Yes, I reflected on my post earlier in this thread, and I think Chris' post says something I meant to, but didn't add.
This possibly isn't only the case for the Guild, but my observation is that it has wonderfully fulfilled its purpose, Jack Ray and the others wanted to ensure the ongoing availability of O gauge components, so they could continue modelling in their chosen format. That they succeeded in spades is very evident and many of us enjoy the fruits of their labours.
But is it necessary, is there any benefit to membership of such a society, now? If there were no internet, if the only source of wheels/gears/motors/whatever was one bloke labouring in a shed, then getting together to pool cash, capabilities, information, knowledge, etc, to keep it going would make perfect sense, but I just don't see the need any more.
Of course, if a group of people want to get together to form a club for whatever purpose, they can and they should and I hope they enjoy it, it's just that they probably don't need to.
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Simon
Well, I sorta see what you're getting at, Simon, and I'll bet that every one of us has a slightly different slant on model building. For example, although I enjoy my model building (not modelling, please. I don't have the hips for it) I'm not terribly interested in building a layout, much as I appreciate a nicely turned out model railway
in any scale. However, for as long as I remember I've enjoyed exhibitions and the one thing the Guild does for me is allow me to see what is available which I otherwise wouldn't know about. I find the two day show in September invaluable, and early on ie, BWT (before Western Thunder) taught me that there were a few suppliers one should steer clear of, and a few on whom you could rely.
Now that sort of knowledge may be gained from an on line forum like WT but one is then relying on the opinions of others. There's also the possibility of picking up a second hand left handed widget holder at a large exhibition. (Not that I've not managed for years without one of those).
Bristol do it and very well, but only for a single day, and as a multi gauge two day show Railex at Aylesbury takes some beating but there you go - that's opinion.
I know that we'll not all agree about this, but if there were no shows I'd not be able to recognise your fizzog and quite a few others and thereafter discuss the state of the nation. An exhibition and trade show at which like minded souls gather is surely to be encouraged and until one has tried to do it, volunteers and all, one doesn't appreciate the amount of work involved. With all its faults, and there certainly are a few, the Guild acts as a pivot for me and using its resources keeps me reasonably up to date. I feel quite deeply for the volunteers in the Guild who suffer the unnecessary invective doled out by the few and which we are so lucky to not suffer on here.
If this is all too political, mods, please remove. The last thing I want to do is create an environment which is uncomfortable for anyone but I hope this will be seen as part of a rational debate and I'll be very pleased to hear the alternative views. As I've now said my piece, however, I'll shut up.
In short I think this is a subject which can never be debated to a conclusion, hence my decision to stop here. The one thing on which most who read this will agree, though, is that we'd be so much poorer without WT. I never knew our founder and that's my great loss.
Brian