Thursday, 28 April 2011

20 February 2010, Narrow Gauge South West, Shepton Mallet

Something strange going on down Zummerzet way! Why is it that whatever the weather has decided to do in February, it is always exactly the same on “Small & Delightful” show day? I have never known a Narrow Gauge South West at Shepton Mallet when it hasn't been bitterly cold outside, like a blast furnace inside and with
fiercely strong winter sunshine lancing through the south facing windows doing its upmost to ruin even the best roving reportage photographic efforts - and this year it was exactly the same for the umpteenth year running!

The programme announced that this was the 18th Small & Delightful "do"; not sure about this as last year it was apparently the 16th and the year before was definitely the 15th, and the 2007 event was the 14th! There were a number of other “typos” in the programme, so I think we can safely assume that it was actually the 17th NGSW! Doesn’t matter really does it!]

The other major change to the “tradition” of Shepton Mallet is that the world famous “Maggie & Flo’s Bistro” has now officially been renamed as “Penny & Flo’s Bistro”. Actually Maggie told me that she had not been involved with the bistro for 2 years now. It’s all academic to me anyway as yet again I didn’t have time to stop by and enjoy the delicious looking goodies on offer, but I know that hundreds of others did!

Above all else NGSW is the annual early spring meeting up of the like-minded afflicted to call the roll of those that made the effort to attend (over 800 including participants), enjoy the range of trade temptations and superb modelling and to catch up on topical gossip! Despite some late cancellations on both the trade and layout fronts, Chairman Alan Eadle, Exhibition Manager and Group Secretary Howard Martin, Car Parking Sergeant Major Barrie Baker and everyone else in the hard working S&D home team managed to put together another super show which covered the whole scale spectrum from "T" up to 16mm. 28 layouts altogether, just enough to wear me out completely trying to get round them all! I’ve tried to keep my photo selection concise but have still need a giant set of over 100 snaps to try to give a representative flavour of another great event and another super day out. If you haven't been to Shepton Mallet for NG South West yet, it's one that you really must do!

 


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