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Trent Valley N American Modellers Show - Tickets

On Saturday I enjoyed a couple of hours at the DEMU Showcase in Burton-on-Trent, viewing some excellent layouts, spending a bit of cash, and getting the chance to talk to Hornby and Dapol representatives.

We had done our research and had seen that there was another show on our way home at Armitage so decided to make the most of our car travelling costs by calling in.

Information in the UK Models Shop Directory events website, showed admission prices at £3.50 for adults and £2 for concessions and accompanied children but a direct link to the groups own website showed the same price for adults but £2.50 for concessions and children. When we reached the venue, which we entered with some difficulty as there was no signage and we appeared to have to walk through a small community police office.

My friend and I are both in our late 60s so as he was paying the fuel costs, I was paying the admission fees for both events and proffered £5 at the ticket desk but was asked for £7.

I was told somewhat abruptly, that there were no concessions, and when I mentioned the price shown on their own website, there was no apology offered for the change in pricing policy. "No concessions" was repeated.

Regardless of the quality of the show, this experience made a very poor first impression, and it is doubtful if we will be going another year if the show is repeated.

I would have emailed the show organiser but unfortunately I cannot see any contact details on the website.

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Please excuse the fact that this does not strictly relate to the modelling of UK prototypes railways.

Riddles

Reply to
Riddles
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The organiser was the owner of this site. The link is on there , and do email him.....

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Reply to
47802

Snipped.

Thanks for the information. I have emailed Nick.

Reply to
Riddles

Model railway show websites are almost invariably rubbish:

  • They are at the cutting edge of hyperlocalism (what do you mean not everyone knows where St Fred's School is - all the club members went there?)
  • Tell you to upgrade Opera v94.9 to Netscape 0.1
  • Use weird forms of navigation. In Java or Flash. With frames. And have huge copyright notices obscuring everything, even though no-one sane would nick the content anyway
  • Are at more than one address, each with slightly different information
  • Are two years out of date

  • Have no dates, but the 2011 page is called 2005-show.html

  • Are done by "someone who knows about computers", and so don't work

  • Are written by the sort of people who once read in the Daily Express that young people is illitrite, so won't listen to anyone under 60 telling them what the red wiggly line under every second word means

  • REELY NEED SOME ADVICE on MaKinG TEH WORDS REEDABLE!!!!

  • Don't give useful and precise information on the venue

  • Don't allow for people travelling by public transport, or if they do they give useless information (sure, you could get the No 99 bus which stops outside. But it runs twice a day, on Tuesdays. The No 97 runs every 10 min and stops across the road)

  • Are done by committee, with a focus on internal rather than external matters

Reply to
Arthur Figgis

I nearly always try to tell people what really think in situations like that - as constructive criticism. Gives them the chance of doing something about it and depending on the response can decide if want to return.

I enjoyed a visit to DEMU, complained about the lack of steam layouts, but they recognised me and laughed - they asked why visit, to which replied shopping of course as only live a few miles away. Do like them as its always a friendly exhibition. Had a chat with the Edge's (Judith Edge) they had a sample of the second steam shunter thats under development - want one ! Had a good look at the Dapol LMS 10000 (real beauty) and a pleasant chat with a rep from the sponser shop - was very tempted to get one but think will wait for Rails/Bachmann.

CHeers, Simon

Reply to
simon

Do give us an update, Riddles, please.

Reply to
47802

What do Hornby and Dapol have to do with American N?

Reply to
MartinS

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