Smaller scale, wider perspective - how my N scale model railway makes me appreciate our heritage

On 14 September 2024 I gave a talk at Bradford Cathedral's Heritage Open Day event, entitled "Wider Scale, Smaller Perspective". Here it is in full, recorded on site in the Cathedral.
I am making an N-Scale model of @BfdCathedral to help celebrate 2025 Bradford City Of Culture @Bradford_2025.
#bradford2025
Heritage Open Day information: www.heritageop...
Heritage Open Day tickets (free): monumental-con...
City of Culture: bradford2025.c...
Scalescenes Scratchbuilder's Yard:
scalescenes.co...
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[@simonhodgetts6530]

For someone who claims that they’re not used to public speaking, you’re a natural - brilliantly presented!

[@Chandwell]

Ah thank you; that is very kind. That was the first time I've ever done a public talk, but it was about the ninth time I'd delivered that one. I recorded myself in the kitchen at home over and over again in my week off work!

[@RJVEK]

I have speak in public a lot for my job and I still get incredibly nervous- you did really well- this morning I’m taking my camera to the Victorian seaside town of Herne Bay to use the lovely weather to capture the quirky buildings and features in the hope to get me started Michael on my first ever scratch build. I’m going to also practice on Metcalfe kits to understand how card buildings also go together- you have taught me loads! For example yesterday, I needed to work with a project manager to measure a school building- guess what, I taught them how to use Google earth to measure it thanks to you! Rob

[@Chandwell]

⁠try downloading one of the free sample kits from Scalescenes. These go together exactly the same as the scratch builds I do.

[@mutantthegreat7963]

Nice execution and cohesion Michael, - takes a lot of courage to stand in front of people and talk for that long.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! I was pleased with how it turned out.

[@WorldofColor-ng5yc]

Hi Michael, I agree that model making really does encourage observation of the world around us. It's not "playing trains" but an interpretation of life with a model railway as it's interconnecting veins.

[@Chandwell]

Absolutely! Very succinctly put!

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Not just model railways. If you really want to understand how things go together, build a model, Buildings, Trains, Tanks, Aircraft or Ships.

[@JohnSmithShields]

It isn't all playing trains, but that is an essential part of the journey too.

[@WorldofColor-ng5yc]

@@chrissouthgate4554 Agreed, model making in general, whether it be rail, air, water or some other genre opens the eyes to so many details we would otherwise miss.

[@marklindsey4112]

Brilliant talk Michael, you must be so proud. You're a natural.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you, yes I was really pleased by how it turned out.

[@WheelchairGuyHobbyChannel]

This was one of your best videos! Thanks Michael!

[@Chandwell]

Wow, thanks! That's very kind! Thank you for saying so. I was so pleased that I pulled it off with a bit of success!

[@louanderson1264]

Michael- Outstanding presentation! You're a fine public speaker. Thank you for sharing.

[@vlt14]

Loved the presentation, photography, videography, art, model making its all story telling

[@Veni_Vidi_Vortice]

From Bradford Cathedral to Chandwell. A journey from the sacred to the truly profane. What positively delicious contrast!

[@winjama8266]

Thank you, Michael. Inspiring presentation.

[@greggeorge3638]

I'm proud of you, Michael. Well down!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you!!

[@edg1754]

Fantastic presentation! One of the best I've seen. It was great how you wove in Chandwell and it's history and people, past and present, who actually give life to the buildings, to the cathedral and Bradford and all that can learned from its history. Well done!!!

[@georgeclements2742]

I watch your videos for the modelling, but couldn't resist catching your talk at the Cathedral. No-one would guess that it was your first experience of speaking to an audience, but it is obvious from the narration of your videos that you have a gift of communication, and that came across in your talk. You mentioned nervousness, but you also have underlying confidence in a very good way. Very well done, and I continue to look forward to the development of Chandwell and the Cathedral project. Best wishes.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you so much for those kind words! I am pleased that you enjoyed my talk.

[@DB-08-jy8pg]

Thanks for sharing this - its no small thing to give a talk... and then put it online. Well done. 👍

[@robertmatthews8302]

Well presented Michael ! 😊 Your audience participants could see all your excellent youtube videos and would appreciate them I'm sure. 😊

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! I hope so!

[@andrewknights1304]

Brilliant! Thanks for putting this up so someone way "down south" could see it. Cheers for a great talk and the overall approach. There is much for the "average" railway modeller to learn from your approach. So many models are detailed, but completely lacking in personalities, backstory. Look forward to the next video!

[@henrygreen7100]

One of the most enjoyable and informative discussion i have seen in a long time. A natural public speaker. I wish the professors in my department were as good!.

[@BeinCoyInPlaces]

Genuinely inspiring. Model-making is the new religion!

