The BAYKO Collectors Club

By now Charles Bird Plimpton, BAYKO's inventor, would be more than a hundred years old.

Down to earth practical man though he was, I'm sure he would have allowed himself a proud smile at the thought that, 70 years after he launched BAYKO into a grateful world, his baby still has an enthusiastic group of followers - notice the 'BAYKO 70th Birthday Cake' [left].

The BAYKO Collectors Club is a group of people who enjoy the delights of construction and architectural toys in general, and of BAYKO in particular.

The club meets 4 or 5 times a year in an informal, relaxed atmosphere with members encouraged to show off new acquisitions and new models to members and non-members alike - yes visitors are always welcome.

Each meeting is heralded by the production of an edition of the club magazine...

Most meetings take place at Lane End Village Hall, not far from Junction 5 [Stokenchurch] on the M40, which the ornithologists amongst you will recognise as the release centre for the Red Kites - still a rarity east of Offa's Dyke.

Meetings have also been held in Liverpool, Nottingham, Daresbury (Cheshire), Sandy (Bedfordshire) and Belbroughton (Worcestershire) - and we're always willing to try new venues to help us spread the word to a wider audience.

Entry to all our meetings is a mere £3.50. The refreshments, which are available all day, are similarly very reasonably priced - and very good!

If you would like to join the BAYKO Collectors' Club, please click on one of the links [immediately below] to launch a copy of the membership application form as either a Microsoft Word document [right] or a GIF document [left].

But that's not all! - the modest annual membership includes a free magazine published just ahead of each meeting.

Annual membership is just £16 for U.K. based members and £20 for overseas members - the extra covers the higher postage charges.

However, to most of us, the true attraction is to talk, listen and learn about BAYKO and other construction toys with fellow enthusiasts.

Friendly dealers - all of them Club members - will help you build up your collection, including long repro rods, large repro floors and no less than 3 ranges of new BAYKO parts which, together, significantly increase the range of models you can build...

...click here for more information on these.

Visitors are, of course, always welcome, so why not come along and join us - you'll be sure of a warm, friendly welcome.

To find out a little more about us, why not listen to Radio 4's "Home Truths" report on our BAYKO 70th Birthday Bash...

Following the December, 2008 A.G.M., we have now introduced two innovations to all our future meetings : -

► A raffle - modesty forbids naming the first winner!!!

► A ten minute lunchtime talk on points of interest to by members to members.

The B.C.C., by popular request, has embarked on a programme of promoting 'mini-meets', small meetings outside the normal annual timetable. I am pleased to be able to confirm that two such meetings have been organised for this year and proved to be a great success. These provide excellent opportunities for collectors to get together and talk about their favourite subject - non-members welcome.

We have no further confirmed dates, but that, I'm sure, is only a matter of time.

If you feel you would like to arrange a mini-meet in your area, the B.C.C. would be happy to offer help and advice...

Our most recent mini-meet was held on : -

Our most recent full B.C.C. meeting was...

This was the B.C.C.'s third mini-meet, and was rated a great success by all those who attended. Ken Cowdry, more than ably assisted by Jill Coathup, again provided an excellent venue in the gym at Stock Wood Lodge Farm, not too far from Worcester - many thanks to you both.

The weather could have been kinder, but those brave, waterproof souls who ventured out, thoroughly enjoyed the meeting - and the excellent food and facilities.

I hope you enjoy these photos - courtesy of Chris Boutal - from the October, 2011 mini-meet and find them interesting - why not come along next time and see them live - visitors are always welcome...

...better still, why not organise one yourself?

Click here to email Robin Throp to find out more about it.

There was an interesting article in the first issue of the Armchair Antiques Magazine, September, 2007, on both BAYKO and the BAYKO Collectors Club...

...or click here for a link to the BAYKO Collectors Club home page.

I've now introduced a separate page to show any items of news about BAYKO, which will, obviously, include club related items from time to time...