Model Electronic Railway Group

Join YOUR AREA GROUP, or START a NEW ONE

Members will remember that in order to encourage the formation of area groups to further enjoy the benefits of
membership, the committee agreed to publish the names and contact details of the area leaders.

Please contact the Chairman John Ferguson if you intend to form an area group. Paul King our President can assist
potential leaders and visit members involved if a group is formed in the UK.

Also note that the Webmaster can offer a merg orientated email alias for any group organiser. . .
eg. Yourgroup@merg.org.uk

Just request it from Keith Norgrove by email to: webmaster@merg.org.uk

AREA GROUP INDEX
Click on those underlined for details. Other areas are waiting for groups to be formed.

East of England	Northem Ireland	Wales, Cardiff Area
East Midlands	Scotland, Aberdeen Area
Greater London	South, Hants & Dorset Area	Yorkshire and Humber
North East	South East, Kent Area	etc.
North West	South West

ABERDEEN AREA GROUP
Contact: Graeme Dunbar 01651 882207

CARDIFF AREA GROUP
Contact: Peter Mabey 02920 339440

KENT AREA GROUP
Contact: Archie Campbell 01634 404 327

This is a very new undertaking. Having seen the success of local area groups North of the Border I sent emails to all MERG members East of London and South of the Thames.

“I’m sending out feelers for a Kent section of MERG It would be a loose association with divers objects. Mutual assistance, encouraging membership, whatever the members feel is required.
I’m hoping that MERG will have a stand at the Chatham Show in June and assistance at that would also be useful.
I hope that we will also have occasional meetings. These could be at members’ homes to see what they are doing or to help with problems or they could be in neutral territory in a pub. The area centre is probably near Maidstone or
Ashford. Good roads and communication is all important.”

An encouraging number of responses came in and I’m hoping to have an inaugural meeting to break the ice,
probably near Ashford. Soldering irons will not be required! Contact me for details.
Archie.

HANTS & DORSET AREA GROUP
Contact: Brian Martin 01202 701930

The group

The MERG Hants and Dorset area group started off as the Poole Group 5 years ago but expanded as it generated interest from a wider region. As it is we frequently attract visitors from outside Hampshire and Dorset and indeed any
MERG (or non-MERG) member is welcome.

We meet once a quarter, usually in one of the member's homes. We have found over the years that people do not need a specific programme but just like to meet to chat and perhaps operate a layout. We usually try and have something in mind for discussion but rarely a formal speaker as such.

Our mailing list for meetings has about 35 names on it and our meetings are usually 10-12 people.

Our programme for 2007/2008 is as follows;
October 18th 2007 Mike Walshaw's exhibition layouts in Swanage
January 24th 2008 David Townend's very large DCC/computer controlled layout in Westbourne, Dorset
April 17th 2008 Southwark Bridge large fine scale historical layout at Waltham Chase Hampshire
June/July 2008 - Postponed until September - John Axe's garden railway in Ferndown using 9 QTU's

I keep an email mailing list and remind members of upcoming meetings a couple of weeks beforehand.
The only "rules" we have is that you let me know whether you wish to attend (both acceptances and apologies). If I do not get any response then you are removed from the list after three invites as I assume you are no longer
interested. Some pictures of typical activities follow, click on the picture to enlarge.
Brian.