I'd never seen anything like this!
Having a grandfather who was a scale model enthusiast as a child, I was always used to seeing models around... I even ended up with the collecting bug myself - but I'd never seen anything quite on this scale before!
These pictures were all taken at various steam rallies and I have chosen to display them all together here because this is one of the smaller exhibit areas on the showground... and there are only a few pictures I have that I can say with certainty exactly where they were taken.
You will see for yourself that they happen to be one of the more impressive displays that I got the chance to shoot.
These pictures were all taken at various steam rallies and I have chosen to display them all together here because this is one of the smaller exhibit areas on the showground... and there are only a few pictures I have that I can say with certainty exactly where they were taken.
You will see for yourself that they happen to be one of the more impressive displays that I got the chance to shoot.
Carts and caravans!
Seeing these carts and caravans reminded me of exactly where it all started for me!
I know that I mentioned my grandfather in the introduction above and how he was a collector of models. What I didn't mention was that he had and made model caravans just like these two. I'd initially took the picture to take up and show to him... but life and illness got in the way and he sadly died before I ever got the chance to show him my pictures.
After his death, my pictures became a way that I coped and I spent many hours just gazing at them numbly since nothing made sense to me anymore. Almost everything that I achieved was down to my Grandad, I did practically everything for him.
I know that I mentioned my grandfather in the introduction above and how he was a collector of models. What I didn't mention was that he had and made model caravans just like these two. I'd initially took the picture to take up and show to him... but life and illness got in the way and he sadly died before I ever got the chance to show him my pictures.
After his death, my pictures became a way that I coped and I spent many hours just gazing at them numbly since nothing made sense to me anymore. Almost everything that I achieved was down to my Grandad, I did practically everything for him.
Roll up for the carnival!
This is one of the few pieces that didn't actually pull any weight for me. While I liked the trailer, and couldn't find any fault with that aspect of the display... what I felt drew the display down in my eyes was the truck itself. The reason for that is because I feel that it is effectively trying to be two very different things at once. Is it working for a carnival or a funfair? Heck, no one knows - let's do both!
I can understand some of the reasoning behind it because there is a large space to fill if you were to take out either of the two words, but, equally, you could fill in the resulting space with a surname instead. Now, not everyone might be happy to use their own surname for this purpose, so you could switch it out for a common one like Smith or Brown.
I can understand some of the reasoning behind it because there is a large space to fill if you were to take out either of the two words, but, equally, you could fill in the resulting space with a surname instead. Now, not everyone might be happy to use their own surname for this purpose, so you could switch it out for a common one like Smith or Brown.
Poor "monty"
"Monty" here was initially taken as a funny reference to my brother's childhood when he had a stuffed moose that had the same name.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like "Monty" traveled to the showground very well, with it's wheel arch bent and looking like it is missing a tank thing off the passenger side. Actually looking at this at the time I took the picture, I couldn't help but feel sad about that because I know just how enthusiastic these people can be about the items that they display - and the fact that this one was damaged during transit was kind of like me taking one for the team because I know exactly how I'd feel had it been mine and I happened to arrive on the showground to find it broken.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like "Monty" traveled to the showground very well, with it's wheel arch bent and looking like it is missing a tank thing off the passenger side. Actually looking at this at the time I took the picture, I couldn't help but feel sad about that because I know just how enthusiastic these people can be about the items that they display - and the fact that this one was damaged during transit was kind of like me taking one for the team because I know exactly how I'd feel had it been mine and I happened to arrive on the showground to find it broken.
Scaling back the years
This display was actually in motion at the time I took it. There are times when it can be rare to encounter a model display in motion like this since a good many spots tend to go to people displaying replicas of old vehicles. I suspect that the reason for this could be because a lot of people these days tend not to have the spare time to put into researching and making something like this to exhibit and if you take out the replica exhibitors, then you are going to end up with a pretty empty tent.
The detailing never ceases to amaze me
Mount Blanc here is one of the fastest exhibits I've seen in operation in a model tent. The blurring of the carriages is an indication of the speed at which it is moving. I know that part of the speed will be to reflect that it is a ride for teenagers and adults as opposed to younger children, though.
Given the total freedom to shoot whatever I want to on this display, I would like to have had the chance to have gotten a closer shot of the stalls off to the left. I know that in reality, the odds of me actually getting permission of the owner to do this are about as great as my chances of winning the lottery though, because the risks of breakage is very real... so you often find that you are being watched like a hawk.
I was fortunate in that I managed to shoo the owner off to the left of the shot in order to be able to get this picture without it having any humans in it - though I daren't get any closer to the items than I was because I was still being very closely watched.
Given the total freedom to shoot whatever I want to on this display, I would like to have had the chance to have gotten a closer shot of the stalls off to the left. I know that in reality, the odds of me actually getting permission of the owner to do this are about as great as my chances of winning the lottery though, because the risks of breakage is very real... so you often find that you are being watched like a hawk.
I was fortunate in that I managed to shoo the owner off to the left of the shot in order to be able to get this picture without it having any humans in it - though I daren't get any closer to the items than I was because I was still being very closely watched.
Waltzin' the night away
For me, this is a slightly more interesting model to look at. The reason for this is because it looks rather like a waltzer, looking at the design and paint job that it bears... but, when you look at the carriages within the ride, they appear to be motorcycles - so, I've never been able to fully make sense of it.
