JCB BLOKE

Just got back and all sorted out. House, family and dogs all still in one piece and thats always a bonus! Good to catch up with fellow FTF members. As usual, it's a cracking little show and in aid of a good cause - Alzheimer Scotland. There was a fair variety of display and models to see, and as previously mentioned Lynn Whitehead had a fantastic table of homemade cakes and buns for sale - proceeds to Alzheimer Scotland again, they were torturous to resist! There were plenty of people walking around with cakes and buns! Looking forward to next years show - and not just the cakes!

Just a quick reminder...ANNANDALE MODEL SHOW is this Sunday 18th, a great show held in aid of a good cause. It would be good to meet up with some FTF friends old and new. Come and introduce yourself - there will be a few of us there!

Good show, plenty of tractors and displays to see. Great to see our FTF friends again and have a good old chat...oh and M'Lord Ferguson - just how pies, buns and cakes did you eat today??!!

Just thought I'd put this picture up, taken at Myerscough College show 3 years ago. For those of you who can't put a name to a face - Phil is 2nd right back row. Lets hope him and Chris - 2nd right front row - are in model heaven now - RIP lads

Gone too soon, our good friend. I'll miss the text messages and many conversations about ideas and information. A very talented and great bloke.

We are going to miss you Phil.

Rest in peace Phil, back together with Star now.

Most of the (very few) displays were well laid out and the exhibitors had obviously put some effort into them, but where were all the people who have been repeatedly wittering on FTF about needing a dedicated display section at Spalding, and more emphasis on displays and dioramas generally at farm toy shows? ?? Today has rather shown that there isn't any point.

I think it has to be said that whilst many people do like to display at shows, it is not generally felt that you should have to pay to put your display on show. The exhibitors at this show had to pay for their table rent, admittedly less than the traders, but nonetheless they had to pay. I know that this put many people off, purely on principal. If there had been a table charge with the proceeds going to a charity then people might have been more willing, but for it to go to 'for profit' organisation definitely put people off.

It was billed as an international show - very dissappointed. Just briefly....there were 10 traders selling various models; 1 selling bases & 1 selling tools etc; 4 dioramas; 2 collections & 3 displays of scratchbuilt larger scale machinery, and 6 or 8 full size tractors as well. The attendance seemed to be quite good, but that may have been because the hall wasn't that big, and the traders that were there seemed to be having quite a good day of it, although the butty van certainly had the most consistent queue of the day! Overall I wouldn't have said it was worth the 300+ mile journey, but as always it was good to have a bit of a chat with friends - oh and thanks Scott aka Smurf for the brew afterwards. On the strength of todays show - won't be going again!

can we see it out of the box please.

I've managed to pick up a few of those over the years, but I've never seen that particular version for Monden Rotterdam before. What is the part number on the box?

can we see it out of the box please.

Don't know about everybody else, but I have a list of my Holy Grails to find...well after a bit of tracking down (and getting ripped off by customs) I can now cross another one off the list, thanks to a nice bloke in America who decided he needed a bit more room in his loft! It won't end up looking like this, but I needed a base.

Yes I'll pm it to you, and anybody else who wants it.

Just been talking to Harold, everything is going ahead nicely for the 20th November at Rheged, Penrith. The venue is all booked and sorted. Looking forward to seeing all the usual crowd there, and hopefully some new faces as well. Entry forms will be sent out within the next week, but if yours doesn't arrive then please contact Harold via the forum.

It promises to be as good a show as ever, as it is getting bigger and better every year. All the best with it Harold.

1:16 scale County 754 off Dave Purdue today. Superb model as usual. Well done Dave & Amanda, and thanks for the brew.

Just made a few purchases today:

1:16 Universal Hobbies County Super 4

1:45 Gama tracked Loading Shovel - boxed, unusual and very nice

2 Britains Ford 5000's from scrap boxes for conversions

1 Bruder mini JCB Fastrac (for playing with!!!)

2 sets of wheels and a towing chain from Nigel Ford

Also picked up the Tractor World 7810 for our good friend Chris Whitehead

and last but not least.....1 JCB colouring book to share with the Granddaughter!!

Oh and Hazel also bought a pair of shoes and a handbag - just like Sue!

Just finished this for a friend.. Nuffield Bray 10/60 (ScaleDown) with a scratchbuilt Cookes 2 speed winch attached.

Thanks everybody for the congratulations , its a nice way to end the year .As for the small pair of jcb overalls Bill ,his dad might have something to say about that as he is a big David Brown fan ,hopefully i can try and educate him .Roger and Val Newark should be a good show to bring him to for his first show ,thanks again to everyone and a Happy New Year to you all and hope to see you all soon .

New grandson arrived yesterday..met him today for the 1st time..say hello to the next generation of tractor drivers..Charlie Thomas 8lb 5oz

hi bill hope your ok . me and hazel will be there along with chris , lynn and paul whitehead along with other members of the ribble valley model club .brian holmes usually goes . its a good little show so something to look forward to .

Great show again this year. It seemed like there was a good amount of people through the doors, so with a bit of luck, Harold should be able to make a donation to his chosen charity with the proceeds.

Barry and Steve on the UTS stand, and Holly and Frazer on their Holly Loves Toys stand, all seemed to have a good day, and hopefully it was worth their whiles to make the very long journey way up North!

As has been said previously by other show attendees, its always good to put faces to names, and to meet up with friends old and new.

All round - a good weekend!

Well done that man. So where will 'base' be then Hazel/Damian and for how long? I bet he had a very modest grin when he was told to fall out. Well done again to you all, the support and encouragement is what these men of our nation need.

Cheers Tris , you're right there, they do need all the support they can get.

He will be based at Harrogate fro the next 42 weeks, then Catterick for 14 weeks then Cyprus until his regiment go on tour, which will probably be Afganistan if we are still there.

And boy oh boy do they all look like soldiers as well... I wouldn't fancy messing with any of that lot    .. what a proud moment it must be for you all.

And... and... I resisted saying something stupid like... "He did well to stand there with that arrow stuck in his thigh bone"  :D

Well it's got to be said mate - they're ard as nails 'cos they're from Yorkshire....and this lot are only 16 - imagine them in 2 years time after full training.....better watch out Taliban !!!

Went over the hill to Harrogate to see our son passing into The Yorkshire Regiment....a very proud moment. Got him home for a week now...

Stand by your beds you northern weirdos as the UTS bandwagon is coming to Penrith  *

Google maps recons 7hrs in the van without stops including picking up the dodgy sidekick (haven't told him yet)  ;D

Just waiting for my smelly lovely secretary to confirm that Harold can fit our stomachs and models in somewhere 

Better make it a pie each then this time just for making the effort eh!! It'll be good to see you up there, its just getting better...