Warley 2020

Well, that's the big tree felled. 

I had a tip-off yesterday, but the website here was still showing that all was OK. The facebook page however was a little more up to date and showed that the show 'has been postponed until 2021'. The ramifications for the model trade must be huge as Warley is used for launches and to give the public a chance to 'fondle the fruit'. I suspect that much of the reasoning may be down to accommodation. Putting that many traders and exhibitors up for two days is quite a feat in normal times, let alone when there are so many question marks still hanging over the hospitality sector. That's without considering the show itself and I hinted at this in my recent RM Comment page; would they actually get the footfall that they needed to cover the not inconsiderable costs involved?

On a personal level it's irritating. It was highly unlikely that I would be attending in person due to panto clashes (though that too is still unbooked). However the O gauge layout was. In fact its whole design was based around fitting it on the PECO stand at the show. Although I still have a copy deadline to hit for the November issue of RM, it is now feeling flat. Does this deadline now exist? If so why, if the layout isn't going? That means I'm now rushing to meet a deadline... for a magazine that was featuring a show... that now doesn't exist. 

Another cancellation two days ago (Dorking) means that for me there is now one show left standing - Newhaven  at the end of October with Hopwood. If I were a gambler I wouldn't be throwing wads of cash at that happening either.