big and small

Off to the model engineering exhibition today at Ally Palace with my father, +1/3 and +2/3. The girls opted (in an unintentionally stereotypical manner) to go and do some shopping. 

My father trained as a mechanical engineer and has always been interested in model engineering, and I went to many model engineering shows when I was younger. I also used to be quite into model trains so I always found the shows really interesting: the mixture of machine tools, stream models, large models, small models, airplanes, cars; what's not to like?

Returning after a break of nearly 30 years it's clear that nothing has changed. Want a set of morse tapers for your lathe? No problem. Offcuts of stock metal? Fine.

What really struck me though was the level of skill and knowledge: talk to any of the people on the stalls and their expertise was clear, whether ornamental turning or decorating 00-gauge models.

A cold day; the extra shot over London was originally very subtle but I like how automatic enhancement has brought out the colour gradient.