What have I let myself be roped into here then!?! Larkrail 2026, a thoroughly enjoyable day talking to many of you, catching up with old friends, putting faces to names and enjoying meeting several new wonderful individuals - a rather fantastic experience and well worth the journey…
Hosted by the warm and generous Simon Castens at his home, I drove down on Friday and after dropping the layout off in the shop so it didn’t cook during the day met up with Mick and Yvonne at Simon’s for a spot of lunch. Lovely to meet such friendly warm people, with a real connection to Iain after working on the book. The evening saw my good friend and business partner Steve arrive despite buckled rails to help setup before joining us for dinner at Chez Castens.
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| Myself, Jerry, Simon and Clinker on Friday night at close of setup. Thanks to Steve for the photo! |
Saturday started early after a tough night with very hot temperatures. I’ve never met such a wonderful group of people in a few short hours. The day started well when Matt (builder of the Lebanese layout, who was also a Bath local) suggested coffee!
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| Matt’s wonderful layout set in Lebanon. |
As the throngs began to arrive and the queue for Cameo’s extended so many familiar faces and some new ones all wanting to talk and what a gift, a superlative filled day in that manner. Simon sold so many books he had to go back and pick up fresh stock, and I talked so much I nearly missed lunch.
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| Pete’s shades of Lochdubh… |
As the day wore on new faces continued to appear, old customers and potentially new ones spending a few moments longer to talk as things calmed down. Towards the end of the show blog regular Tom offered, or was perhaps ‘forced’ into taking the helm and who then encouraged some members of the audience to get involved. Fantastic energy for the hobby, from all, but the conversation with Tom was one of the highlights. Thanks you for the book too, Tom!
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| Llanastr, the OG. |
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| Simon’s evolving sewage works. |
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| My Manning Wardle on Will’s lovely Rye. |
Come half four and the whole thing was wrapped up in an hour and a half and we were sat in the pub beer garden and the good conversation continued into the evening. Especially good to meet Will in person - a younger chap I hope to encourage into authoring something in due course. Later Pete and Tom, both familiar faces were good company along with Matt again - whose energy and creativity I found very infectious too… back to Simon’s with Clinker for some dinner and a well deserved rest.
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| Coalbridge Street looking all grown up, on Friday evening. |
Today we’re off to see Jerry and the cohort staying with him for a brunch before people head for home. I however will be back at Simon’s where we hope to do some work on the railway, if it’s not too hot, and have a relaxing afternoon before I head back home on Monday.
If I saw you and haven’t mentioned you, I’m sorry. I valued each and every conversation yesterday. I could barely talk by 4.30pm! Great you could all make it, I hope you enjoyed the show. My first Larkrail, probably not my last. Until next time, more soon…
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A great day and lovely to spend some relaxed time operating Coalbridge Street.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the help!
DeleteHi James, it was a great day, mega hot temperature in the hall but good to finally meet up! I think I made a bit of a mess switching Coalbridge street but I've taken home alot of ideas, and thank you for the chance to operate the layout. Penpont is settling into it's new home already, I'm the proud owner of a James Hilton original! Have a safe journey home. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your help, Tom and your company, I felt I had known you a long time already and wonderful to meet in person.
DeleteHi James. Just a line to say I really enjoyed (studying) Coalbridge. The lack of conventional framing was intriguing, and well worth a go. Plus it was good to meet somebody whose approach to point control matches my own, simple.
ReplyDeleteThe show itself was top notch. Normally a conventional show will have 4 or so layouts that float my boat. Larkrail was just wall to wall. Well worth the trip from Devon. (Though the real life railway was a nightmare for the journey home).
Bestest of wishes and all that old malarkey.
K
Sounds like a successful show all round, glad you enjoyed it and that Coalbridge street and my approach appealed too…
DeleteNice to see from your photographs that Llanastr is still around.
ReplyDeleteTired, but still around. Nice to see it and surprisingly compact in the flesh. Hilight for me was Matt’s Lebanese project, alongside perhaps Will’s Rye and Pete’s Kyle…
DeleteGreat to meet you James and to see Coalbridge St up close, brilliant!
ReplyDeleteIt was a wonderful show as always
Roger.
Thank you Roger, yes it was great to put a face to a name!
DeleteIt was great to properly meet you James, along with Tom and Jonathan of Ribbons fame. Coalbridge Street was even better in the flesh, and I’ve come away feeling renewed after, frankly, a bit of a slump in motivation!
ReplyDeleteWill
Fantastic news! I shall keep sending you photos of North American shortlines…
DeleteGood to chat with you briefly on Saturday, Coalbridge St is a superb micro, that Code 55 rail really makes a difference in replicating the lighter rail on shortlines. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThank you Alan, it was something I’d long wanted to try and it worked spectacularly well on this project! Good to meet you too!
DeleteI've made a note on my modelling calendar to try and visit this show next year. At this point in the year my modelling engine always needs a bit of a kick-start.
ReplyDeleteIt would be good to see some of James' work in the flesh so to speak.
Perhaps see you next year! I’m at Uckfield with the layout again in October.
DeleteIt was a really superb exhibition, and well worth the long hot drive south. There wasn't a layout that didn't impress, and with cameo layouts being the theme I felt genuinely inspired to try something new in the future. The layout set in Beirut during the civic war in the 1980s was quite extraordinary (and sad, to see the destruction and know that the line didn't survive much longer). Llanastr was a treat - I'd long admired it from afar. And Rye Sands (hi Will..!) was as good as the photos in your recent book, James. And very nice to see Coalbridge in all is brilliant simplicity. The new Cameo Layouts book is proving a great read (some lovely new photos), and I'm very much looking forward to the Weathering book (good to see a preview...). All in all, a real treat to spend two hours in the company of so many great (and friendly) modellers, not least Tom Lloyd, who is a great contributor to this blog.
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it all just wonderful! It’s a long way for me too, but I’m so glad I made the effort to get down to Bath. Perhaps I’ll go again and take something new next year too… and hopefully we can catch up this summer…
DeleteSounds like an absolutely fantastic day James! Great to hear that you were able to catch up with so many friends, both old and new. No doubt a tiring day, but I hope it was an inspiring one too.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Yes a wonderful but tiring day.
DeleteThis was my first visit to Larkrail and what a treat.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately other events and the heat prevented me from staying longer.
But I liked that Llananstr and Rye Sands were put next to each other, showing old and new. Although I think that anyone new to the hobby would be able to spot that without serious study.
It was nice to see Coalbridge Street in the flesh.
A masterpiece of minimalisation!
I feel inspired to dust off that North American stock I aquired many years ago and build something similar. CN but somewhere north of the 'Couve, or perhaps far to the east where the bagpipes play...
I look forward to seeing progress! Glad you could make the show, it sounds like you found it worthwhile.
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