Hillview

This layout is very realistic. I love the muddy field.

Has anyone any pictures of a Grimme GT 170 with picking table and canopy at the back? If so please pm me as I would be very interested in seeing them. Thanks.

It would be nice but when you take days off work, travel time, accomodation etc it would be too expensive. Irish farmers would support alot of shows, sales etc in the UK. Instead of us coming over to the mainland what about the mainlanders coming over to this wee island to support the shows here?

After a lot of experimenting with different items he used buttons for the wheels.

A few photos which Ciaran sent me during the build.

You are correct. Two day shows are the way to go. One day is too short to enjoy all the hard work you put into a diorama. Moira is 90% dioramas with 6-8 sellers. If you overcrowd it with sellers then it is not worthwhile for them to come. Moria is a diorama show and Spalding a selling show as you have said. However Moria needs a few sellers. This works well for sellers as visitors see a particular model on display and will decide to buy it. Have selling shows had their day with ebay etc? Sooner or later people will get tired of diorama shows as well. Zwolle works well as they have dioramas, scratchbuilt and standard models for sale.

Birmingham is alot more central than Spalding. Still a long drive for the Paddy Scotch and Paddy Irish men if they want to display.

I am very suprised by the low numbers for these shows. There are quite a few smaller shows in Ireland that would be attracting these kinds of numbers - Irvinestown, killead, Armagh etc. The show in Scotland seems to be getting good attendances. Can the Lakeland show be expanded as this is more central and convenient? People from Ireland and Scotland and Wales would be more likely to travel to it rather than to Spalding.

Are those attendance figures at the shows correct as they seem very low?

What attendance does the Lakeland show have in comparision to Spalding and Toytrac?

Thanks Bill.

I have been to Zwolle four times and plan on going again. I never thought such a show ever existed until I went. I was amazed at how huge this hobby is and the amount of scratch built and conversions on display. It is a couple of hours flight from Belfast and Dublin then another couple of hours on the train but it's definitely worth it. It's location and superb transport links make it as cost effective as travelling to a show in England or Scotland. I have never been to Spalding but I have seen plenty of photos. Unlike Zwolle there is nothing that would attract me to go to it. It looks more of a selling show. Being involved with Moira Show in Northern Ireland I have often asked myself "what makes a show stand out and make it worth going to?" If a show has something that bit special people will travel miles and hours to see it. Moira and Mitcheltown shows will have people travelling the full length of the country to take these shows in. This can be 4-5 hours. Then there are the diehards like Mr Softie who travels even greater distances. I know we are in an recession but very few people will travel to Ireland for model shows. I believe that there are a couple of shows in Ireland that are standing head and shoulders above anything in the UK. (Zwolle is no 1) I am not being big headed, I am just being honest. Speaking to many collectors, magazine editors etc, I always encourage them to visit shows in Ireland but its a struggle to get them to cross the Irish Sea.

A few photos of the MF 35. It doesn't have a diff lock. Can anyone know anything about Farm Mechanisation Co. Ltd, Cupar and Dunfermline?

Grain dryer made by Paul Savage.

Fendt Katana

It is originally Scottish. It has a 135 engine fitted. I will post more pictures again.

Young model builder Wilson Moore who makes gates etc made me the plant box. I am very well pleased with it. It even comes with slide out plant trays. Well done Wilson.

I'll have to think of something abit more difficult for Ciaran to build now.

Hopefully Ciaran will post up pictures during the build. Photos of the planter with Jan MF's and Robert Peter's MF 5455 and loader with front plant box.