2008 Show
"CANCELLED" - this was the sticker we were putting up and the message we were sending out when we should have been welcoming traders and campers and putting the finishing touches to the site ready for Saturday. This is the first time our Show has been cancelled at such a late stage and I wanted to briefly explain what happened.We started to set up the site on Tuesday 2nd September. Posts were laid out and roadways and crowd-lines set out. The orange safety fence was out on Wednesday and the water supply extended for the campers. We had a meeting of the key people on site plus Frank Powell for the landowners. We knew there was a bad forecast for Friday but felt we could manage around that - plenty of straw spread, etc..
BUT, on Wednesday night and into Thursday we had heavier rain than had been forecast. We had another site meeting on Thursday morning, knowing that some traders and campers were already en route and we felt we could still go ahead. The marquees, skip and toilets were already on site and the farmer confirmed we could arrange tows should any be necessary on the day.
Then came Friday and the rain was not just heavy, it was torrential - as you all know only too well. We quickly concluded that on the grounds of safety alone we had no option but to cancel and the news went out.
My apologies if anyone who should have been told was missed. We had a lot to do in a short time. Some people already on site needed to be moved. 'Phone messages and website messages were put in place.
We will incur a big financial loss, probably around £7500 to £8000. We have reserves for just such an eventuality but that makes it no less serious. We have provisional dates for 2009 and they are 5th and 6th September. We need to make that one a bigger success than ever.
Those who helped this year did a great job. I know that those others who had volunteered to help would have done similarly had the Show gone ahead. It is always risky to pick out particular people in such an effort but I really have to commend Club members John Cross (who worked his socks off from Tuesday to Sunday, seemingly without stopping), Antony Redding (who had the tricky job of dealing with traders who wanted to trade) and Gerald Matthews (who dealt with campers and did so much around the site). My thanks to them and to everyone else, not just from HMAC, who did so much to stop a crisis becoming a disaster.
What a contrast to those, fortunately very few, Club members who did not have the common courtesy to even reply to the request for volunteers sent out with the last newsletter, let alone help.
Annual General Meeting
The 41st AGM of Herefordshire Model Aero Club will be held on Thursday 27th November 2009 at the Royal Oak, Much Marcle at 8:00pm. Please let me have any items of business which might affect the Club's constitution at least thirty (30) days before the meeting. Remember you will also need a seconder.The current committee is willing to continue if re-elected. There is certainly room for another committee member or two so if you have any nominees please inform the secretary. Make sure that whoever you nominate is willing to stand, and that you have a seconder.
JR/MacGregor DSX9 Transmitters
The BMFA and MacGregor Industries have asked that everyone is alerted to the following information:
"If you are contemplating purchasing a JR DSX9 transmitter, or already have one, please ensure that it carries the MacGregor/JR label on the front of the case and the MacGregor CE label at the base. Some versions exist which may carry a simple CE label but they are not valid and are not compliant with the appropriate EC Directive and have not been correctly modified. Similarly 'grey' imports of the X9303 version, as sold in North America, should be rejected".Any queries should be directed to MacGregor Industries on 01628 760430.
The Field
The electric fence is back up as the sheep are due to return any day. The field is slowly drying but is still quite soft in places. There is quite a lot of mud in front of the clubhouse so please beware of that.
I think that is about all for now,
Good flying.
Bernard Morris