7th September: SRCMBC Milford Show
The Solent Radio Controlled Model Boat Club held their annual show at the Community Centre, Milford-on-Sea, on the 7th September 2024. I provided a sequence of videos projected onto the large screen behind the stage, a video of Donk and Monk rowing behind the Model, and a slide sequence of model boats on the pond. The show was sponsored by Wightlink with the proceeds donated to the British Heart Foundation.
Not that I think there will be significant proceeds! In the past Club shows have raised significant amounts. For example in 2010 the Club held a March show in the Methodist Hall, Highcliffe, which raised over £600 for the RNLI. In the same year a September show in the Masonic Hall Lymington raised over £560 plus sales at RNLI and Help for Heroes stalls raising a further £110 and £170 respectively. But those shows were held in locations with lots of passing people and we often had someone on the gate enticing people inside. At this show we did not even have the feather flags and bunting outside and most people passing the Hall would not know there was anything going on.
So this show was a chance for members to meet away from the pond, but not the public event we have had in the past. It was also noticable that, although I have not been to the pond for some years, I recognised many of the exhibitors. There are no longer local Model Boat shops, I’m told that the yacht racing section is dominated by the ready to run DF95 class; I think the hobby of designing and building model boats is in serious decline.
However one plus was interest shown in NCI. I had borrowed the spare monitor from Stone Point and I went in uniform and had some NCI literature on offer. One or two members of the public who did find the show talked to me about the work of the NCI. The “Saving Life at Sea” episode featuring NCI Hengistbury Head was mentioned.
