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AV News 182 - November 2010 Wilmslow Guild AV Group - Outing Howard Gregory There is a tendency to talk only about audio-visual matters at AV meetings, so each year we end the season with a social outing. This gives an opportunity for members to get to know each other better in a 'non-AV' context. The better that members know each other, the more honest and receptive they will be when discussing each other's work. Everyone benefits from that. We try to visit somewhere with a photographic/AV interest and include something which would be difficult to do as an individual. This year Jack Heathcote organised a visit to the East Lancashire Railway, north of Manchester on Sunday 25th July. Early starts were the order of the day for members travelling from a distance, as the visit started at 9.30 am. There were numerous photographic opportunities in the workshops where Flying Scotsman, amongst others, was stripped down for a (very) major overhaul. In the busy signal box the crash of shutters almost drowned the crash of levers. Repairs in the carriage shed brought back memories of repairing old car bodywork - steadily stripping back the rust in the hope that there was sound metal somewhere..... Lunch in the excellent station buffet - where else would you get a ploughman's lunch including 3 cheeses, a substantial salad, ham, turkey, pickle, pickled onions and a large fresh roll for £2-95 - and there was just time to visit the transport museum before boarding the 2 pm train. For reasons beyond our control, all services were 'heritage' (ie obsolete) diesel hauled. A slight disappointment though no one seemed to mind too much - I think we were all glad of the opportunity to sit down. I was able to add to my (for some reason fairly small) collection of Class 37 recordings. It was getting on towards 5 pm when we disbanded - many thanks to Jack for his excellent organisation and to the extremely welcoming staff of the East Lancashire Railway for a really enjoyable day out. Anybody making a sequence about it? (Howard Bagshaw did! Eds) Great Northern Festival 3rd to 5th December 2010 Hosted by Wilmslow Guild AV Group With PAGB Patronage Closing Date for Entries 13th November 2010 More Details and Booking Forms Available on www.avnews.org.uk & www.wilmslowguildav.org.uk Page 8