At each year’s Annual General Meeting, the Chairman of the Midland Railway Society presents a trophy to the member whose model exhibited at the meeting catches his eye the most. As a celebration of the skill of the model maker as it especially applies to the Midland Railway, the Chairman’s Cup is awarded as a token of the Society’s respect and admiration.
This year, it has to be said, the quantity of exhibits was somewhat lower than we might have hoped, but the overall quality nevertheless remained its usual very high standard. In making his judgement, Adrian Tester picked a clockwork Johnson Compound 4-4-0 brought to the meeting by Andy Caygill. Members will be able to read more about this model and its history, as well see as images of the other worthy entries, in the next issue of Modelling the Midland. Suffice to say here that it really is an impressive piece of engineering in miniature.
On hearing Adrian’s decision, Andy very modestly and respectfully declined the award of the Chairman’s Cup on the understandable basis that it was not his work — he had simply brought it to the AGM for attendees to appreciate. We are very grateful to Andy for bringing it, as with all the other members who brought items to display.
That was not the end for the Chairmans Cup though.
Following the formal business of the AGM, David White delivered a thoroughly entertaining Presidential Address. He regaled those assembled with stories of how the renowned Slater’s Palstikard business came into being, before enthralling us with the history of the justly famous Matlock Bath Model Railway and the stunning representation of Millers Dale that it featured. As David concluded his Address, Adrian sagely exercised his discretion and awarded the Chairman’s Cup to David in recognition of decades of service to modellers of all scales and subjects, but most notably those “Modelling the Midland”.
We hope to have a recording of David’s Presidential Address available for members to view in the not-too-distant future.
