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--- public:eastmids [2019/04/04 21:45] – Add April Easter meeting PeteB
+++ public:eastmids [2019/10/13 20:13] – Add agenda for October meeting PeteB
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-Joint area group coordinators - Brian Norris, Pete Brownlow and John Gowers
+Joint area group coordinators - Pete Brownlow and John Gowers
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 For MERG members, you might also like to look at our [[https://www.merg.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=55|area group forum]].
+----
+====== OCTOBER 2019 East Midlands area group meeting ======
+**Saturday 26th October 2019 from 9:30**
+Kindly hosted by the Nene Valley Railway in their Study Centre meeting room at Wansford
+Thanks to Russ Jenner for organising the venue for us.
+This is an Arduino themed meeting.
+----
+**AGENDA**
+  * 09:30 Members arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members
+  * 10:00 Group news and events update
+  * 10:15 Introduction to Arduino - Alex Hamilton
+  * 11:15 Coffee Break
+  * 11:30 Introduction to the CBUS CANMIO - Pete Brownlow
+  * 12:30 The Universal CANMIO firmware - Ian Hogg
+  * 11:00 Coffee Break
+  * 11:30 Case studies of Arduino in model railway projects - Duncan Greenwood
+  * 12:30 Lunch
+  * 13:30 Kit locker news - Judi Rastall
+  * 14:00 Afternoon pratical sessions, including:
+          A chance to talk in more detail with our speakers
+          Various Arduino demos by MERG members and others
+          Our usual practical problem solving clinic session
+          We may also have some NVR signal box tours available organised by Russ Jenner
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+We will ask for £2 per head to cover the room hire cost and £1 each in the "honesty box" will cover as many teas and coffees as you want all day. This money will all go to the Nene Valley Railway.
+A selection of MERG kits will be available for purchase. If you have specific requirements, then it would be best to pre-order what you want from the kit locker for collection at the meeting, as we will only have a selection of stock at the meeting.
+The NVR cafe will be open from about 8:30 for bacon butties or full breakfast, and also open at lunchtime. However, as it is a running weekend including Thomas the Tank Engine, it may be very busy. For that reason, we have scheduled lunch fairly early, and we will probably make arrangements to pre-order during the morning.
+The meeting room is step-free accessible. If you need a disabled parking space reserved close up, please let us know.
+For those who would like to come by train, we can arrange to collect you from Peterborough station or, if you can get there early enough, I can collect from Wellingborough station on my way to the meeting about 7:30am.
+If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply in due course with full address details and directions to the venue.
+Members from outside the East Midlands are always welcome at our meetings, as are visitors. Please just let us know you are coming so we can plan for the numbers expected.
+----
+====== AUGUST 2019 East Midlands area group meeting ======
+**Saturday 17th August 2019 from 10:00**
+Kindly hosted by David Straker at his place in Leicester.
+Weather permitting, there will be an opportunity to see and operate David's 'O' gauge garden layout, Victoria to Beckenham Junction.
+Collection can be arranged from Leicester station for those who would like to come by train.
+Tea and coffee will be provided, please bring your own packed lunch.
+The meeting is on the ground floor and easily accessible with no steps.
+----
+**AGENDA**
+The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:
+  * 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members
+  * 10:30 Welcome - David Straker
+  * 10:40 Introductions and group news
+  * 10:50 Kit locker Update - Judi Rastall
+  * 11:15 Short coffee break
+  * 11:30 CBUS enhancements to JMRI, demo and discussion - Steve Young
+  * 12:15 Finding your way around the MERG website, forum and wiki - Pete Brownlow
+  * 13:00 Lunch - bring your own packed lunch (tea and coffee provided)
+  * 13:30 A chance to operate David Straker's 'O' gauge garden railway
+  * in parallel with:
+  * 13:30 Making it work - our usual problem solving clinic
+  * 16:00 “Wrap up” discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our host
+----
+If you would like to bring anything to run on David's layout, it is 'O' gauge with dead track, so battery and radio control is usually the best bet.
+There will be some kits available for purchase, but we can only bring a selection so If you want any specific kits, you would be best to order them in advance from the kit locker and specify collection at the Leicester area group meeting at the checkout page.
+For the clinic session, as we have done before, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you as a demonstration for everyone. If you know in advance what you would like to get sorted, let us know in advance so we can gen up on it.
+If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply with full address details and directions to the venue. (If you have already done so - your confirmation email should arrive in the next day or two)
+If you would like to come by train, please let us know if you need a lift from the station. If coming by train, please plan to arrive at Leicester station by about 09:45 so that whoever comes to pick you up does not have to miss any of the meeting.
+All visitors, and MERG members from outside the East Midlands, are always welcome at our area group meetings.
+----
+====== SUMMER 2019 East Midlands area group meeting ======
+**Sunday 7th July 2019 from 10:00**
+Kindly hosted by Julie and Brian Chapman at their place in Skegness.
+Collection can be arranged from Skegness station for those who would like to come by train.
+Full details and directions to the venue will be confirmed to those attending.
+**AGENDA**
+The meeting will be informal and flexible, so these are approximate times:
+  * 10:00 Arrival, Informal chat and get to know the other members
+  * 10:30 Introductions, Group news, future meetings etc.
+  * 10:45 Driving and firing a steam locomotive, and how to apply this to correct use of a steam sound decoder : John Gowers
+  * 11:45 Short tea/coffee break
+  * 12:00 Report on a recent visit to Minatur Wunderland with some photos and video - Pete Brownlow
+  * 12:45 Kit locker update - Judi Rastall
+  * 13:00 Lunch
+  * 14:00 Making it work - practical sessions and problem clinic on any members projects, MERG kits or anything else.
+  * 16:00 Final discussion, confirm next meeting and thanks to our hosts
+----
+As always, if you have built something and would like any help and advice, please bring it along and we'll work on it with you during the afternoon clinic as a demonstration for everyone.
+There will be some kits available to buy, but if you want something specific, I would recommend ordering it from the kit locker now and marking it for collection at the meeting.
+Julie and Brian can accommodate a maximum of 20 people, so it will be first come first served for booking a place.
+Parking is quite limited, with double yellow lines on all roads nearby, Brian and the next door neighbour can accommodate about 10-12 cars max on the driveway. So please car share as much as possible. If it looks like we will have too many cars, then we will identify a car park in the vicinity where people can meet up and come on to the venue in one car.
+The venue is accessible. There are two steps but wheelchair ramps are available if required. If you need a parking space reserved on Brian's drive, please let us know.
+Tea/Coffee and biscuits will be available all day, bacon butties will be available in the morning. Please indicate when booking, if you would like a buttie, so Julie has a idea of numbers.
+Let us know if you need a lift from the station. If arriving by train, please plan to arrive at Skegness station no later than 10am so that whoever picks you up does not have to miss any of the meeting.
+If you would like to come, please send an email to eastmids@merg.org.uk or post a message in the East Midlands Area group section of the MERG forum. You will get a reply, in due course, with full address details, directions to the venue and parking information.
+For those who have already indicated you would like to come, I will be sending out confirmation emails over the next few days.
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