CGT Weekend at Geoff's July 2009

As possibly the first party to get home can I post a HUGE THANK YOU to all invoved in such a superb weekend.

Our immense gratitude to Geoff, Celia, Joan, Carl, Peter and your many other helpers.

There was a stack of pictures and Video taken throughout the weekend by notably Phil.

However to get the ball rolling here are some of mine ...

Thanks for these great pics, Brian... makes me hungry for more though....

A very impressive array of knobbly knees, I must say!

clive_t wrote:

Thanks for these great pics, Brian... makes me hungry for more though....

We had to leave early just after lunch today, and many will stay to the death and have much longer journeys to Paris the UK, Brittany etc.

I suspect the bulk of pics should start to drift in from later tomorrow onwards

Fair do's... That RhB scratchbuild is a beauty though - I wonder what kind of vehicle it is, with that strange-looking bit of kit on the front? But as you say, a super model!

clive_t wrote:

Fair do's... That RhB scratchbuild is a beauty though - I wonder what kind of vehicle it is, with that strange-looking bit of kit on the front? But as you say, a super model!

Sorry Clive it's a snow clearing wagon - and it works DCC controlled!

Most of my pics were taken very early on which makes it look as though the place was deserted!. A great weekend and I echo Brians thanks. Clive, you were missed and your name was often mentioned!


This is Geoffs 'Big Chief' which i nagged him to run all weekend. All in extruded aluminium it would not even fit on my layout!



The interior layout ( while it was quiet!)


A lovely set of live steamers;


(take note of the one second from the right, you will be seeing a lot of that very soon!)

There are many other pics but i will let somebody else have a turn!

Mikey

Well.....
What a fantastic weekend I had. People came from far and wide and enjoyed a magnificently hosted event at Geoff and Celia Watson's house in Deux Sevres.

Geoff will say how many many people came. I lost count.

The 'restauration' (a nice french word - for catering) was superb and delivered with consumate poise and professional organisation. A very big thank-you for everyone's participation and hard work.
It's going to be a very difficult act to follow for another event.

I have to say that there weren't all that many trains run!
Much of the time was spent non-stop chatting, eating, drinking and laughing.

The weekend really started Friday afternoon for me after a +5 hour drive down from Paris.

More photos and discussion to follow later.

Here are a few more pics from my selection.


Dragon G scale's near to collapsing tables.....they were a lot emptier Sunday.

Cast products from Imagimonde

More exquisite work from Gérard

The monster waiting for action

From left to right 2 Pierres, Gérard and Laurent.

From little boy to Big Boy

Geoff's Roundhouse Sandy River

Lively train discussion

3 of a kind.... ?

Accucraft, Caradoc (me), Converted Edrig (Brian), Lawley (Van), Converted Edrig Tram (Mikey) New Countess (Pierre Rouzeau)



A close up of Mikey's new aquisition

In company with Regner Chiemseebahn.

An unlikely pairing.

Pierre and Nathalie trying to convince Brian that he should have the BIG station.

The menu for 2 days, in French and English.

Just like to add my thanks to Geoff and Celia for a superb weekend. The kindness they showed to Frank and myself was overwhelming, as was the amount of alcohol we both consumed trying to keep up with Geoff (and Carl)!! In addition, the welcome from all members was very kind and to say the weekend was tremendous would definitely be an understatement.
Thankyou all - it was a priveledge to have been asked!
Jeremy

It was indeed a great weekend: Geoff and Celia were magnificent hosts. Great to meet all of you. G+C also organised splendid weather - maybe train running was intermittent because it was cooler in the barn watching Carl's layout, admiring Geoff's US monsters and deciding what to buy from Jeremy and Pierre...I was breathalysed by the Gendarmerie on my way back to my hotel and PASSED! Madame Bonne Chance was with us all. I have got lots of pics, but every weekend I have to edit a summary of Parliamentary proceedings on the railways. Not only did I not do that, but this week it has started off at 43 pages because my old mate Andrew Adonis has nationalised NXEC...so I am doing that right now. Tomorrow I will have time to review what I took and post it.

