Devastated

On Saturday I had planned to attend the Market Deeping Model Railway Club’s annual exhibition at Stamford Welland Academy, my local secondary school, and to join the club again after an absence of several years owing to other commitments. But at 4am that morning Lincolnshire Police apprehended four youths who seem to have been responsible for the destruction of almost everything that had been prepared for the show on the previous evening. I had an unwanted free afternoon.

It is quite heartbreaking, As someone who has just spent only six years building a really rather basic model railway I sympathise deeply with those who have lost far more years’ creative work. I have moved home and am struggling to house my layout but cannot bear to dismantle it - how dreadful that there are people who think it acceptable to destroy others’ beloved creations. Theft is understandable but I cannot understand destruction; it looks like they just wanted to hurt people, many too old simply to start again on twenty years’ work. The huge total of crowdfunding gifts will not simply help financially but emotionally, demonstrating a huge amount of goodwill and support.

I did not get to the exhibition to resume my lapsed membership, but I shall be attending the club again soon and will try to take part in its rebuilding and in next year's exhibition, which ought to be outstanding after all that generosity!