The excitement mounts! The first weekend in July is almost here. I have made the trek east for many years as a day visitor and photographer, but for the first time ever I am booked in as an exhibitor at Skegex, the mammoth Meccano show in the Embassy Theatre in Skegness. (5th – 7th July this year – see http://www.skegex.nmmg.org.uk)

First question: have I got the stamina? Time will tell! I always exhibited at Henley in the glory days of that show in the Town Hall, but that was a two-day show, and the latter end of the second day could sometimes drag on a little. Of course, it depended on the weather – the worse it was, the better the attendance as soggy parents sought somewhere under cover to take their bedraggled children. This weekend looks set to be fair but cool, or, as they say in Skegness – bracing! So we shall see. I may just need to pop out occasionally to get some natural light!

Secondly: have I got enough room? I’ve produced rather a lot of models trucks for a group display, so there is some question about the table space that would be required to do them justice. Still, being several items rather than one giant at least I can be flexible. Not all exhibitors come for every day, so gaps appear one day, congestion the next. To see what’s coming, check out

The third question is – will they all go in the one car? I haven’t actually tried that yet, so the moment of truth is rapidly approaching. I suspect some careful wrapping and packing will be required!

Lastly – will they survive the journey? One of the most famous phrases in Meccano is “Well, it worked all right when I left home!” But long journeys up motorways and across country roads shake all sorts of things loose, which is why the exhibitor always travels with a tool kit and a box of spares for running repairs – and also why we shall be setting up from Thursday in advance of the opening on Friday at 10am.

Last weekend Greg and I had a multi-hour photoshoot documenting the current set of models as only he can: they will appear on Flickr in due course. Look out for them there, or maybe I will even get to see you in Skegness? Until then, keep on trucking!