History

The origins of Ipswich Model Engineering Society can be traced back to Sunday morning on March 4th 1945 when 38 interested persons met to consider the “possibility and desirability” of starting a Society. By lunchtime a constitution had been agreed, and Ipswich and District Society of Model and Experimental Engineers was formed.

Within a few weeks an exhibition was organised in the lecture room of the Ipswich Museum. During the evening of the exhibition 300 visitors attended. By July 1945 a track for passenger hauling locomotives had been put into operation, visiting events around Ipswich, including Abbey Oaks on the August bank holiday.

In 1946 a second exhibition was opened by the Mayor F. Warner Esq. on January 12th in the Public Hall and nearly 7000 visitors passed through the hall during the 7 days it was open.

By 1947 premises had been found in Milner Street for a workshop, with electrically driven lathes, drilling machines, a shaping machine and other equipment. The search for a Club room where members could meet was underway, meanwhile lectures were held in the Oriental CafĂ©, Westgate Street.

In 1949 land in Foxhall Road was identified for use by the Society and this is still our ” home” where we meet every Tuesday evening between 7pm and 9pm.

Today, just as in the past, we offer the opportunity to meet other like minded people interested in all aspects of model engineering.

We have a healthy membership with a wide age span and varied engineering interests. We are now a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee with an annually elected board of directors and management committee, and we are an associate member of the Southern Federation of Model Engineering societies.