Not too young, never too old

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

Extraordinary, a club with a difference, not too young and never too old, members from the age of fifteen to seventy or even older whose deep passion was to collect miniature models were the cynosure of all eyes at the Mount Lavinia Hotel last Sunday when the Miniature Model Club of Sri Lanka (MMCSL) held its third model exhibition.

Patronised by many adults who were there more out of curiosity than interest, the exhibition was very fascinating and rather motivating was centred around themes reminiscent of a bygone era.

Themes like "Down Memory Lane" from the Bullock cart to the racing car to the "Conquerors of the water"- the story of the Egyptian slaves to Christopher Columbus's ship, the Santa Maria, submarines and Destroyers, the Vintage and Post vintage thoroughbreds and the mono rail stole the show.

Submarines

Christopher Columbus’s ship

Mono rail

The hall was like a whole big playing area; but the difference was that it was not the little ones at play here but the big ones.

Most of the exhibitors' collections were labelled, safely arranged in sequence and locked up in glass cabinets. Old is gold it is said and so it was with Alli Azeer's vintage Daimler-Benz by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, one of the first cars and the oldest on display dating back to the 1890's.

The exhibitor said he concentrated on vintage models up to 1940 and was a member of the Vintage Car Owners Club as well and an owner of three vintage cars himself. He said he had developed an interest for miniature models in 1959/60 when Cargills sold small kits at Rs. 2.50 which could have been assembled.

His collection is mostly from UK but hasn't grown old enough to stop collecting them, he said smiling.

Sporting much interest in the exhibition, was the youngest member of the Hobby Club for Gentlemen fifteen year old Jason Alec de Hoedt, a Year 10 student of De Mazenod's College, Kandana, a collector of cars, bikes and jeeps; his favourite being the Dodge Viper. Jason would play, clean and put the models back quite frequently and it was a wonderful hobby, he said.

The President of (MMCSL), Desmond Attapattu who took me down memory lane having displayed his collection under the said theme said the younger generation should know about transportation in the bygone era.

The Race Cart he said has been replaced by the Formular Racing Car while the Buggy cart was replaced by the Morris Minor. Yet another vintage collection on show were the two ceramic Franklyn Collection models, very unique indeed, presented by British Leyland to Brian Ellias who said he had a passion for cars and really wanted to own the original.

S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia which displayed its Mono Rail and Modern Transportation System is the only school and Model Railway Club to have its own layout, I was told while it was recorded that the Asian having the most models (300 British Single Decker buses) is Tharaka Nilaweera.

These miniature models certainly did cost a tidy sum for a hobby. I was amazed to hear that the exclusive 250 gt swb beautiful red Ferrari on display owned by Oshan Samaranayake cost as much as Rs. 35,000.

The young adolescent said this was his dream car and this was so costly since it was a German handmade model with a fully wired and plumped engine and the wheels could be taken off. This is how far you could get carried away like some of these miniature model collectors when indulging in extraordinary hobbies which remain lifetime addictions.

A worldwide popular exhibition, the Connoisseur Collectors, the famous auction houses in the world consider these models as miniature treasures says President of the MMCSL, Desmond Atapattu.

The MMCSL committee comprised Desmond Atapattu, President, Milinda Hettiarachchi, Immediate Past President, Chandana Amaratunga Secretary, Ali Azeez Treasurer, Thusitha Atapattu, Yakoub Bin Ahmed, Russel de Saram, Hercil Fernando, Rishanka Fernandopulle Ishan Raji, Oshan Samaranayake, Vinodh Wickremeratne and Craig Wilson. The founder member of the MMCSL being genial Farih Fauz.

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