IPMS Belgium Show 2022
Afflinghem, Belgium, October 1st – 2nd 2022.
by Paul Middleton, MAFVA President.
It has been quite some time since I last took part in a trip to a model show overseas, so was well-pleased to be invited along with the Cambridge MAFVA trip to Belgium.
The original plan was to visit the Brussels Tank Museum on the Friday, but time ran short, so immersed ourselves in the delightful atmosphere of Aalst instead (Went for a pint…)
Returning on the Saturday morning we found parking to be ‘interesting’ with JP adopting the combat park mode. Inside the enormous hall was filled with tables overflowing with model displays from clubs across Europe, kits a plenty from numerous traders and several military vehicles. There was a food stall selling a variety of sandwiches, hot dogs etc. (Must remember ‘chips’ means crisps…) and drinks in the foyer, and plenty of folk who wanted to chat.
Being IPMS there was all facets of scale modelling, plus radio control stuff to watch, but we spent a lot of time nostalgically looking through stalls with kits from 50 years ago. Amazing what is out there, bit like a styrene antiques roadshow.
Even more chatting occurred on the Saturday evening at the banquet that had been organised round the corner from the exhibition hall. Us Cambridge boys mixed with a table of French guys and had a whale of a time. Sunday was a repeat of Saturday with the last-minute ‘should I/shouldn’t I ‘ purchases. Then came the long haul back to UK with the usual hold-ups giving us time to discuss the show, purchases and future plans. A thoroughly enjoyable trip.
