Gowran Brookes 2018

Thanks guys, Sorry that I kept the covers on from a photography point of view but it adds two hours between setting up and reboxing. We had an outstanding display next to us of Remote Control Trucks and construction equipment who were hauling peat moss from a "depot" next to us to a "construction site" approx 30 metres away so one could not be sure what level of dust they would rise. If I tell you that they shifted 2 tonnes of the stuff over 2 days at a previous show you will understand that these were serious machines.

The event organisers gave us as much space as we wanted, as many tables as we wanted, as many white table cloths and crowd barriers as we wanted so we could not ask for much more. Signage at the event , in general, could be improved but that is a common theme at many of these type of events. Last year the crowd was huge in a somewhat confined space and it looks like they made provision for the crowd this year but the attendance was down and so it appeared spread out - you can't win.

Cap suitably doffed to you all. Superb.

Excellent, lads. The time and effort going into these type of events is immense. Fair dues to ye. Stunning display.

A stunning set of displays, gents! - full credit to all involved in putting it together.

Brian informs me that the 1/43 M3's on display were counted and came to 157 - I still had a number of unmounted and damaged models in the storage box - maybe another 10. So I don't have a s many as I had thought. Then again I have maybe another 40/50 sets of decals !!!

Great displays

I hope Peter won't mind me posting three excellent photos he put up on facebook.

Super

Finally getting around to posting some pictures, took me a week to get around to emptying the car!

Brookes Collection

The bees knees

Chequered Flag Collectioned

BMW M3 Collection

My 1/18s on display

Class display. Really appreciate all the work you all put in to have a unique display like that - Well done

Sean can you tell the story behind this model?

Great pics, Brian. Haven't seen the crashed Brookes one before. 'Smashing' job!

brian wrote:Sean can you tell the story behind this model?

ok Brian you asked....

A friend of mine who is also a friend of Russell Brookes told me a while back, while looking through his model collection, he (Brookes) mentioned that he had asked some model makers over the years to do his Escort from the 1978 Circuit of Ireland 'crashed'. It is one of his most memorable events as the crash was on the very first stage into and over a stone wall/fence and into a field. He recalls that there was no gate to get back out onto the road so they had to dismantle a lot more of the wall and go back out the way they came in. Don't know exactly how much time was lost - he thinks at least ten minutes. Remember this was stage 1 of 53 in a 1,400 mile 5 day event! Of course he went on to win the event by over five minutes from Jimmy McRae (Chevette) with Markku Alen (131 Abarth) third and Roger Clark (with Jim Porter in an Escort) fourth.

Back to the model - I bought a 'cheap' RAC model had to cut off a chunk of the front spoiler and formed the crashed look with milliput and mesh backing. When I removed the original RAC door plate I was left with a gap in the Castrol striping - this I had to match first as I knew it would show behind the the new Circuit one. The side Castrol and Bilstein/Cibie also had to be redone. I found I had to double up on the 'white' decals when they were placed on yellow as the yellow was coming through to give them a cream colour! I also had to remove and replace the original ANDREWS on the front of the bonnet as it was too close to the front and I needed to fit the reg plate there. Finally added a little bit of acrylic paint to give it a muddied 'just been in a field' look.

...anyway the plan was to present the model to Russell at the Gowran festival of Speed which I did. He was delighted and asked that I have it ready to hand to him as he was going to be making an after lunch speech. All went well, handed the model which he held up while he recounted the aforementioned Circuit, and then he put the model safely on a table beside him. Ten seconds later 'thud' model on the ground with some people from the table saying "It just slipped - the pieces are all there". Luckily I had some superglue in my car to put back on the rear spoiler, door window and other little bits and pieces ...even luckier that the front survived the fall perfectly!

Your photos, Brian, are taken after the repairs have been carried out as I couldn't find the original aerial.

Sean

Excellent story always nice to have the background to such different models

Chris

Great story Sean. Excellent build. Does that mean you have to build another for yourself Sean.

Excellent display of model and a great story Sean. The Brookes model is outstanding.

The Brookes model is class.

Sad to mention the passing of Russell Brookes. Glad we went to the not inconsiderable effort of getting his display together. May he rest in peace.