It is important to commence this update with some sad news. On 24 March one of our longest standing and most loyal club members Justin Adams passed away after a short illness. Justin could frequently be seen at exhibitions operating his small shunting layout. He was also a long-standing volunteer on the Talyllyn Railway where he spent much of his free time. That COVGOG has a strong relationship with its host for many years the Church of the Holy Cross in Wyken, Coventry is no accident. Justin (whose father, Nigel had been Vicar there) had a long affiliation with the Church. Indeed, Justin was a Church Warden there. Justin is sorely missed.
The club continues to function. At the end of April, we held our spring open day welcoming plenty of members and visitors. A number of competitions were held on the day. These include loco building, wagon building, and non-passenger carrying coaching stock amongst others. The winner of best in show was Bill Davis.
COVGOG is about to celebrate its 30th birthday. The club was formed in 1993 and has always had its home at the church in Wyken. Membership has always been strong. We have lost some along the way either because they have moved away or simply due to the passage of time. However, we seem to have a knack of retaining members and attracting new ones. This may be down to the friendly and welcoming nature of the club. Members travel from a good distance away for our weekly Tuesday evening sessions and we even have a group of country members who frequently drive up from London to join us for our Saturday running sessions. We have a fine test track (currently being refurbished) and a burgeoning scenic section that can be dropped into the test track. The breadth of skills demonstrated by our members is remarkable and all are happy to share these so that others may learn. There is not space here to name the characters past and present who have helped to shape COVGOG and make it what it is. However, we thank them for their endeavours.
To mark its 30th birthday COVGOG is holding a celebration on Saturday 30 September. This will be at the church in Wyken. We would like to extend an invitation to all Guild members and especially members past and present. The full test track will be out (and there’s a good chance of some cake!) We hope to see you there.
Paul Williams
