CLUBROOM EXTENSION

Ely and District Model Railway Club has, over the last 45 years, sometimes been constrained in the permanent set up of layouts, the ability to have work benches and restricted access times compromised by the need to put everything away at the end of a club night. At one time, we met in rooms at the back of an Ely pub and then, a bit more recently, in a small upstairs room accessed by a very narrow and steep staircase in a social club in a nearby town. Some 10 years ago, a friendly farmer allowed us to build a purpose-built workshop/clubroom in a redundant agricultural barn he leased near Ely. In effect, we would occupy about a quarter of the overall building's internal space. We fully insulated stud walls and ceiling to the main workroom (some 35ft by 25ft), separately metered electrical circuits with ample power points, decent lighting and heating. What joy it was to have a warm, well-lit facility with a small kitchen and 24/7 level access at last! Club meetings and attendance quickly expanded on both Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings (and small groups often meet at other times too). In 2022, a change of tenancy of the farm meant that we had to negotiate with a new Landlord, who agreed to extend our Clubroom into an adjacent space - effectively almost doubling our floor space. Once again, we erected new stud walls/dry lining, fully insulated the structure and fitted LED overhead lighting, and, of course, ample power points. We are looking forward in anticipation to the coming year with new projects mapped out. Importantly, our financial position means that our (modest) membership fees cover the rental costs of our expanded Clubroom. This extra space means we are now able to welcome new Members into this fantastic hobby of ours. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and become involved in existing and new projects. You can see details about us on our website www.elymrc.org.uk and our Facebook page. If you are in East Cambridgeshire/West Suffolk and interested in joining then simply contact us via the website. Or come and see us at our annual exhibition on Saturday May 20th, 2023 at Ely College. Our 43rd show in Ely! And, despite recent significant cost of living price rises, we have decided to keep the entry charges exactly the same as last year: Adults £6.00, Children (5-15) £3.00 and Family (2A + 2C) £15.00. Under 5s are free - of course! The Exhibition opens at 10.30am and closes at 4.30pm.