Many visitors to Alexandra Palace in the third weekend in January could be forgiven for thinking that the large numbers of children are there to watch snooker, or use the ice rink. They’d be wrong. The main attraction is the annual event put on by Meridienne Exhibitions to celebrate modelling and model engineering.

It is great to see so many young kids, just as enthralled by the exhibits and the chance to try things out as the old boys with beards. It is just great to see them enjoying things that would otherwise not have been on their radar. It’s probably something we have not seen since the exhibitions in London in the forties and fifties.

So, before we report on the models next week, here is a photographic impression of the kids enjoying themselves at the London Model Engineering Exhibition at Ally Pally.