Thanks Norry for your comments. glad you enjoyed your day out and the M6 was a doddle,
To answer you and many others on different posts and correct a few misguided ones. The original show was run by the boat museum helped by the old committee, people like Dave Woolly, Alan Seddon to name but two, then over the years the committed changed and of late even had a husband and wife on it Mr Arthur and Jean Barlow. this committee sent rather terse recorded delivery letter to the museum in May of 2006 The museum now being owned by the Waterways trust. I have a copy of the letter for those that are interested but it upset the museum and as we had allready been in discussion with them over running the show, they felt in inappropriate to reply. Now dont get me wrong the committee has always helped run the show in organising clubs etc. they have however not had anything to do with the show funding and so on. All traders payed there money to the museum not a committee (and it wasn't passed on) your entrance fee was solely to the museum and at £7 ish was a little high. In the latter years Christine at the museum ran the traders and was the liaison with the committee as to what they wanted Tables etc for the boat club stands, again you are more than welcome to talk to Childwall Table hire who were paid by the museum not a committee. so as you can see the Museum ran the show, provided there venue with no charge (except internally) and took all the money. The committee organised the clubs and the events eg sailing and so on and effectively merely helped.
When the March show collapsed at the museum it was us that ran an event hastily at Northwich and we had by April realised (and you can talk to many a trader ) that August would not happen at the museum the reason mainly they had had some lottery funding and had expanded the exhibits making it impossible to fit the show on.
So as we had organised an event in March and bear in mind we have another business that is event management so its easy for us. With the museums agreement off the show went (they could get on with running a museum not a show) We agreed to 6 years at the epic but because of Hoylake on the Monday and all wanting to get home and spend a day with the family the consensus was to have the show on the Saturday and Sunday so this is how it came about. We even bought the show for a £1 you are welcome to look on companies house at the company formed to deal with the sale/purchase its called the model boat convention ltd and remains a dormant company for when needed,
We went to Messrs Barlow to ask if they wanted to continue helping run the clubs side of the show but they declined wanting to do there own thing at ironically a place not far from where we trade, a place we had looked at first and had even booked before finding the epic. the whole reason they didn't run the show there in August last years was we had it booked and by the time we cancelled it was to late for them but I obviously didn't want the clash, we actually provisionally booked it for two years but this year decided to cancel the booking sop they could run in August knowing they would only get the support of several clubs and a handful of traders. NOW we are still happy to let them come along and help and the offer is still there so both shows can be joined but help only as they had always done not run the entire event. The reason well 2 vans and a pile of equipment and too many chefs not enough cooks on a committee plus we do own the show name technically.
So step forward any one who can broker this so they come and help out again. you will find it a hard if not impossible task but you may go down in history if you achieve it.
It is also worthy of note the new 'one post' forum members that have all of a sudden found a voice to speak out on this subject after joining in the last few weeks are just done as propaganda from somewhat in my personal opinion spiteful minded individuals who are doing nothing for the hobby just ruining it whereas Norry did it right a thank you to whichever show because both worked hard to put it on whatever the politics and until those selfish individuals realise that, in my opinion they are a disgrace to the hobby.
Two final points the committee always said they wanted to run on there old dates the Sunday and Monday if they had stuck to this instead of copying us, if it has to continue this way every year would it not better, with the venue cost at Birchwood less than half that of epic it gives some idea of size, its not big enough for all, there is no upstairs anymore yet the traders are required to pay more at Birchwood than epic so whilst we freely admit to being a commercial venture who do not make a lot of money running the show the other show is run for profit as well not just by modellers for modellers, its modellers trying to create a business and again if you don't believe us ask the Blackpool guys there show makes a a very samll profit for the outlay and ahs even made losses I recall. I am sure one of them will appear even to confirm this
Anyway Thanks for a great attendance and support at Epic and I trust you enjoyed your show wherever eherever you went
Mark
Author
Topic: the 2 shows and the potted history (Read 6265 times)