The Hanslope Model Expo took place on 29th November 2009 at the Hanslope Village Hall, Hanslope, Buckinghamshire.
It was the first such event and because of that, no-one could be quite sure how it would be received?
It was not going to be a 'conventional' model show, (if such an animal exists!), in that it came out of suggestion by a resident of the Village of Hanslope, Mat Irvine, about putting on a display of models and props that he had dealings with during his time as a Visual Effects Designer for BBC Television. This initially was all it was to be, but colleague Paul Fitzmaurice of little-cars.com - suggested holding a limited 'swap meet' of kits as well - given that it was close to Christmas - and a time of buying of presents. Add to this David Jefferis, who had recently started the website scalemodelnews.com, and your then had the three organisers. The event was then dubbed the Hanslope Model Expo - rapidly shortened to HaMeX...
The Village Hall committee were very enthusiastic about this, agreeing to staff the event and provide refreshments. (And were asking about future events before we had even done the first!)
Advertising as done to the model magazines and surround model clubs, plus in the Village itself and the Sunday arrived much to the organisers intrepidation. In the end all the available tables were filled, and we even managed to squeeze in 1½ extra tables as well!
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Images show -
top row : general views of the Hall,
second : K-9 and Mat's daughter, Amy : the Liberator and two visitors
third : The lunar buggy and spaceships from MoonBase-3 - first time they have been displayed : happy members of the Northampton Model Club
fourth : left - organisors Mat Irvine and Paul Fitzmaurice (left & right), with trader Steve Hide, of SCN Hobbies, in between : right - David Jefferis
And here is the video shot by David, available on scalemodelnews.com; direct on youTube, or here :
Overall it was very well received and everyone asked if we would be doing another? Well the answer is "probably" - about the same time in 2010. We may also do a 'summer event' in, well the summer, but that is still far more tentative, though if done would likely involve 'outside attractions', such as radio-control cars, boats and helicopters. Indoors there could be a slot-car track and model train set as well as a modest kit swap.
Assuming we continue, this event will always be 'select' in that there is a limit to how much can be squeezed into the Village Hall. This time we filled the main hall, but we can spread out into the small hall as well, (used this time for refreshments).
So when you see advertising for HaMeX 2 - and you want a table - don't delay in booking as they will always be scarce.
Keep visiting these pages for updates :
also check out Paul's little-car.com pages;
check out David's scalemodelnews.com pages;
and check out Mat's smallspace pages
we can be contacted either via our websites above, or email us direct :
