Spent the whole morning at Skipton Model Railway show, nice to have the time and space to view some interesting railway themed layouts. Even better was the opportunity for meeting and greeting so many people that regularly attend these type of events. It was good to have a social area within the school hall where one could sit and talk, and for me partake of the mandatory bacon butty x2.

If such small shows are to survive and thrive I feel that they will need to attract and cater for the new technological based generations. How that can be achieved at the smaller market town shows is not clear to me. Today I saw a hard core of life long modellers supported by an ever shrinking younger band of enthusiastic railway modellers. There are great benefits to be gained from developing modelling skills and combining them with electronics and robotics. Add three D printing and problem solving alongwith a wide ranging multitude of traditional modelling skills and you have a strong base of abilities to offer  potential employers. Yet I saw not one school aged teenager, in a school based event!

However for me the Skipton show always heralds the start of the model show season, bring it on. As usual I spent cash at the Squires stand buying modelling supplies and a illuminated magnifying lens. It is likely that I will be tempted to return tomorrow and stock up with other items, and hopefully meet up with many other modelling colleagues. I will miss Skipton show and other district based shows when the ever decreasing band of dedicated modellers feel unable to shoulder the burden of putting on such social gatherings.