Please be aware that the Chelmsford Model Club currently have no meetings planned and no upcoming events due to the COVID crisis.
We had been planning to attend “Scale Model World” in Telford in November and the “Shoeburyness Model & Railway Show” also in November but both events have been cancelled.
Please keep visiting this page for updates.
Club member Eric Dyke, a master ship modeller, sadly passed away on the morning of June the 4th 2020. Eric was one of the most outstanding ship modellers of his generation. Eric won the Lord Mountbatten trophy for ship modelling three times at the “Model Engineering Exhibition” at Alexandra Palace and was presented with the trophy by the Earl himself. Eric has won trophies at almost every venue he attended including golds at “Scale Model World” in Telford. Eric mostly scratch built waterline ships to a scale of 1/192 though for a bit of light relief he’d occasionally build a tank or plane from a kit. Eric was a much published author contributing chapters to a number of modelling books including “Building Model Warships” and had been a regular contributor to “Model Shipwright” until it ceased publication. Eric was always very generous with his time and praise and this meant that he gathered a great many friends from the shows he visited on an extremely regular basis. A number of Her Majesties ward rooms were kitted out with models of Eric’s and he was a friend of at least one admiral to my knowledge having met him on our last visit to HMS Defender on 2014. Eric was a decorated war veteran having being wounded while serving as an artillery spotter in Korea. Eric also served in Hong Kong and he would sometimes make models depicting vehicles from this time there. After his National Service Eric served aboard a cable ship and after leaving that job became a male nurse eventually becoming head nurse for England. Eric celebrated his 90th birthday in February. Eric leaves a wife Patricia whom he met while nursing and two daughters. He will be sorely missed.
Please be aware that for obvious reasons there will be no club meeting on Tuesday the 14th of April. There will be no club meetings at least until the governments advice changes. A message will be posted on this web site when meetings are to recommence. Until then please be safe and follow the governments advice. Happy modelling.
Every March the Chelmsford Model Club holds the “Dave Heywood” trophy in honour of one of our former members. As Dave was particularly interested in aircraft the theme of the competition is aircraft or aircraft related. This covers a pretty broad range of subjects so you could have the obvious models of planes or perhaps pilot figures. Other options might be an aircraft carrier, RAF rescue launch, fuel bowser or even a radar tower ! Whatever the modeller chooses as long as there is a tenuous link to aviation then it’s allowed. The winner gets to keep the trophy which is a sculpture of a spitfire joystick top, for a year. This years proud winner was our own club chairman Bob with his stunning 1/32nd scale “Glouster Gladiator MK1”. In second place was Ulrichs impressive “Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito V2” and in third place was Jens with his excellent “F-14A Tomcat”. Thanks to all who entered the competition and hopefully we will see all of you there next year. Stay safe, stay at home and make models. Happy modelling.
Please be aware that for obvious reasons of public health “Southern Expo 2020” has been cancelled. This is a great shame as it was a great show and this was going to be the last one. I hope that some time in the future it will come back.
February usually sees a large selection of models on display. This maybe because people have a bit more time over Christmas and the new year or the weathers bad so folks stay in a bit more. Another reason might be that new toys have been received over Christmas or that with a month off for everyone in January we just have an extra months worth of models to display. Whatever the reason there was a record number of interesting and varied models this month. I think that one of Chelmsford Model Clubs great strengths is the shear variety of scales and subjects and this was clearly shown in February.
This months winner was Mr Phil Lloyd with his excellent 1/35th scale Tommys War World War One figure. In 2nd place was new member Andy Wrights excellent 1/35th scale Tiger I tank. Third place went to Colin McAuliffes excellent Star Wars Star Destroyer with scratch built lighting. Well done to the many who entered and next months competition is for the Dave Heywood trophy so there should be a bonanza of aircraft related entries. Until next time happy modelling.
If it’s January it means it’s the Chelmsford Model Club “Modeller Of The Year” competition. This competition has had a few different formats over the years but currently the winners of each of the monthly competitions come together in January to go head to head. Every member of the club votes for their first, second and third choice with points being awarded and totalled at the end. The winner gets to keep a trophy for a year and there’s a £10 prize too. This years winner was Mr John McDermott with his Tamiya 1/350 scale Bismark that had won the February competition. In 2nd place was Mr John Tebbutts village diorama “Pinta, Posta & Paint” that had won the November competition. Bringing up the rear was Mr Colin McAuliffes 1/35th scale diorame of a ZIS42 half track truck ? Towing a Russian 100mm gun. Well done to all.
Next month will be an open competition so bring anything you like just as long as it hasn’t been down before ! Happy modelling.
It’s that time of year again where we’re looking forward to presents and bad weather. At the Chelmsford Model Club we also look forward to the Christmas buffet and the “Soni” competition. The theme of the competition is a light hearted “what if” in honour of one of our former club members that was taken from us much too early. There was a good number of excellent entries in this years competition with the winner ( not for the first time this year ) going to Mr Dave Oliver for his very imaginative vignette titled “You Go First” . In second placed was Tony Headdons’ hand carved “Dwarf Warrior” painted by Dave Oliver. Tony often carves figures and they are the ones often displayed on this site though usually not painted. An excellent 1/48th scale “what if” German jet fighter “TA183” by Stewart Page was placed third. Thanks to all who entered. The staff at the “Horse & Groom” Galleywood provided an excellent buffet and Brian was presented with the “Fat Totem” award for helping out so often this year at the club stand at various shows around the country. Bob presented Dave Oliver with the “Soni Trophy” as you can see in the first picture. See the bottom of the page for details of next months competition, Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.
Next months competition is our “Modeller Of The Year” so only models that have won in the last twelve months are eligible to enter so you should be able to see the following models in January. Everyone else can take a well deserved break so no excuses for not having a full table in February.
(December) Dave Olivers “You Go First”
(November) John Tebbutt “Village Diorama”
(October) Colin McAuliffe ZIS42 with 100mm anti tank gun
(September) If anyone knows who won that month then please tell as I was away on holiday ! Apologies
(August) Jens 1/48th scale F16A
(July) Bobs Lancaster diorama
(June) Keith Jacksons 1/35th scale WWI tank and crew
(May) Dave Olivers “Reaper Fire Giant Jailer”
(April) Phils Heinkel 219 UHU
(March) Phils Horton 229
(February) Johns Bismark
Novembers competition was an open competition so build and bring anything. Not a huge number of entries this month so maybe Scale Model World took it’s toll on our building efforts ? What the competition lacked in quantity was made up for in it’s variety so without any further ado here are the results. In first place was John Tebbutt with his village diorama in 1/43rd scale titled “Pinta, Post & Paint”. Second place went to Dave Oliver with his 1/35th scale M26 Pershing tank and in third was Nigel Grooms sculpture of Rita Hayworth as the character “Hilda”. Well done to all who entered.
Next month is our “What If” competition that has a light hearted theme so for instance you could have a Ford Gran Torino in Metropolitans Police colours. December is also the month when we have a buffet meal provided by the club so you don’t have to have your tea first unless you are a bit greedy that is 🙂
