I was enjoying the heavy metal music until some heavily tattooed chap jumped on me and gave me a spiders web on my elbow. I had a good morning high with adrenaline, but where were the engines?
Chris, I too went into the wrong entrance at first, but a steward grabbed me and explained that I was queuing for tattooing. I guess he thought I looked a bit out of place!
Thanks for the photos, Peter. A guy on another forum took some, too:
http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm256/stuartwinsor/Manchester_Show/They are mixed in with shots of the nearby Bridgewater canal; he was interested in the world's first and and only swinging aqueduct built in the 1890's to take the Bridgewater over the Manchester Ship Canal, so he took a look at it while in the area.
I thought it wasn't bad, for a first show at that venue. Compared to our other show in Northern England (Harrogate) the models were rather limited in scope. Mainly locos, model railway layouts and planes. There weren't many traders; I like looking round their stalls as much as I do envying the skills of others. The hall was much roomier than Harrogate, so much less jostling.
Plenty of people there, and hopefully that made it a success for the organisers, exhibitors and traders so we will see more shows there in the future, and they will build up in variety.
Andy