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Kernow Model Rail Centre to open a brand new model railway shop in Guildford, Surrey


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Congratulations and the best of luck to Chris and his team (although I'm sorry I had to put him off a premises much nearer to me - it really was not of the best).  But it's great to hear that the news has now broken and is getting a good positive response.  And of course it seems that I shall now have three 'local' model shops within reasonable travelling distance. (although I will not be defining what I call 'reasonable' or 'local').

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I visited the Kernow stand at the Basingstoke show today and didn't notice this announcement. Too busy buying the new Hornby GWR non-gangwayed stock and a discounted D845!

 

The shop appears to be only a short walk from London Road station, which has a half-hourly service from where I live. Pretty easy drive too (Google says 27 minutes) but not sure what the parking will be like.

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Good news. I hope it goes well. Nowhere near me of course, but I might be able to visit on my occasional journeys in that direction.

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5 minutes ago, brianusa said:

Can't really call it Kernow now - is there an archaic name for Surrey?

 

Brian.

No, Brian - but some of us from Surrey are archaic, does that help? 

 

I lived in Dorking in the ‘60s, 12 miles from Guildford. As 6th Formers, my late friend Michael and I would drive (in his parents’ Zephyr 6) to Guildford, parking in a car park he called the bombhole, and repair to a model shop called Pascall’s, probably in Woodbridge Road. I am ashamed to say our purchaes were Scalextric stuff, not model railways. But hey - try telling a 16-year old that a slot car with magnesium alloy wheels and chassis isn’t cool! 

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9 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

No, Brian - but some of us from Surrey are archaic, does that help? 

 

I lived in Dorking in the ‘60s, 12 miles from Guildford. As 6th Formers, my late friend Michael and I would drive (in his parents’ Zephyr 6) to Guildford, parking in a car park he called the bombhole, and repair to a model shop called Pascall’s, probably in Woodbridge Road. I am ashamed to say our purchaes were Scalextric stuff, not model railways. But hey - try telling a 16-year old that a slot car with magnesium alloy wheels and chassis isn’t cool! 

I remember Pascall's, they sold Hornby Dublo. Not far from there was The Dolls Hospital, which sold Triang and HD.

Harveys department store had a fabulous model railway in the toy dept. at Chrismas. We were spoilt for choice in Guildford.

 

Wishing Kernow every success, with their new venture.

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27 minutes ago, brianusa said:

Can't really call it Kernow now - is there an archaic name for Surrey?

 

Brian.

.

 

It would seem that the tribe living there at the time of the Roman invasion were the Atrebates, with the area being subdivided into 3 civitas

 

So,  PROBABLY the civitas of Regni

 

"Regni

Like the civitas of the Belgae, the Regni are not a tribe or people known at the time of the Roman Conquest, rather the Romans created this civitas (an administrative unit within a Roman province), possibly around a smaller tribal group that were part of the Atrebates.

Before the Roman Conquest, the whole of the territory between what is to today West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire was the territory of the Atrebates, this important kingdom had two major centres at Silchester, near Reading, and Chichester.

West Sussex was an area with very strong links to France before the Roman Conquest and was one of the first areas to use coins and adopt north French styles of cremating the dead.

Between about 10 BC and AD 43, Chichester became an important Royal centre, on a par with St Albans, Stanwick or Colchester. This area was very pro-Roman and served as one of the bases for the Roman Conquest of Britain. The ruler of the area was King Cogidubnus, who started the great palace at Fishbourne, outside Chichester, after the Conquest.

Because of his help to the Romans, Chichester at least remained a client Kingdom and not part of the new Roman province until Cogidubnus' death in about 80 AD. After this time, the territory of the Artebates was divided up into three civitas, with the Regni being the civitas centred on Chichester and administering West Sussex.

 

See ;

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/british_prehistory/iron_01.shtml

 

.

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1 minute ago, Kerr Stuart 2451 said:

On the other side of the coin I wonder what impact this new store at Guildford will have on the existing nearby retailers, i.e.

  • Alton Model Railway Centre;
  • Dorking Models;
  • Modesco (in Godalming);
  • Roxley Models (in Leatherhead).

Chris

 

Or Addlestone Model Centre. A reason why there are so many model shops in the area is hinted at in posts above.

 

Roxley is in Great Bookham, although their postal address is probably Leatherhead.

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4 minutes ago, johnofwessex said:

What about Passports & Visas for the staff 

Never mind passports !

 Daily packages sent up containing pasties to keep any transferase staff going

 

not that this new shop helps me much living halfway between the two

natural tendencies to go west though!

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2 hours ago, robertcwp said:

I visited the Kernow stand at the Basingstoke show today and didn't notice this announcement. Too busy buying the new Hornby GWR non-gangwayed stock and a discounted D845!

 

The shop appears to be only a short walk from London Road station, which has a half-hourly service from where I live. Pretty easy drive too (Google says 27 minutes) but not sure what the parking will be like.

 

If it's to be near London Road station, there is free parking in the roads near to the station.

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1 hour ago, rab said:

Not so much of the 'archaic' .

Cornish language still be live an kickin,

though I dunno much of it meself.

Nor me although when I lived in Plymouth, I thought I'd give it try a long time ago, as my mother and her parents were from the St Austell area.  Didn't get very far talking to myself!:(

Lowena dhis.

Brian.

Edited by brianusa
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.

 

My better half reminded me that for anyone visiting there is a possible attraction for "your" wives / partners / etc.... in as much as the Royal Horticultural Societies headquarters and Gardens are at Wisley, just a few minutes up the A3 towards the M25.  So, you could drop them at Wisley and go down toe the new shop, spend the requisite time and money there, and then go back up to Wisley to either pick up your passenger, or go in to the rather excellent cafes and restaurants !

 

( Beware the junction to Wisley, and exiting to the A3, are both a bit odd - and can be a bit "exciting" with heavy traffic. )

 

.

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18 hours ago, Kerr Stuart 2451 said:

On the other side of the coin I wonder what impact this new store at Guildford will have on the existing nearby retailers, i.e.

  • Alton Model Railway Centre;
  • Dorking Models;
  • Modesco (in Godalming);
  • Roxley Models (in Leatherhead).

Chris

 

I suspect you need to study road and railway maps plus various demographic sources to get any sort of answer to that,  Many folk tend to have built up a relationship with shops they use regularly or have used for many years and might hesitate to break it even if they 'experiment' with visiting a new retailer in the area.  Some may change for whatever reason and a lot depends on who stocks what while a few will be influenced entirely by price and go to teh cheapest even if it costs more to get there (they being folk who don't like buying by mail order.

 

Adding a new outlet will also, i think, have an impact on the overall market by potentially encouraging new entrants to the hobby and recent show attendances seem to indicate that tv exposure through 'The Great Model railway Challenge' has increased interest so those folk who are newly interested might well be looking for places to buy from.  As ever the proof of the pudding will be in the eating but I suspect that 'good' retailers (i.e those perceived as that by their regular customers) might not lose out.  For example I shall continue to shop with my two 'local' model shops the nearest of which - only an hour away by car - is Paul at Alton.  The other as it happens is quite a good train ride away so their opening a branch somewhat nearer might well prove useful as the train journey will reduce from c.5 hours to a bit less than 2 hours.  ;) 

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