The Model Show is ready to go.
This coming Saturday and Sunday, 10.00 to 4.00pm 1st and 2nd July, Whitianga
Trains, planes, boats, ships, Lego, miniature houses, matchbox toys, porcelain dolls.
These will constitute 23 different exhibits from 16 model experts in Mercury Bay this coming weekend. It will fill the Town Hall in Monk Street, Whitianga.
This is the Model Show’s sixth display in eight years, with a break in 20-21 because of Covid. It’s better than ever and it’s this weekend.
The Mercury Bay Model Railway Club is hosting this very popular Model Show. All seven members are displaying their own layouts and models, some of which include radio-controlled planes and boats as well as the trains.
Principal organiser, Damon Christensen, is presenting five of the 23 exhibits. Damon is a true expert in modelling. He has been doing it since he was seven. ‘I began fiddling with trains then and I have always enjoyed the lighting and sound aspect and doing my own layouts. I’ve been doing some touch -up work on my locomotives for this exhibition and I am very happy with the control box which has a lot of features - all done and configured in an old barbecue set box.”
Damon has also modelled for the Mercury Bay Museum creating the miniature replica of Whitianga township in 1940 which is on display at present. As soon as this model exhibition is concluded, he will be preparing the starry sky, for their upcoming Matariki exhibit at the Museum. No to be idle, Damon recently completed a scale model of St Andrew’s By The Sea church for their 125 year celebrations.
When he was asked, ‘Why this model exhibition? So much work!’ “We do this to encourage parents and children to look into the hobby of modelling. Trains are cool with their chassis and different powered engines, and the way you can control the lighting and sound. But really you can do anything in modelling from miniature people and trees to spaceships. It requires focus and its fun and you don’t need to put your screen (phone or pad) away because you need to do research on how to make things. In the end, it is something you made, not someone else.” says Damon.
Model Show add-ons:
· A sales table for people to buy stuff.
· A ‘People’s Choice best Exhibit Award’ – you get to vote.
· Kids colouring in competition. A table will be set out ready for children at the Model Exhibition, to colour in on site. The prizes for the Colouring Competition are kindly donated by Coromandel Hobby Supplies, Tairua. The colouring in can also be downloaded from the Website: mbmrc.org.nz (Mercury Bay Model Railway Club) but is also available from The Informer office in 14 Monk Street, Whitianga. (See adjacent image)
· Owner/Manager of Coromandel Hobby Supplies - Michelle will be at the Show with models to make and build for sale.
Whitianga Lions Club will sell you your Model Show tickets at the Town Hall and some of the proceeds will be going to Project Mammogram. Children $3, Adults $6, Family Ticket $15.
The informer visited the home of Ken and Trish Gibson just to get a further picture of what Model Show visitors might experience. Ken is one of the major exhibitors.
A full working model of trains with station, village and countryside was all lit up, filling the floor space of their extra garage. Hanging above were large scale model planes and across to the wall were boats all made by Ken. The trains’ village layout was completely contrived and created from recycled bits and pieces - bottle tops, cloth, pieces of plastic, matchboxes, match sticks. In the beautiful spacious entry of their home sits an encased scale model of the Titanic which Ken will bring as well. He smiles, “I was allowed to keep this here if I promised to put small LED lights in it – otherwise Trish thought it didn’t look good enough for the hallway.” That’s exactly what Ken did.
“I am looking forward to the Exhibition,” says Ken. “Bex Cox is a Lego collector, and she is going to have some on display at the Show, and Lindsay from Autopoint will have models there as well.”
Website: mbmrc.org.nz
(Mercury bay model railway club) Colouring in competition.
Caption: One Ken Gibson's miniature models from his model railway village.