OMG! I am stuffed. Wednesday we had an Operations Session on Cassino where 7 guys turned up. Thanks for Geoff for assisting with North Coast Control, while the guests ran trains and I assisted. Friday was layouts viewing sessions from 10:00 until 2:00pm. That was followed by the Convention Welcome Social at the Calamvale Hotel. I had a good amount of fun with the included food and drinks. Friday it got real serious. Early on I registered my 4 model entries and the 90mm cap challenge. I gave 1 presentation and 3 hands on clinics in a row. Then I was able to listen to three presenters. Then we had to scurry home, to then head back out to Anthony Palmer’s place for pizza and an Operations Session along with Darren and Marty and a few others and special guests Dave, Teddy and Pete Abeles. That went to a reasonable time. That day was the day that I actually Retired and it was also my birthday on that day. They sang Happy Birthday at the Convention. It was great to meet Dave Abeles.
Saturday was the conference on steroids. I was down for 2 presentations and 3 more hands on clinics and was able to attend two sessions by others. I had a good talk to Dave Abeles and I was able to share my Layout Rules of Operation with him, from which he obtained immense pleasure. At the end of the day's sessions it was home, shower and back out to the Conference Dinner at the Calamvale Hotel Rooftop Room. What a great view! Nice food and a gain a reasonable long night. I think I picked up three first prizes, and a second prize from my four models. I didn’t finish in the top 3 popular in the 90mm cap challenge. It is easy to come first when you are the only person in that category.
After 5 hours sleep, I was back at the Convention, Picked up one attendee at a bus stop down the road and gave him a lift. I then gave 2 more presentations, attended two other sessions, picked up a prize of a T-Shirt in the rolling raffle and then listened to the Plenary Session, and then had a select few learned gentlemen (3 x MMRs) back at my place (7 actually) for a tour of the layout. Then after they left and then with the fridge completely empty, around to the BWS with my son to replenish the fridge. That has now taken care of my medicinal requirements up to about Christmas.
I might get a few extra hours sleep tonight, before I have some more layout tours guests on Monday morning before I get to be able to go out and visit a couple of other layouts that are open for viewing on Tuesday.
What a long weekend of activities. As I said, I’m completely shagged. I was able to talk to many overseas modellers – New Zealand, Tasmania, Bribie Island, Canada and America. People there were also from New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. We had people from Cairns and Townsville and many other places in northern and western Queensland. The overwhelming response from people was, that it was a fantastic Convention and they learned things from it. I enjoy being able to teach some MMRs new tricks when I tell them how I do certain modelling tasks.
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