Untitled

Wicksteed at Warwick

The International Model Boat Show

2011

This is the third year that Wicksteed Park Model Boat Club have attended this show and it was for all concerned, we thought, the busiest to date.

Well, the show got off to a wobbly start on set-up day - too many boats and too little stand space, but a quick word with Christ Deith and we almost doubled our space within fifteen minutes, all dressed and ready to go.

For the Wicksteed Club the show was a total success. We displayed a good selection of boats from Bob Maggs's massive `HMS Illustrious' to Rob Mitchells' diminutive trawler `Little Puffer'.

Terry Stagg seemed to be on the go all the time showing off his novelty boats and of course, `Simon the Shark'.

Our chief Photographer and fellow boat builder John Pates, was in attendance for the three days and Angela was there to help out. His Empire tug `Flying Tempest' was popular with many modellers due to the level of detail and the quality of the painting he had lavished on the model.

The `RAF Launches' section had two boats on the stand - HMS Gnat and HMS Velocity - their builders Steve and Nick (the lad) Brown regularly plough a deep furrow across the club lake, joined with Bob Maggs to field enquiries about their building techniques and the background to their boats.

The very neatly presented yacht `Sparrow' was shown by Bob Baker and Arnold Franklin had his customs boat `Vigilant' on display. Both of these attracted favourable comments from fellow builders and sailors.

Dennis Hubble, as usual, had some cracking boats on display with `Misty Blue', a much improved Cauldercraft Sea Queen and the `Gin Palace'.

Both Dennis and I had our aluminium launches on display, his was still painted in its original colours and my one that had been stripped. Such was the interest in these boats that I almost talked myself hoarse over the three days.

For my part, I decided to show my Marten Howes and Baylis `Vigilant' as a build in progress and `Emerald' a green (in colour) version of the MHB `Topaz' steam launch together with the armed trawler `Osprey'.

In conclusion then, a show stand that the Wicksteed Park Model Boat Club members can be very proud of and a display that attracted many favourable comments from other clubs and fellow builders and sailors in general, and I for one, am already looking forward to next year.

A big thank you to all concerned.

Paul Millers