Mackinnon Mills in Coatbridge to host innovative Hobby Exhibition

An exciting and innovative event for all ages is coming to Coatbridge next month - and is sure to bring a superb sense of fun.

Mackinnon Mills will host a Hobby Exhibition on September 14 and 15, with 30 different enthusiastic hobby clubs and traders on hand.

These will include R/C cars, buggies, crawlers, boats, model railways, plastic modelling and aircrafts.

The special event is being organised by Frank Revell following a chance meeting with the shopping outlet’s general manager Steven Stewart.

Frank told Lanarkshire Live: “I chatted with Steven and the idea came about from there.

“There has been nothing quite like this put on across Scotland before and the feedback from the modelling community has been good, with many people wondering why it hasn’t been done before.

“It’s about interacting with the public and, to some extent, people who come along will be able to operate the models.

“There will be loads of different disciplines under one roof and something for everyone.

“We are looking to ensure people have a good time and leave us keen to find out what other hobbies are out there.”

Steven added: “I met Frank on the shop floor by coincidence and was really interested in his background and passion.

“The event will combine all different aspects of hobby enthusiasts to create a new and exciting interactive hobby exhibition.

“It will take over our large, well known, indoor carnival area for the full weekend and transform it into something special for all of the family to enjoy.

“This showcase is one of the first of its kind, and we hope it brings together a wide variety of ages.

“We are very excited to host the exhibition and if it is successful, it could become an annual event.”

Frank spent a year of his life planning the exhibition and is thrilled to finally see it come to fruition.

He said: “I have access to a loft and started building model railways.

“There are so many people interested in lots of different things and the hobbies community is looking to grow their memberships.

“There was an upsurge in modelling during the Covid lockdowns and some people just love the company of others with similar interests.

“And it’s not just older people; there are lots of younger modelling fans, with the scope for even more to begin an interest, and events like our exhibition can hopefully help attract others.”

The Hobby Exhibition on September 14 and 15 will take place from 10am to 5pm both days; entry is £5, which can be paid at the door, and free for under-16s.

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