St.Albans and District Model Engineering Society

January 2025 Club Night Report

The January 2025 club evening

Welcome to 2025, the usual start I suppose for the year with dodgy weather which kept a few away but the around 20 of us were there.

Our Chairman welcomed us for the evening and then went on to the presentation of the Chairman's Shield.  After a few sentences it became clear who the recipient was to be and as Mike said he has been instrumental in responding to the recent planning permissions for the Puffing Park.  This all took much of his own time and expertise.  Then there is the logistics of moving our stuff around which was done so effectively.

Without further ado Mike presented the Shield to Clive Reynolds amid popular applause.

Our usual  January evening of old films from Frank Banfield was cancelled due to Frank's ill health and the not so good driving conditions.  However, into the breech came Mike Grossmith and we had a very similar set of films from the British Film Institute and Mike's own collection.  Nostalgia was the common denominator and we saw a selection across the spectrum of transport and interests.  Mike supplemented the films with intro's and remarks as they came up.

We had a break and then Mike showed us an episode of the BBC programme  'The Great Egg Race' from his own past as Mike was one of the participants!  First broad cast in May  1982, there were 3 teams of 3 and the task in hand was to deal a set of playing cards mechanically with a device made with the given items of tools, wood, a couple of pulleys, rope etc.  It needed planning, construction and demonstrating and was marked for effectiveness and innovation.  Nobody really came out triumphant as might have been expected but it was interesting to watch the process involved and the ideas that were used.

Of course many will wonder whatever happened to Mike's hair?  I suppose all that thinking and head scratching eventually wears you down!

A good evening and special thanks go to Mike for stepping in to provide the entertainment.  As an aside if you like the "Look at Life" series these are regularly shown on Talking Pictures TV available on Freeview.  (TPTV).  If you log into the website you can opt for a regular email detailing the films etc for the coming week.  The 'studio' they are sent from is just up the road from me at Hunton Bridge.

Thanks go to the membership for making the evening work with the chairs and tables with special thanks to Jack and Neil for the refreshments.

Just a reminder, with the new methods of payment there was no longer the queue for paying the Subs for the year to come.  However, if you have not yet paid your subs please make arrangements with our Treasurer to do so.

Roy Verden. 13 Jan 2025