Our History
Rugeley Power Station Model Club
Scale models and early electric radio controlled models developed with the occasional "fun boat" operated ; As technology improved, so did the electronics in boats - perhaps one of the biggest changes being when transmitters changed from using crystals on 40MHz, requiring everyone to be on a different channel, compared to the multi-channelled 2.4GHz transmitters now used.
Club meetings were mostly on Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, always sharing the lake with the fishing club. Members also built and operated land models, such as cars, tanks, and articulated lorries etc.. In the last few years of the club we flew model indoor helicopters and drones in the winter evenings in the main ball room - but were banned when the Christmas decorations went up!
The Power Station Brass Band always gave a Christmas Concert - great fun and well supported by the Modellers and other groups. The Model Club attendees nearly always won the " 7 Swans A-swimming" prize in the 12 days of Christmas.
he Power Station had annual "Open Days" when many members of the public came into the grounds. The Model Club always put on very popular good displays, see picture, and would exhibit member's models, have raffles, boat competitions, races, even a public "blind sailing" event described as follows:
(One person sits on chair blindfolded or looking other way with the transmitter, while the second person issues seaman-like verbal instructions to control the boat on a fixed course, usually involving docking!)
The Model club was always appreciated by the Station Management, and with such a large staff at the two Stations, there was always a good crowd in attendance. The Brass Band would play, the model steam trains were carrying children, and lots of activities for children and adults were made available - Great fun was had by all.
Once memorable incident with the Fishing Club was when, without telling us, they decided to string wires and netting across the lake to stop the Cormorants from catching the fish stock. It certainly stopped the model sailing for a time until an agreement was reached!
The dredging discussed earlier involved a small landing stage and originally the Model club used the staging and built a hut at the North end of the lake. When the A Station and the separate Lea Hall colliery were demolished the Social Club started a golf section and built a small course near our Modeller's hut! This caused some consternation and was quite dangerous. So the model club then moved nearer the Social Club and built a solid concrete jetty with access steps. This was to remain the main sailing area for the club.
At its peak the Rugeley Power Station Model Club had about 45 members and associates, but as few youngsters had the skills, or patience, to build models, the numbers had reduced to about 17 members when it moved in March 2017 to Manor Park.
The Model Club always had a full calendar.
In 2011 the club started regular fortnightly yacht races using kit built Victoria Yachts for the "Brian Roger's Challenge Trophy". Click on Yachts & Racing on left for more information. The Victorias are not the easiest model yacht to sail, and members all tweaked the basic design, but we ended up with an inexpensive yacht class that continues to give members great fun - they are all very evenly matched, even the newcomers have fun!
Yachting alternated with fast 500 electric boat races for a Challenge Cup. RPSMC often had inter-club events with other local model boat clubs.
One of the more spectacular events was the annual "Sunset Cruise" where after sailing models in the afternoon, followed by a beer and meal, when the sun set, we would return to the poolside to sail models all with the boats illuminated - prizes were given for models with correct scale navigation lights, as well as for the most adventurous fun boat built with spectacular flashing LED light shows! Always a memorable event.
The last few years at Rugeley saw the club sail on Wednesday afternoons, followed by a beer and meal, excellently cooked and served by Lorraine, concluding in evening, either by sailing again in the summer, or helicopters in the winter! They were idyllic times, and we were all saddened to be evicted at end of March 2017 as the Power Station and Social Club site closed. The members still have the memories, and many still keep in touch.
