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Oxton Village Hall Main Street, Oxton, Southwell, NG25 0SA Car Park, Main Hall, Back Room and Kitchen |
History and Dates
Following the closure of NMMG and the subsequent loss of the Oxton meetings - I've set up a new Meccano group called 'Oxton Meccano Gathering' or OMG for short - Oxton Village Hall booked for 2 meetings next year
Saturday 25th April 2026
Saturday 19th September 2026
Just bought a new teapot to serve your cups of tea with - and a new waste bin to throw your rubbish into - all saves time and energy on washing up.
Linda has come up with the idea of a Raffle - this would be before the Auction - the idea is to keep everyone at the meeting as long as possible and keep everyones interest up - so what prizes do you want - bottle of brandy or a No 10 Meccano set (lol) - Linda's grand daughter Savannah will be the perfect person (she might be only 9 but she is great) not only to collect all your empty cups and plates (don't forget the cheap refills) but the perfect person to wander around selling you Raffle tickets - and folding them all up - might have to bribe her!
I'm funding both meetings at my own expense (approx £250 per day) so I'm going to need all the support you can give me - astonisingly I've received 3 donations - £50 from an ex-pat Meccanoman in Malaysia and £30 from a disabled Meccanoman who cannot now get to meetings - and today another £25 from a current Meccanoman - so finances already looking good.
Another donation of £50 was received at yesterday's meeting of Midlands Meccano Guild (11th October) - £155 total so far - it is overwhelming at times - as was the positive response to the new group from many members of MMG
And another donation of £50 today (14th October) - £205 total so far - I've really gone and done it this time! - will now definitely order new mugs for the kitchen at Oxton - away with those tiny cups and saucers.
And another £50 today (15th October) - £255 total so far - need to set up a business bank account asap - done
And another £20 today (18th October) - £275 total so far
And with sadness, another £250 donation from the sale of the late Philip Webb's extensive magazine collection (plus nuts and bolts) - donated by Jane his widow in his memory - £525 total so far
Essentially the idea is to continue the excellent Oxton format with a few minor alterations - times will be 9.00 am to 5.00 pm - tables will be set up and put away by the caretaker - there will be no electricity for models in the middle isles (safety) so please use dry batteries - the kitchen will be operated my wife Linda (assisted by Emma (daughter) and Savannah (grand daughter)) - no use of stage (unnecesary and expensive) - 3 dealers so far namely Mick, Tom and me
There will have to be some charges for modellers, visitors and dealers - since you have all saved £25 on NMMG subscriptions this year this should not be a problem - initial thoughts (under review) are £5 per modeller, £3 per visitor (or couple) and £10 per dealer - Lynda and Rob Kirk will sign you all in at the admin table to collect names and donations - Paul Robertshaw and Peter Harris have volunteered to take model photos - and son Robert will hopefully man my trading table.
I plan to use the website for information and photos of models displayed at OMG - any suggestions welcomed
Contact me with your ideas on johnthorpes@btconnect.com or phone 0777 2927706
Linda has certainly got the bit between her teeth - she has always loved to cook - but past 15 years if she cooked I'd just eat it all.
We have already bought 100 x disposable large cups and 200 x plates (so no washing up) - drinks include tea, coffee and cappuccinos - 50p a large cup but only 40p for a re-fill if you bring your cup back - usual sandwiches of ham, chicken, tuna, sausage rolls all home made - but I thought of pizza slices as well - definitely chocolate, sponge and carrot cakes - and date slices (my favourite) - have you got a favourite suggestion?
A couple of people have suggested an Auction to keep the Gathering flowing - not too late so that people do not leave early (say 2.00 pm) - Matthew McCallum has kindly volunteered to run the Auction - apparently he is very swift at getting through the lots - so please do bring any substantial items you want to sell - no rubbish please and it must be Meccano!
And my good friend John Bader (one of the few!) has volunteered to be the porter and will hold up the lots,
How to Build a Eurofighter - A comprehensive write up of my model - click here
How to Build a Mechanical Horse - A comprehensive write up of my model - click here
How to Fly a Eurofighter - Video by Tim Surtell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-JPoiw6EP4
How to Ride a Mechanical Horse - Video by Tim Surtell - http.//youtu.be/Yhj1Nll8KVY
 https://www.Free-Counters.org
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