2007 I.p.m.s. Nationals

[Leigh]

righty ho, well after much kerfuffle we made it! Tuesday I was up all night finishing my Spitfire entries, at the convention centre at 7am, running around ragged all day helping the organising comittee with this that and the other to the point where all my models were still sitting in boxes in the office when I finally left to get some rest, only to get home to find an E-mail from Phil.P, saying he couldn't find me but he'd staked out a spot for us. So much more kerfuffle yesterday, with us not actually having a table......blah blah blah, got it sorted , set it up and manned it myself till the other started showing up.
Anyways heres the proof Gabriel (Dragon), Phil.P, and meself





We are the ONLY SIG manning are work, and interest has been great, apart from the first person to come by who took a perfunctory look, saw Phils Israeli Me. 262 and said "that's Bullshit", been all uphill from there, having a great time, wish you were here, gotta go and do my 4am-8am Security shift!

[Thorvic]

Sounds like your having a good time at your Nats, and yeap ours generally runs along the same sort of lines. You should go and find Neil Robinson on the SAM publication stand and introduce yourself as the US splinter wing of the What-If SIG ! .

Enjoy the rest of the show and don't forget to do a bit a shopping around the traders stands in between all the work !.

Cheers

Geoff

[The Rat]

Finally found your razor, eh?  

... apart from the first person to come by who took a perfunctory look, saw Phils Israeli Me. 262 and said "that's Bullshit", ...

Practise pointing while laughing derisively.  

Sounds like you guys are having a blast and doing us all proud. Good for you!    

[nev]

Great job on the SIG stand guys    

[Radish]

That's brilliant guys!!
Tremendous job!!
Give Neil Robinson a "hello", as Thor says. He's not all bad, has a great sense of humour and will appreciate your madness.
The stand is looking good.
If you get anymore responses of a derogatory manner, just laugh and say, "Have a nice day!" or whatever.
remember them as numpties that have been "rejected" by their laughing gene!  

[Supertom]

Maybe we should make What-If t-shirts with "That's Bullshit" as our slogan.  Looks like you're all having fun though.  And Leigh, I could have sworn you had a lot more hair.

Oh, and ask Dragon if he's still swinging by Indianapolis.  I've been talking to BdB about meeting up at the Dayton AF museum on Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

[Brian da Basher]

That's a very suspect looking crew there. Leigh, have you joined the witness protection program? You certainly look different than your last picture.

Thanks a million for setting up and manning the What-If "Bullshit" table! I'm sure it will help generate lots of interest in our wacky little corner of the modelling community.

Brian da Basher

[Leigh]

Right it's now 11pm here, just got back after starting at 4am this morning and I gotta be back at 4am tomorrow.
Neil Robinson was one of the first guys I met Wednesday morning, in fact I had to go out to my truck and get a hacksaw for them 'cos one of their guys Terry? had lost the keys to their banner bags and I sawed the padlock off for them. Yes great guys and I've been hanging out with them alot. Turns out a couple of the SAM crew are from bedford and we used to drink in the same pub. Anyways I need sleep and full reports to-morrow maybe, with lots of pics.

[NARSES2]

Well done Leigh and the rest of the lads - keep the WIF flag flying    

[philp]

Just wanted to let you guys know that Leigh has been doing a bang up job.  Not only is he manning the table (pretty much by himself) but is working the Con.  He has been running security from 4am-8am on the model room (open 24hrs, except for judging tonight).  This morning he than manned the entry for the vendors room and tonight he was going to help judge.
Other than the start up, I have only been able to man the table for about an hour.  Been taking pictures of the Armor and Diorama's for the IPMS/USA site.  Some guy entered 133 models, most of them 1/72nd armor, kept me busy this morning before the tour.  Was shooting till 2am and then back down at 8 to finish up.  Not sure if my pics are up on the Nationals site yet but got some great ones at the museums I went to.  On top of that, I have been doing the Disney thing in the evening with my boys and tomorrow(today) we are off to Magic Mountain to play on the coasters.
The show has a ton of models and the Hypothetical category is overflowing with goodies.  I will get pics of it all sometime and find a way to get it posted, somewhere.  Gotta get to bed myself.

[Allan]

Dear Phillip, Leigh and Dragon (Gabriel)
I think all three of you are doing a marvellous job keeping the Whiffing flag flying proudly. Many thanks for your efforts in speading the gospel of Whiffing. How many converts have you chalked up to date?
May all of you populate the world with the fruit of your loins.
Israel 262!!?? That I just have to see!
And Leigh you're a man after my own heart using righty ho and kerfuffle!!!!
Please make sure you get lots of rest if you can.
Allan in Canberra

[Howard of Effingham]

i look forward to the pictures when they are posted.  

did i spy a chilean? F-105 on the bench in low vis grey. now there's an idea for the trumpeter F-105 when it comes out.

trevor  

[Martin H]

Turns out a couple of the SAM crew are from bedford and we used to drink in the same pub. Anyways I need sleep and full reports to-morrow maybe, with lots of pics.

Yep SAM publications is based in Bedford. Their ex marketing manager is a fellow Kempston & District model club member. (Kempston is a suburb of Bedford). He now works for another well known model mag. If said individule should stop by and chat, his name is Mark Peacock, and he was forewarned of a What if? presance.  

Looks like the 3 of you put on a good display, well done!. And Leigh deserves a big thank you from every one on here for makeing it all happen.  Im looking forward to the photos    

[Leigh]

Well I think it's Sunday, and somewhere between, moving in the vendors, working in the business office, manning the registration desk, doing early morning security shifts, manning the sig, sorting out vendor problems, general traffic control, judging, general dogsbody stuff, I vaguely remember getting a couple of hours sleep since Monday. Anyways I had the BEST time I've had in years and although I was only about twenty miles from homwe actually feels like I was away on Holiday. Thanks to Phil and Gabriel for coming down, displaying, helping out and keeping me company.
The SIG got alot and I mean ALOT of positive interest, camera flashes were going off in our face all the time we were sitting there. The Star of the show was Gab's F-23 Blue Angel which caused alot of whiplash as people went past and it caught their eyes. We told them all to have their personal injury attorneys contact SuperTom.

So this is wot you got for our money
The display

[Leigh]

Some other peoples stuff......

72nd Raptor/Falcon



1/72 F-107



1/48 Bi biplane thingy



1/72 Cutlass



1/48 Turbo Raider