Author: John Tapsell

It may seem a long time away but already we are thinking about the Executive Committee roles that will be up for grabs in 2021. Each member of the committee serves a two-year term of office before they have to either stand down or put themselves forward for re-election. Any IPMS (UK) member with at…

We all know that Covid 19 has had a disastrous impact on the model show circuit in 2020 and is likely to have a big impact on the shows in 2021 as well. It has also made a huge difference to the way we operate our many branch meetings and perhaps encouraged more of our…

Although Scale ModelWorld has now been cancelled, it doesn’t mean that the business of operating IPMS (UK) has ground to a halt. Far from it. If anything, not having Scale ModelWorld to organise means that we can focus on other aspects of the Society year. Within the next week or so, the next edition of…

I was going to talk about the fact that after all the work the EC have been doing in the past few months to get Scale ModelWorld off the ground this year and ultimately having to admit defeat, that we can get back to normality and concentrate once again on our usual roles. It also…

So now you know. There won’t be a Scale ModelWorld in 2020. For several months we continued to work towards the goal of running an event in November that despite all the restrictions we expected to have to deal with, would be worthy of being called Scale ModelWorld. It was clear it would be a…

Earlier this week I came across a thread on a discussion forum that got me thinking. It’s not a new subject and nor does it generate any real answers, but it is one that is often raised because modellers are incessantly curious about what it is that motivates us. If somebody asks you what sort…

‘Why should I join IPMS (UK)?’ is a question I sometimes get asked when I attend model shows and run the IPMS Membership stand. In principle it’s a fairly easy question to answer. I can reel off the various things that we do, the services we provide, the bi-monthly magazine, trader discounts and the Branch…

Because I have continued to work from home throughout the current Covid-19 environment, the brief chats that I have colleagues and suppliers at the start of the ‘virtual’ meetings that we now hold have taken on a whole new aspect. They can often be the only time I actually get to talk to somebody outside…

The IPMS (UK) Magazine is the only communication tool that reaches our entire membership. For this reason, amongst many others, the magazine will remain our primary tool for communicating with our members and asking their views on a range of subjects for some years to come. There are however occasions when we need to engage…

I mentioned last week that although there seems to have been new guidance issued on indoor events and specifically conferences and exhibitions, it doesn’t really change our planning for Scale ModelWorld at the moment – there are simply too many variables still in play. However, it’s probably worth spending some time to manage expectations with…

I thought I’d provide a quick update on planning for Scale ModelWorld in this blog. To be honest it’s more a case of “nothing’s changed” but a bit of commentary is necessary given some government announcements at the end of last week. In a further easing of Covid restrictions, indoor event venues and conference centres…

A short blog this week with just one major announcement to make. As mentioned elsewhere on this website I’m pleased to announce that we have now re-opened the online sales of IPMS (UK) Seam Tools. After much testing and checking we have a viable sales portal to work with. For convenience, here is a direct…

I have have very little to report my blog entry last week. The new edition of the IPMS (UK) Magazine should be dropping onto your doorsteps at the moment so hopefully you’ll find something of interest inside it. Even if the articles may not be immediately appealing then it’s worth taking a look at them….

The next edition of the IPMS (UK) Magazine arrived on my doorstep late last week, so it should be arriving with the wider membership within the next 10 days or so. Despite everything else that’s going on the world it’s great to see that the editorial team have been able to keep the magazine on…

Back in March we had to postpone our AGM. Government guidance issued at the time strongly recommended that any company due to run an AGM should either postpone it or run it electronically. Our membership covers a broad spectrum of ages and IT competence levels so when it comes to running such an event entirely…

One of the cornerstones of the IPMS (UK) has been its Branch network, something that has existed almost since the society was formed back in 1963. In more recent years we have expanded that ‘group’ philosophy with the introduction of Special Interest Groups, or SIGs. Although their purpose may have a different origin, the two…

Life in IPMS world doesn’t change all that much from week to week so there isn’t a great deal to add to what we’ve already said over the past few weeks about Scale ModelWorld and the Society in general. It’s been interesting to observe the ongoing preparations for the IPMS-USA National Convention this year. It…

As I write this blog entry I’m conscious that the show calendar continues to be decimated by the current circumstances. This evening I received notification that one of my favourite shows of the year has been postponed and possibly cancelled completely for 2020. The IPMS Avon show in August is always a highlight of my…

I keep seeing the words ‘lock-down project’ or ‘coronavirus project’ cropping up on the various forums and social media groups I frequent and it’s clear that many modellers are using their time constructively, if you’ll excuse the pun. Already there are some modellers who are able to post images of multiple models they’ve completed since…

After several days of slightly eased restrictions I have to say that I haven’t noticed much difference around where I live. The roads are slightly busier and as I type this I can hear an ice cream van plying its trade around the estate for the first time in several weeks, but I’m still going…

It should have been the IPMS (UK) AGM this weekend but like so many other events, it’s been postponed until such time as public health guidance allows us to stage it anywhere. With gatherings of more than two people outside immediate family currently out of the question, holding an event in a relatively small room…

It is perhaps inevitable that as other model shows are cancelled deeper and deeper into the year that the future of this year’s Scale ModelWorld continues to raise its head. At this point in time, Scale ModelWorld is still seven months away and from a practical perspective IPMS (UK) doesn’t need to make any final…

With so many model shops closed at the moment and no shows to attend, the opportunities for buying models and all the bits and pieces that go with them is somewhat more limited. Inevitably that means modellers are turning more and more to ordering things online instead. Many model shops already offer an online alternative…

It’s almost four weeks since the UK went into lock-down to try to control the spread of Coronavirus and it’s been a strange few weeks. Working from home means that I am gradually losing track of what day of the week it is. I sit at the same desk, whether I’m building models or pounding…

It’s Easter weekend, but not like any other I’ve experienced. To a degree, the first week of lock-down didn’t impose on me quite as much as I expected. I was on leave so I hadn’t expected to be in the office anyway. However, even before that I was fairly certain that when I went back…

The last month has seen a seismic change in the traditional modelling schedule for the year. Show after show has been cancelled and club meetings are also now something that isn’t possible as we all adapt to the realities of Coronavirus and social distancing. It’s easy to get downhearted when you look at all the…