I bet if you crawled up into the attic right now you'd find a box of die-cast cars. Matchbox, Dinky or Hot Wheels, we've all had them at one time or another, and whether they were carefully put away in bubble wrap or have been passed on to a new generation to bash into skirting boards, they are a perennially popular toy. After all, how else could you own both a Ferrari Enzo and a Porsche Carrera GT without a EuroMillions win?
For anyone with a serious interest in die-cast and model cars, the 12th and 13th of October will be significant days, then, as RM Exhibitions will be holding its inaugural National Diecast Model Hobby and Diorama Show at Punchestown racecourse in Co. Kildare. The organisers reckon it will be the largest gathering of model vendors and displayers ever gathered under one roof in Ireland, and those displays will be backed up by real, life-size classic cars as well as the Hobby Expo, which will be devoted to other hobbies and interests.
Ray Elliot and Mark Tierny from RM Exhibitions are organising the event and Ray Elliott told us that "It is a challenge to host Ireland's first truly national Diecast Model Hobby and Diorama show and our hope is that by creating an event like this, that it will be the highlight of the year for every model collector and diorama enthusiast in Ireland. It is also important for us to attract new people of all ages to our pastime. To do this we have invited some of the best in our business from throughout the country, thereby creating a focal point that encompasses everything that the avid collector and novice diorama maker will ever need to know in order to enjoy our pastime. In fact you could say we are building the largest diecast model and Diorama showroom in the country."
Mark Tierney added "we felt that it was important to open the event to all types of hobbyist and we have therefore established an area that we hope will attract more people to the show and offer a distraction to those families and friends that haven't yet been bitten by the Diecast bug. Everybody attending Punchestown will also be treated to fun for all the family as we have target shooting and much more for all the family. It is important for us that the enthusiasts and their families enjoy themselves."