[@ottorosborough6037]

Great presentation Michael. As always you nail it. Looking forward to the final build and all the videos in between. Thanks for the education and entertainment. Otto

[@Chandwell]

Awesome, thank you!

[@martinpook5707]

Brilliant, well done. For those of us who started following near the begining it has been a fascinating journey of development, both personal and skill.

[@ottorosborough6037]

Great presentation Michael. As always you nail it. Looking forward to the final build and evc

[@Chandwell]

Thanks 👍

[@timothyp8947]

What a great talk - thank you. Now you’ve set yourself up for modelling a chap in your Bradford Cathedral giving a talk on modelling 😉 I certainly agree it’s back-story to Chandwell that brings it to life. It’s a super piece of modelling, but the back-story turns it from something static to a place where you can imagine the people - maybe even imagine visiting, staying in the Royal Scott and enjoying a curry at Jasmine's.

[@Chandwell]

Wow, thank you! I love that you "get" Chandwell and what I am trying to do with it.

[@JeffreyBrookes-bd7zh]

Michael that was totally fantastic! I am so pleased to hear a lot more about Chandwell's characters that you have mentioned in passing on your videos, including that naughty boy Liam Thistles :). I still don't envy the work you have to do to complete this task but I am sure you will succeed and take the well deserved praise you will get.

[@Chandwell]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much!

[@John_N_Quay_Harbour]

Absolutely no need to say you're nervous and you hadn't done public speaking before. No one would have guessed - it was a very professional presentation and even though I follow your channel regularly I learnt more about Chandwell, your thinking and methods. A great talk and a great video. Thank you and well done

[@Chandwell]

Thank you so much! I was pleased with how well it went.

[@peterstecks7660]

This talk has brilliantly brought together all the things you have been saying in your videos for an increasingly long time Michael. You have discovered a way to capture the essence of buildings, towns, roads, details - in fact everything that creates a superb model. It's very difficult to describe what makes a really good model - but you certainly know one when you see it. Some layouts are simply track, roads, buildings, rivers, hills, telephone boxes, locos and rolling stock nailed to a baseboard. What I think you have learned and are now preaching (and what better place to preach...) is how to create a really good model. I also think you may have underplayed your Inkscape skills in your talk. You pour your heart and soul into everything that you do on your channel Michael, and we appreciate all the effort you put into everything. N scale railway modelling art. Thanks and please keep producing your Inkscape Tutorials. I think they are the essence of what you do. As one of your more eloquent viewers says with wit and panache. Them posh buggers from Leeds wouldn't understand any of this modelling malarkey. 🤓🥸🤓

[@gordonmcillroy455]

For someone who doesnt speak in public you came over as a pro. The talk itself was very interesting and enjoyable. Thanks Michael. Wish I could have been there to congratulate you in person.

[@Chandwell]

I appreciate that! Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

great chat thanks for the vlogs you do on your channel thanks lee

[@Chandwell]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@collectivewest6411]

Expertly presented! Great job, Michael.

[@philipbarker3469]

There's a real skill to a presentation, whether to a live audience or on screen and you certainly have a natural ability to do it very well. 👍

[@JohnSmithShields]

Watching this talk for a second time is as interesting as it was the first time, at the time it was recorded. Knowing the content allowed me to watch the extras, people's reactions, and the technique used in the presentation. Watch the people watching you, they rarely look away from you, there is no-one playing with a phone whilst you talk, that is something you can not buy. Overall, a lovely presentation adding to the 'history' and 'background' of Chandwell. Thank ypu for your continued efforts and a great way to escape the real world and to explore Chandwell with you.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you John! Thanks for coming down to see the talk. It was great to meet you at last.

[@doctormo]

Me and the wife watched together and laughed a few times. Great video Michael. I did at once point say to her "He said Inkscape in a cathedral! That's a first." to which she replied in a wifely way "Dear, you said Inkscape in a cathedral last year at penpot fest". lol.

[@BeinCoyInPlaces]

'Sugar Balls' must be a first too 🤣

[@grzegorzkolbrecki8344]

Great speech, congratulations.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you!

[@jan3814]

Thanks Michael

[@Chandwell]

You're welcome! I hope you enjoyed it.

[@motjuste8549]

Great presentation, Michael! The Chandwell stories remind me of Lake Wobegon and its stories told by Garrison Keillor. Looking forward to watching the cathedral emerge.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you!

[@lislerud]

Thank you Michael! You should be proud of your speech. I was grabbed by the story even though I have followed the channel for quite some time. It was an interesting angle to look into our hobby and why we are doing this. I think you and I have basically the same approach to the stories around our models. Here in Norway we have a tradition to watch and/or read crime during the Easter holidays (and specially English ones, like Midsummer Murders). And every Easter since the lockdown in 2020, I have made a story around our club layout here in Bodø. So soon, all buildings and people at the layout has been a part of the stories.