This little camera went to market...
Again, the part that grabbed my attention the most was the detailing work that went into this display. No matter how I look at it, I know that a lot went into it. If it was built as a kit, it would have taken quite some time to assemble something that looks so simple - but, equally, I know that it would have cost some money, even if the accessories like the flowers, fruit and vegetables were bought in as opposed to being made!
fresh bread...
There's a lot going on in this shot that grabbed my attention, starting with the ice cream man standing out front selling his ice cream and the dog stealing his sausages from the baker's bike... but the outside toilet certainly was something that I've never seen in a model before!
I'd eat here at those prices!
This set up really made me feel hungry... ironically, these were the best prices on the field too - since a bacon bap was nearer £3 than it was to £2!
plenty to tempt your taste buds here...
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the angling any better than this to shoot the delicatessen, since I was trying to reach over a fence to get the shot and asking them to rotate it a little would have meant destroying virtually the whole of their display for the sake of the few seconds that it took me to get the shot - they'd have spent longer disassembling and reassembling the display than I required to shoot the picture - so, for now, this is the best picture I have of this particular model.
because a lady can never have enough bags!
Coming back to this at a later date, I believe that this handbag stall belongs to the same person who owns the rest of the shops and Grandad and his greenhouse.
Every time I look at it, I have to catch my breath at the quality of the tiny little bags that are on display here... then promptly wipe away the mental image of what it would be like if this was a real stall out in the stalls section of the showground. I imagine that there would be a lot of happy women around it, followed by a lot of unhappy men mumbling about losing their beer money.
Every time I look at it, I have to catch my breath at the quality of the tiny little bags that are on display here... then promptly wipe away the mental image of what it would be like if this was a real stall out in the stalls section of the showground. I imagine that there would be a lot of happy women around it, followed by a lot of unhappy men mumbling about losing their beer money.
And The Best of the best!
This little set up is powered by a Mamod Stationary steam engine, which is to the left of the picture... though it wasn't actually in operation at the event since it was being used merely for display purposes only.
and here's Fred and "Betsy"
No display showing Fred Dibnah's life would be complete without the man himself... complete with his work clothes, pocket watch and, of course, a cup of tea! He's taking a well earned break from entertaining the crowds in the packed tent that day.
for the love of all things homegrown!
There's nothing better than settling down in a deck chair after a long day in the green house - this poor grandad looks so worn out that he has taken a nap... shh
Sailing the seven seas...
While a good number of model exhibitors raise funds for charity by asking for donations at their tables, it's unusual to find an exhibit where the items and the charity compliment each other as well as this. With that said, though, I'm no expert on model boats, so I'm unable to say if these are functioning boats that could be used in water or if they are just display models. I do know that there was no demonstration of them being used in any way other than as beautiful display pieces for us to admire.
A tough decision...
No matter how many times I've looked at this picture, it's impossible for me to decide which of these two boats I like best. At first glance, I'd have gone with the canal boat simply because of the memories of my life as a young girl - but a lifeboat on this scale has to be something special as well!
It's so big...
...That it required several pictures!
If I had to pick just one display for the "Most Impressive Ever Seen Award", then it would have to be this one. The reason for that isn't just because of the sheer size of it - though the size is impressive. The aspect of it that impressed me the most was the layout of it because it is the first user interactive display that I have ever seen. As you can see at the bottom left of this picture, there is a button to the bottom left of the image, and when pressed, it would activate an aspect of the display. This button activated the yachts in front of the green caravan.
As far as displays go, this one isn't exactly the most colourful one that I've ever seen - but the user interaction goes a long way towards making up for that in my opinion.
If I had to pick just one display for the "Most Impressive Ever Seen Award", then it would have to be this one. The reason for that isn't just because of the sheer size of it - though the size is impressive. The aspect of it that impressed me the most was the layout of it because it is the first user interactive display that I have ever seen. As you can see at the bottom left of this picture, there is a button to the bottom left of the image, and when pressed, it would activate an aspect of the display. This button activated the yachts in front of the green caravan.
As far as displays go, this one isn't exactly the most colourful one that I've ever seen - but the user interaction goes a long way towards making up for that in my opinion.
The Nearest we can get to Shipley hall
Those of you who have seen my pictures in "My Day Out - Heanor, Derbyshire, UK" will recall that I have a picture of some gates and I passed comment about Shipley Hall, which is an old Hall that was demolished. Well, a recent addition to the nearby visitor centre is this scale model of Shipley Hall.
The model is powered from a wind turbine situated at the entrance to Shipley Park, and, as you can see, the display above the model reveals how much wind power has been generated by the turbine. What I liked about this wasn't so much about the model itself, but more about that the place is still used as a place for educational visits for local primary school children - and I think that the turbine could add so much to the things that they can learn about without having to resort to trying to understand the huge wind turbines used by electricity companies.
The model is powered from a wind turbine situated at the entrance to Shipley Park, and, as you can see, the display above the model reveals how much wind power has been generated by the turbine. What I liked about this wasn't so much about the model itself, but more about that the place is still used as a place for educational visits for local primary school children - and I think that the turbine could add so much to the things that they can learn about without having to resort to trying to understand the huge wind turbines used by electricity companies.