At Sydney LSLS our public running days have been cancelled until further notice. A special run for disabled kids is cancelled also. Members will continue with Saturday work days at the grounds.

At EDMES we spaced the chairs out for the meeting though we forgot about distancing during the coffee session. We will be reviewing the situation prior to the next meeting. track building is only 2 or 3 at a time so will continue.
At SADMES the last meeting was 30% down on attendance and again we will have to see how things develop for next month. Our hall is very expensive and we don't know if we can get a refund for missed sessions.

The SADMES committee is mostly getting on a bit so we are looking at holding committee meetings using a conference app called Zoom. I'm not sure what other social media apps provide conferencing facilities. At work we use Skype for Business which is I much prefer to actually meeting people and spend 2-3 hours a day in conference calls in my job. One advantage is you can write stuff on forums while listening to people talking……

My Men's Shed is obviously mostly aimed at the elderly and two of our session leaders have decided to close their weekday openings. We are yet to decide on the Saturdays.

At Rushden miniature steam group we have just cancelled our AGM tonight, but plan to carry on with our boiler testing sessions as they will take place outside.

If over 70's are confined to barracks, that will stop 70% of our members and 80% of our boiler testers attending.

Chris Gunn

Peterborough Society of Model Engineers have now cancelled the AGM and all meetings until further notice.

Two exhibitors have pulled out of our stand at the Garden Railway Show, (expect to be told tomorrow that it has been cancelled anyway)

Peterborough Engineering Society cancelled meetings , ditto.

Peterborough U3A ditto.

Walking Group cancelled, ditto.

Walked to the Post Office this morning to retax car. Like the Marie Celeste. Only one, initially at the counter, second in queue to buy chocolate for wife. Closest contact in the three mile round trip, (need the exercise! ) was a friendly little cat!

Wife bought a loaf of bread (brought from under the counter! ) and saw 10 of 14 packets of rice confiscated from the couple in front!

Once everyone has a three month stock of toilet rolls and baked beans, things should be fairly easily available in a couple of weeks time.

Howard

BCLS to advise members that monthly club meeting are to be suspended until further notice, this includes the clubs AGM

H

At Melton Mowbray and District Model Engineering Society we have decided to cancel any meetings until further notice. The Boiler testing will proceed this Saturday. Work parties on the track extension is left to the choice of each individual. I decision on the June Gala will be made at a later date.

If this self isolation comes in at least it will give us an excuse to finish all of those projects that are half done. John

Weymouth has cancelled / postponed its planned evening events in our physically compact club-house, but the room and tracks are still available informally at members' risk on our regular Tuesday evenings and Saturdays…

… however…

We live in the grounds of a school accessible outside of school hours thanks to a public sports-centre and pitches within the campus. If these are closed the gates may well be locked, so we are waiting to establish what will happen.

Ah well , as JC54 says, there are the other halves of all those projects…

+++

Many clubs – and not just in our hobby – will face significant loss of income from day-fees, sales to members and public events; whilst still having to maintain premises with rates and other running costs. I wonder if the Government advice to avoid "pubs and clubs" is based on knowing of only those "clubs" that are really versions of pubs.

I've been pondering the likely effect on our valued suppliers. They of course have to consider closing to protect the health of their own staff, but if their wholesalers can still operate, being mainly mail-order retailers in a specialist trade they may be all right. Let us all hope so, for their sake as well as ours!

+++

As an example of that general point, a round-robin arrived today from my caving-club on Mendip, advising members that the pub not far from its self-catering HQ, will be closed for the duration. No news yet about the other local pub and the farm-shop café, also frequented by club members and guests. The club-house is still open, so far anyway, obviously at own risk; but I imagine will see less use, and cancellations of visitor-bookings.

I have just received notice that the AALS Annual Convention has been cancelled. This is held at Easter each year, hosted by one of a few willing clubs, and is a major gathering of model engineers from around Australia (and NZ).

Reading SME (UK) has suspended all club house activities and track running including birthday parties and public running. Club running is also off for now.

The site is being looked after by a group of (younger) volunteers.

However our monthly journal PROSPECTUS continues as a vital way of keeping members connected.

Here's to happier times ahead (…. and a blank diary is great for workshop time… thank goodness we have good interests to keep us going. With no football and no pubs many will have unfilled gaps in their lives).

Wishing everyone the best of health.

John B

Edited By John Billard 1 on 20/03/2020 22:13:41

Not much response to this thread, Perhaps Nigel and I are the only people who attend clubs. EDMES secretary Ces is doing a splendid job putting out daily newsletters with comments on people's workshop progress, photos, and humorous cartoons to keep us reminded of the club's existence.

We at EDMES are worried about our finances as we can hardly ask members to fork out for the new membership year with no activities and no progress on the track possible and even worse some might decide not to bother after they have got out of the habit of attending activities.

Insurance is due soon and we must approach the insurers and Southern Fed (or Northern Fed) about some kind of consideration, perhaps 6 months at reduced level to account for lack of activity. I urge other clubs to make the same approach, even if you premium is not imminently due. I know some clubs have substantial rents to pay and could be in trouble while others have substantial reserves from public running so not all are as close to the line.

Northants Preservation Society.

Most of our steam fairs for this year have been cancelled.

These include:-

East Midlands Nr Rushden. Eastmidlandsrally

Bloxham Steam Rally. Banbury Steam Society

Carrington Steam & Heritage Lincs. Carringtonrally

Tewksbury Miniature steam. MSRVS

Hollowell Steam Rally Hollowell

East Carlton Park Corby Cancelled permanently due to clashes with other local events.

—————————————————————————————

The following are still on at this time.

The Great Dorset Steam Fair GDSF

Kettering Steam Rally Kettering/Cranford

Earls Barton Transport Show. Earls Barton

Updates will follow as received.

regards