[@Chandwell]

Superb! Thank you for sharing!

[@markbroadwith9601]

Could not get there for the live performance. So this was a great treat thank you Michael. I even made it onto one of the slides 😅😅😅.

[@Chandwell]

Yes you did! Glad you enjoyed, and thank you for watching!

[@newwineskin7271]

Remarkable! A wonderfully interesting and coherent presentation.The sphere of modelling takes on a whole new meaning in your more than capable "hands".

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Those are very kind words.

[@jeffpiper7523]

Well done. An excellent talk

[@Chandwell]

Thank you. Glad it’s over now! I can get on with some modelling.

[@CarolFlavinlocoladies]

Bravo. Well written and presented. Definitely a good watch.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Carol - much appreciated!

[@CGngauge]

Very well presented chap.. It was lovely to listen to you talk about Chandwell, your thought process and how the town idea has evolved. Characters you've added. It is very inspiring. Craig.

[@Chandwell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thomasm1964]

Nothing to add to what everyone else is saying. An excellent talk and I'm still watching to see where you're taking this. I didn't think I would be. And you're an extremely fluent and fluid speaker - again as everyone else is saying.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Those are very kind words. Much appreciated.

[@andrewbillinghurst1968]

Congratulations Michael, fantastic presentation to what could have been a very tough audience. Was so good to hear about your thought processes for the development of Chandwell and the citizens who live there. I know that you will” apply the same thought and effort to the cathedral and deliver another amazing piece of work

[@Chandwell]

Thank you kindly! Means a lot!

[@MichelletheMiniatureMisfit]

This was absolutely brilliant. And very philosophical too. I know how nervous you were but you totally nailed it!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Michelle!

[@Captainpubwatch]

Thanks for sharing this Michael, you’ve done incredibly well there to deliver 32 minutes with minimal use of notes - not an easy task! I was interested to hear about Mal Davis, I wonder if he frequents The Wier or similar….? A great talk and a good way you tie it all in with the topics for the Bradford celebrations. Top job Michael 👍🏼

[@Chandwell]

There is one piece of graffiti, on the side of Revs. It can’t actually be seen now that the town hall is in place too, but it says “Mal Davies is a grass”. He probably does drink in the Weir.

[@daviemaclean61]

Well done Michael. Having been required to do various lengths of talk on nearly every work course I've been on, I know how much trepidation you must have suffered. My last one was supposed to have involved a supplied slide show but absolutely no instruction on how to operate said slide show! Once again, well done. Cheers

[@Chandwell]

Yikes! At least my technology worked for me!

[@going2thedogs]

Well done Michael.

[@benharper68]

Amazing!!

[@james-hall-art]

What an excellent video Mike. It was so entertaining to watch, and your delivery was brilliant. Very professional and I loved it.

[@Chandwell]

Wow, thanks James!

[@seanmmccarthy]

Very well done sir!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ianjeffery4773]

Excellent, well done.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you!

[@Amberlea-Model-Railway]

Very well done Michael, you had no need to be nervous or worried, you are a natural (and it really helps if you are passionate about your subject😇) I used to train people to speak in public and you could spot those with ability a mile off. Best wishes, Chris

[@Chandwell]

Thank you very much, Chris!

[@chrissouthgate4554]

I liked that "Chandwell, not as Grim as it Looks" got a laugh. A town with character, though maybe not one you would wish to meet in a dark ally.

[@IanHenderson-g9i]

If that was your first attempt at public speaking then you're a natural. Good delivery, eye contact and none of the characteristics of a nervous speaker. Well done.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you. It was my first public talk but I had recorded myself doing it in the kitchen maybe 8 or 9 times

[@ausfoodgarden]

Well, if that's your first time in front of an audience you did a magnificent job. I did a public speaking course many years ago and still fumble or repeat myself all the time. Good on you!

[@Chandwell]

Aw thank you! It was my first time in public, but I wrote the script two months in advance, read it every day, and recorded myself in the kitchen about nine times, so it became almost second nature! I still messed up and missed bits out, but I don't think anyone watching will have noticed. The extended bits of silence here and there were me going "oh no, I messed that bit up!" :)

[@jasonpierce-newmodelbarmy3394]

Wow Micheal..."not used to public speaking'".....that can't be true! What a polished presentation, your passion for Chandwell and its creation definitely came across to your captivated audience. Well done my friend, your channel has rightly gone from strength to strength and become one of the best model railway and model making channels on the net. This video was brilliant as always. That Cathedral will keep you out of trouble for a bit....or get you into it😂 Regards, Jason

[@VictoryWorks]

Fascinating as always and brilliantly presented, well done My favourite "used to be" building I've come across was a cheap shoe "warehouse" in an old cinema, that was previously a theatre. The floor (on a slight slope!) was laid out with racks of shoes and a few clothes. The changing rooms were simple wooden booths and were located, of course, on the old stage and it still had the tied back cinema curtains at each side!

