Historic detail gives Peter top honours

Members of a historic mining group linked to a working railway won an award for their model trains on their first visit to Bognor Regis.

The small but detailed depiction of Norden mines in operation 40 years ago alongside the Swanage branch line was judged to be the best layout at an annual exhibition.

The destination of the Ron Maxted Award at the Bognor Regis Model Railway Club's yearly event was decided by Mr Maxted's widow, Vi, club chairman Jonathan Hayward and Bognor town mayor Cllr Jennifer Gillibrand.

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Publicity officer Peter Hollins accepted the award on behalf of the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum Group.

"I am amazed by our success. We have never won an award before. The display was finished in October 2007 and this is our first visit to Bognor," he stated.

The mines dated back to Roman times and yielded ball clay. The clay was transported to the Swanage branch line on a tramway. But the mines closed in the 1960s and the branch line followed in 1972.

This now operates as a heritage railway and the mines are being reborn through the museum group at its Norden park and ride site. Mr Hollins said the 4ft 6in by 2ft display was used to get publicity for the work of the museum volunteers as they sought to raise awareness of their site.

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It was among 12 locations at the annual exhibition held at Felpham Community College last Saturday and Sunday. Others included locations based on sites near Birmingham, southern California, Milwaukee to Chicago, the South Devon coast and Dartmoor. There were in a range of gauges.

As well as the Bognor club, there were visitors from Alton and Wealden. There were a further 14 trade stands to keep visitors interested. At least 1,000 visitors were expected to have gone along once the final statistics had been added up.

A raffle to win a layout built by the Bognor club members was won by one of them who donated it to St Wilfrid's Hospice.

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