue and helps keep the show on the road and the entrance fee down, and by the number of people that I saw who bought them, must have helped a bit. They've been coming to that show for a number of years now, I bought some of them last year, and they work just as well as they were demonstrated.

Regards Nick.