A Happy New Year to you and your family,
I hope you had a good Christmas and that you are ready for a great 2012.
This New Year is going to be quite eventful with the Olympics, The Queen’s Jubilee and our local celebrations commemorating the 175th anniversary of the railway coming to Crewe. In addition the Crewe Heritage Centre turns 25 years and so as you will expect there will be a number of events planned during the year. Our monthly meetings will go ahead as detailed but obviously we must be aware that with the exhibition about the town’s 175th celebrations the public will be present on site on meet days. This is a great opportunity for us to showcase British Region of NMRA and perhaps we can mount a display of models as well as our display boards in the clubroom. I am sure there is a glass display case available that we can use.
I am pleased to say I managed to talk to Derek Milby just before Christmas to pass on all your good wishes to Derek for a speedy recovery. Derek had been moved to the hospital in Barrow so he was nearer to his family members. He sounded in good form but told me he was still having some difficulty with the movement in his right hand. He was at that moment unsure when he would be discharged but asked me to convey his good wishes to you all. I was also very pleased to pass on the thoughts and prayers from Jim Zinser and Bob Charles in the USA who Derek converses with on a regular basis.
Now to group matters –
• Our AGM is to be held on the April meet date of Sunday 15th April. Please think about nominations for committee positions and let Les Herriot have your nominations by 31st March at the latest. We are asking for nominations for Chairman (currently Terry Wynne), Treasurer (currently Tony Hayselden) and committee member (currently Gordon Nelhams).
• Please note ‘The Wednesday Gang’ working group will start again after the Christmas/New Year break on Wednesday 11th January. If anyone wishes to come along any Wednesday they will be very welcome as many hands will help to speed up the work we are doing on the HO layout.
• Our January meet coincides with that of the Region Winter Meet at Benson – 14th January. We had considered changing but have decided to leave things as they are as it is rather late to make significant changes to dates which might also conflict with members existing plans.
• I detail the meet dates again for those who have misplaced their latest Train Orders due to the festivities. The dates – January 14th; February 12th (Valentine Special for the ladies); March 10th; April 15th; May 12th; June 10th; July 7th; August 12th; September 8th; October 7th; November 17th; December 9th.
• The new TESCO Store opens on 16th January for those interested. Please be aware that the new entrance for delivery trucks is along the roadway (which actually belongs to Tesco) you normally use to access the Heritage Centre. However, the trucks turn off to the right just before the gates to the Centre. So please take care when entering or leaving the Centre.
• Following some discussions at the Christmas meet some members expressed a wish to ask those who are willing to give a (say) 15 minute or 30 minute “show & tell” talk at our monthly group meets. This could be on something they have built, modified, or on something of interest that they have done or are about to do. Will those who would like to give one of these short talks please contact me with details, thank you.
Tony Gath has offered to “show & tell” his construction of a switch using the FastTracks switch/point jig. I will draw up a list of volunteers who are interested and arrange to publish the dates of when these will take place. I would think one talk per meet will be likely unless we are inundated with volunteers!
Look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our meets.
Terry Wynne, Chairman
Next Calder Northern Meet – Sunday 12th February
This is just a quick reminder that our next meet on Sunday is our Special Valentine Event for the ladies. There will be a drink of something bubbly (not washing up liquid) and chocolates as a thank you for putting up with our hobby. Do bring your better half along on Sunday.
The date for closure of nominations for the committee positions becoming vacant is fast approaching. Please let Les Herriot have your nominations by end of March at the latest. If you wish those who are currently serving in a committee position to be nominated again then please do ask them if they are prepared to hold office for another term.
I have received a comment from a member saying that he felt we should have more ideas for the HO layout discussed between the members. If anyone has any views and solutions to move this forward we can discuss the merits of this at our ‘Notices’ session on Sunday. Do bring along your ideas.
If anyone has any news about Derek Milby we would be pleased to hear how he is progressing. After Derek was transferred to the Barrow in Furness Hospital and then subsequently discharged from there we have been unable to make contact as we do not know his family’s address in Barrow where we think he went to continue his recovery.
On Sunday we will be able to give you some information as to the events going to take place during the Crewe 175 celebrations. Obviously our monthly meets will take place as normal but there may well be lots more visitors on site on those days than experienced in previous years.
Look forward to seeing you all.
Terry Wynne
6th Feb 2012
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