We should do it again sometime - may be less formal - but Mikey, Brian, Peter, Geoff, Van and I are within driving distance - I am back in France July 28-Sept 7 - so we should try...

Phil

philkelly wrote:

We should do it again sometime - may be less formal - but Mikey, Brian, Peter, Geoff, Van and I are within driving distance - I am back in France July 28-Sept 7 - so we should try...

Phil

Great idea we must keep the "West Coast Chapter" going.

Suggest you send a round robin PM once you're settled for the summer.

Happy to host it here, if it's not too far for Peter and Geoff to drive !

Great pics again chaps, thanks.

Erm.... Mr Hibbs, is that a "Continental Garden Trains" tee-shirt you're wearing there??????

Lost and found ------
In the final stages of clearing up in the barn I have found a PIKO CATALOG and a current copy of LE TRAIN and a SUDOKO BOOK. Would the owner let me know what he/she wants done with them, keep it clean!

cheers Geoff

Hi Geoff

The Sudoko book is Caroline's but she certainly isn't bothered about retrieving it - so please either use any uncomplete puzzles or bin it!

As much as I'd like the other two items I can't claim ownership!

Again huge thanks to you and C for a brilliant weekend!

clive_t wrote:

Erm.... Mr Hibbs, is that a "Continental Garden Trains" tee-shirt you're wearing there??????

Yes

They are very common over here

want one!!!!!

As likely the last to get home I wish to say a huge THANK YOU to all invoved for organising and hosting a magnificent weekend. Very many thanks to Geoff, Celia, Joan, Carl, Peter and the other helpers but especially Geoff and Celia who were fantastic and generous hosts.

I was only sorry that we had to leave before Mikey performed as dusk was falling.

After TGVing between Lille, Angouleme, Limoges and Brive and branch lining between Angouleme and Limoges and Limoges and Brive it is a relief to get back to the smaller gauges
of the FC Gijon, Villaviciosa and Covadonga.

I will post some pictures of the GVC if I can find a way of hosting them.


Best wishes to all and here 's to next time.

Will you be my way at all David ? Most welcome to a brew , have also got Golden Syrup, Aldi Baked Beans, Yorkshire Tea (various) Pg Tips and Lyons Gold Label (from Ireland), and lots of curry sauces, also some nice cheddar from Sainsbury's. And a Golden Syrup rude word. Sad or what ??

No trains in the garden as yet tho'.

Got back late this afternoon, after calling in on friend's in the Vendee. Thanks for a terrific weekend Geoff, the sun god was kind but thankfully not to kind. Seeing the progress of your project was great inspiration for me to get my finger out and get building. I have some photos off the weekend so will sort them out tomorrow but I suspect there are duplicates already posted.

David...If you can't host them send them to me and I will host and post and you can your words to the post after.

Patrick...You're just a big tease.

Peter....Glad you got back okay and thanks for all the 'running around' and logistics that you and Joan did.
I was great talking to you about your achievements past and present.

Don't worry about posting duplicates. You can never have enough of a good thing.

It's great that it went so well and everyone seems to have enjoyed the event including Celia and myself. We have an active and interesting group in this forum and it was a great pleasure to see French and Brit modellers interacting. Dragons Jeremy and Frank added a lot of value and many thanks to them for making the journey, bringing temptation to the masses, and helping me towards a couple of hangovers
Peter and Joan deserve particular thanks for helping with catering and transport after our promised help failed to show up. Our own inimitable Carl was a great source of support and linguistic expertise and of course without the forum it would never have happened, a service he provides without bumming money for.
It seems very quiet here after last weekend's chaos and the temprature has dropped significantly, I may even get to run some trains and cut the grass.

Till the next time

cheers
Geoff