[@highdownmartin]

P D Hancock and Craigshire had plenty of characters and personalities. And brought it to life. Bloody good talk, nerve wracking for you, but you pulled it off seamlessly

[@afm1948]

Brilliant presentation Michael. Even knowing a fair bit about Chadwell, being a longtime avid follower, there was still a lot that was new. The audience was very receptive and absorbed as you entertained them on what could have been a bit of a dry subject. Along with your many other fans will be watching with interest as the build progresse, until the day you will delight the cathedral folk with a brilliant representation of the cathedral as it is at this moment in time, connecting back through history. Arthur

[@Chandwell]

Thank you Arthur. I am really happy with how it went, and how it was received.

[@davidstokes8441]

For some one not accustomed to public speaking you are THE man. You could charge big pounds (new pounds) for your time and your insights into life and people. I have followed Chandwell since the beginning so I knew many of your "people" and their town, but I get even more from this short half hour then all the flash "motivational" speakers around could ever tell me.

[@TerryGlover-c2m]

Well done!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you

[@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932]

Fantastic presentation, i think people will leave with a whole way of looking at buildings.

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! I hope so!

[@HarryBHouchins]

Seemed a bit nervous at the start but, you "nailed it" by the end. Well done!

[@Chandwell]

Thank you! Glad it’s over. Time to start making the thing now!

[@steverileyretired]

Well Done

[@Chandwell]

Thank you

[@viennatramway]

so sympathic!

[@TerryGlover-c2m]

That lad at the end!

[@Chandwell]

😂 That was my son. Made me laugh!

[@TerryGlover-c2m]

😄

[@sennfred1830]

♥♥

[@Chandwell]

Thank you!

[@FredWilbury]

Michael can I say the presentation you gave was brilliant and I for will get back to my layout and modelling with a new eye. I think you are correct everyone looks but do we truly see, I was told that by my woodcarving tutor. Unfortunately my layout is pure nonsense and fun unlike your stunning builds keep on creating these wonderful designs, regards Fred

[@petertownsend8276]

Michael, well done. The thought of public speaking terrifies me. Pete.

[@Chandwell]

It does me too!! :) I only got through it because I'd done it about nine times into camera in my kitchen!

[@alanbarker0901]

Sorry... did you say you 'weren't' a public speaker????? That was an awesome presentation!

[@ProTroll_UK]

I so wanted to be there, sadly I was told that all 7 seats had been sold out…..

[@Chandwell]

SEVEN!? Who on earth told you seven? I would have been thrilled to play to such a large crowd!

[@ProTroll_UK]

@@Chandwell 😂🤣😂🤣 can’t fault your reply, fair play! Awesome modelling, keep it up!

[@RJVEK]

I’m so proud of you! You smashed it! I don’t think Inkscape is for me. Do you think I could good school with a drawing board and graph paper to design my buildings- so by hand? Rob

[@Chandwell]

Yes! Go old school!! All I use Inkscape for is drawing rectangles and things... if you know what you're doing with graph paper - do it! You can use commercial texture paper to do the texture wraps.

[@RJVEK]

@@Chandwell thanks! I’m going to give a go for dioramas linked to airfix etc!

[@RJVEK]

@@ChandwellMichael being cheeky- what do you do for a living? I’d love to see a little video about how you got into modelling- was it as a child?

[@Chandwell]

@RJVEK I’m an IT Consultant. There isn’t a great story, I don’t think.

[@RJVEK]

@@Chandwell I thought maybe a teacher - you have the gift and very patient and explaining things!

[@andrewnbrown]

What was Thistles crime? Why was he hiding out?

[@Chandwell]

Nobody knows yet... that part of the story has yet to be revealed.

[@TheHongKongHermit]

t'ed t'alk

[@charlie1872]

I know exactly what it takes to produce a presentation of such magnitude, technical details with impact. I presented in London a presentation on the development and implementation of a piece of Bentley software that enabled our team to produce a concrete model of a Dam but to include every piece of reinforcing bar which we could tag and track from the 3d model to its placement in the concrete. It was challenging and I was nervous at first but once I started it went smoothly. You demonstrated with confidence, spoke confidently and at a good pace and didn’t repeat yourself. You did a great job and you should be proud of yourself for rehearsing so well. Now onto the next one. Once you do one successfully people/groups might approach you to present for them. 👍📐🖊🔥

[@Chandwell]

Gosh not sure I could think of another one! I’ll stick to bits of card, I think!🤔