The Fen Model Show
Part 2
26th and 27th July 2025
So in part one I said almost all that I wanted to say really, however I would like t add a couple of thoughts I’ve had since being at the show and rushing off a piece of text to go with the pictures.
Nothing bad to say, no regretful feelings or misgivings that need adding about the show having had the chance to think things over.
Quite the opposite in fact, and the thoughts are more to do with the decline – particularly here in the north of the UK – in the amount of shows that the modeller has the choice to attend.
In the old days ( OK, not quite that they were in sepia and I travelled in a newfangled Model T Ford ) there seemed to be a lot of shows on the calendar up here in the North of England – Hartlepool, Sunderland, Washington, Barrow, Huddersfield, Wirral to name just six off the top of my head.
With recent news pointing to the White Rose model show held in Easingwold probably not continuing, it points to a serious loss to our hobby.
Add in the fact that FigureWorld lost it’s venue, Euro Militaire lost it’s support, and even some of the southern shows have dropped off the calendar in recent years points to an ageing community where those able to or willing to organise shows in the past are simply not willing to continue shouldering the burden.
So is it all bad news ?
Well, no, it isn’t BUT…..
There are one or two “new” shows that have appeared over the last four or five years – Skipton ran it’s first show in 2025, Leeds had a show that saw the return of some of the Huddersfield organisers to the fray, Keighley has returned after Covid stopped everything that involved people meeting up, and in the case of this article, the Fen Model Show looks good the be here to stay.
But these shows need our support by attending, displaying if there’s enough space and entering the competition even if you feel you’re just making up the numbers.
Standing on the sidelines or commenting on the internet to bemoan the lack of “Your Type” of model ( you can fill in what type that might be ) helps no one, especially the show organisers.
If you make ‘em, then why not take ‘em.
My thrust here is to support the shows that are here now, new shows and established ones, because otherwise they might disappear. Use ‘em or lose ‘em is totally real in this case.
And as a final plea, if you enjoyed a show, why not publicise it online, oh and perhaps before leaving the venue, catch one of the people putting tables and chairs away and thank them for their efforts – you’d be really surprised by how much this little gesture of appreciation makes the hard work seem worth it.
I’m going to try harder to get myself organised and take pictures at the events I attend, and get them up here, something I’ve been remiss about for the last few years. Call it a belated New Year’s resolution.
Oh and yes, just to qualify, Fen Model Show, very good, but giving it your support could make it even better.
OK, I’ll put the soap-box away and go back to painting bits of plastic, resin and white metal and leave you with these pictures of the Master's Classes int he competition, beginning with the Master's Figures.
Master's Class Vehicles
