Saturday Outing - Model Trains, Lyle Kirk and Autumn Trees

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying Sunday.

In my last post I mentioned that the family was going to a Model Train Exhibition and hinted that there would be pics to follow ... well, as good as my word, here they are :)

These are two layouts that are Scottish based - Hunterston is a power station on the Firth of Clyde and the other has Glasgow tenements as its backdrop. 

This was a very long display showing the railway line meandering through beautiful countryside. There's even a river running by. Varnish was used to give the appearance of water. 

This layout has the Odeon cinema - a Roger Moore film was showing -  looking down on the rail track, and if you looked closely you could even see the sweet (candy) stall in the foyer.

It's a miniature world and absolutely delightful. I loved the attention to detail, tiny folk, animals, buses, cars, even Del Boy's little yellow Reliant Robin (Only Fools and Horses) advertising Trotter's Independent Trading was parked up in one display :) Men were at work on the lines, railway police were keeping an eye out for ne'er-do-wells and there was even ruined buildings, castles, churches, etc. to be seen in some of the layouts. One layout had a town centre featuring a floral bed surrounding a statue of the mayor, a parrot!

The EM was in his element ... chatting to the exhibitors and picking their brains for ideas for the display he plans to build once we've moved house. He has his eye on the spare bedroom!!!

My daughter and her two youngest thoroughly enjoyed the show too ... no sign of my SIL though, he was away with the EM, exploring, when these shots were taken.

The venue for the exhibition was Lyle Kirk, Greenock - one of three kirks called Lyle in the area and needless to say we got lost and went to the wrong kirk! However, a postman came to the rescue ... who better to ask for directions :) The inside of the kirk is beautiful - loved the stained glass window,  the organ pipes were massively impressive, and fabulous arches.  As for the ornate metal work that ran the length of the aisles, the central heating pipes run underneath ... both functional and good to look at.

Finally, I just had to show you these shots taken from the car on our way out of Greenock and on our way home. The colours of the trees that line the road are simply stunning ... at last! Autumn seems to have been a long time in coming this year but here it is now in all it's splendour.

So that was my day off yesterday ... great fun and we all had a super time together. We even had our photo taken by a newspaper (The Telegraph) photographer. The EM still has a long way to go before he converts me into a model railway enthusiast but I have to admit I was impressed with it all and would not be averse to going to the bigger exhibition at the SECC in Glasgow early next year :))

I hope you enjoyed these photos as much as we enjoyed our day out. A big thank you to all the exhibitors and the church volunteers who worked so hard to make it a super experience for everyone.

The worst of the packing is done so I think I can play hookey again this evening and see what I can do in the way of crafting using the somewhat limited resources I am now left with.

Take care and happy crafting,