Model shows, and particularly model boat shows, are thin on the ground these days, as many of the long-established shows have sadly fallen by the wayside. I am, therefore, delighted the Blackpool Model Show continues – although, I hasten to add, not purely as a model boat show. The organisers have been savvy enough to realise that if events such as this are to survive, then they need to evolve and diversify in order to attract a much wider and larger audience.
Blackpool, therefore, now embraces scale trucks, armoured vehicles, heavy plant, etc, as well as various model engineering exhibits. However, while I appreciate both the commercial reasoning behind this, and the benefits of bringing the modellers of all persuasions together, naturally it is the model boats we shall be…