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Ficino School Display August 2009

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David Wall busy with his harmonograph and surrounded by a large group of students waiting for their personal work of art.

The Ficino school display took place on the 18th of August. It was well attended by members of the Auckland Guild who included: Richard Sealey, Neil Carey, David Wall, Les Megget, Peter Hancock, Gary Higgins and John Denton.

The hall opened to the children and 10.00 and we were almost constantly busy right though untill 3.30.

The response from the children and staff was most gratifying, many who had not seen meccano before were mesmerised by it and one young lad who had some experience of the meccano system explained to William how he had built a south facing chariot from meccano and he had a good understanding of the system... A new recruit perhaps.

The models were many and varied comprising a vast selection from John Denton including Red arrows display, Emmet's railway, Concorde, train locos,Motorcycle and side car, traction engine, Truck and trailer,Steam engine powered tractor,Jeep and trailer, Armoured car, Renault car, Norton Motorcycle, Dump truck, Revolving aircraft, Tricky cyclist, Balancing man clock, wheel cyclist ( whew ) I think we have tio award John for bringing the most models.

Richard Sealey brought a clever aerial acrobatic display which he had built from scratch ( a modelplan for the mag please Richard ) a complicated mechanisms display where he had crammed almost all of the available meccano mechanisms and gears into one display on a large green painted plinth ( obviously a rare meccano part similar to the bean rock part used by David Wall on his lighthouse.
Richard's old blue 1930's biplane and constructor car also attracted attention from the children.

David Wall won the prize for the largest number of children to line up for one model I counted at least 10 at one stage all waiting patiently to grab their copy of the Harmonograph printout. The last show at Ficino David had a meccanograph with a similar result.. the kids loved it.

He also had a very nice motor chassis along the lines of the supermodel and his bean rock lighthouse, Rotating pendulum clock and Clyde puffer.

Peter Hancock brought along most of the Mission the Universe set and put on a great display of the different features that were available with the set. Peter has all the various boxes to complete this set and manages to make the models come to life with lots of hands on experience which the children think is great.

Peter also had a lot of smaller models and a large plastic roundabout which ran continuously on one of the side tables.

William brought his Konkolly clock, a south facing chariot which the kids really enjoyed and a swashplate mechanism which transfers circular motion to linear motion.

Neil Carey brought along his finished Big Ben model and he should have run a name the model competition because it was named as the eifel tower, the Auckland skytower as well as Big Ben!

Neil had his bush loco running back and forth as well.

Les Megget had brought along his excellent model of a Mercedes truck complete with container sidelifter and container, I think for some it was just a case of "Wow".

Gary Higgins had brought along the New bright Pink vw beetle from the UK, a heavy truck supported lifting crane ,An aircraft based on replica parts from the early flat wing aero sets and made into a trimotor aircraft. Circular holes were drilled in the side plates for windows as he says when you make it yourself you can mutilate it to suit.

Gary also had brought along the newer green remote controlled car with the MP3 option which many of the older students found interesting and he had also brought his sopwith camel and Fokker DR1 ( red baron ) models. The large pterodactly model which had been modified with metal gears and infrared proved a big hit withj old an young alike. Other models included a tank and transporter, an army transport vehicle, and a plough and tractor made with 1920's meccano.

An excellent lunch was provided by the ficino school for the Guild members and it was great to see such a well behaved and motivated group of students. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

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Richard Sealey says " now whatever you do don't stick your fingers in here like I am doing"!

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Davids supermodel motor chassis to the left and Richards mechanisms display to the right.

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To the left some boys try out the car from the mechanical workshop set and to the right is a selection of models from John Dentons display

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Peter with his Mission the universe display

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Les Megget's container side lifter and Mercedes truck and Neil with His Big Ben / Skytower/ Eifel tower and his logging engine.

Click on the pink VW to be taken to more pictures of the Ficino display

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