Well the Bolton IPMS show is usually the first show of the year. In 2025 it wasn't. On Saturday we drove the 25 or so miles up to Hornby HQ and the 'Airfix' Visitor Centre (now 'rebranded' 'The Wonder Works') for their first ever model show and the first show of 2025. There were five or six clubs in attendance, including East Kent, Faversham, Medway, Gravesham and Medway Veterans,with free tea and coffee for those displaying their models and food at 50% discount! The place was packed. In fact space was at a premium with only a couple of tables allocated to each club which made for a rather cluttered display - there were ten members of our club vying for room alone! At one point every table in the Hornby cafe was occupied. Perhaps not surprisingly there were a few nice Airfix builds on show, including the 48th scale Buccaneer, Gannet, Bulldog and Blenheim and their large 72nd scale Vulcan. We learnt too incidentally that the new-tool Lysander had just arrived in the warehouse next door - but noted that it was not yet in the shop - pre-orders and sales outlets first apparently. Here's a few of the tables/models that caught my eye..
a wide view of our two tables - Simon's USS Texas yet to make an appearance, although his big Vulcan is there at the far end. A better view of that down below...(stay tuned for more pics to be added..)
A view of one wall of the Airfix/Hornby shop at their Visitor Centre in Margate, Kent!
