Peter Bossom

[whart57]

I am passing on the sad news that Peter Bossom died suddenly at home last Tuesday (February 2nd) aged 79. Peter was well-known on the exhibition circuit for his well observed and constructed small layouts built in 3mm scale, as well as his habit of inveighling friends and acquaintances to go behind the layout to "have a play" - and then disappearing for a cup of tea. However Peter's layouts operated so reliably that these rookie operators enjoyed the experience once they'd got over the shock.

 

Peter's layouts, Whatlington (with an 'h'), Hoath Hill sidings, Bulverhythe and Thunders Hill all followed an East Sussex theme and ranged in period from Thunders Hill, which was Grouping period Southern Railway, through Bulverhythe, a small harbour town under the shadow of invasion in WW2, to the early diesel period modelled in Whatlington and Hoath Hill. Peter worked in 3mm scale which makes demands on skill but also creates opportunities to model rarer prototypes. His layouts demonstrated a good variety of stock, one example being a nuclear waste train which passed through Whatlington on a diversion from its normal route from Dungeness to Sellafield.

 

Peter Bossom's Whatlington

 

As well as being a skilled modeller, Peter was not afraid to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in to the more mundane aspects of running a model railway club. When the 3mm Society's members' shop became moribund through the long illness and death of the previous shopkeeper. Peter was one of the small team of volunteers who rescued the stock, sorted it out and restored the mail order service to members, a task that required a day's work each week for five years

 

At the time of his death Peter was actively working on a new layout (Alfriston) and had just finished refurbishing his railway room

 

He is survived by his wife, Jennie, two daughters and a grandchild.

 

The Sub-Wealden Gypsum Company at Hoath Hill, another of Peter's 3mm scale exhibition layouts

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by whart57

[BlueLightning]

I'm really sorry to hear this, I spend a couple of exhibitions helping him out with layouts, and especially remember operating The Sub-Wealden Gypsum Company for longer than he did on one day of the Uckfield show a few years ago (2016, how time flies!). It nearly made me get rid of all my 00 and replace it with 3mmFS.

 

He was a very talented modeller, and great guy, and shall be missed.

 

Gary

Edited February 9, 2021 by BlueLightning

[Robert Shrives]

To add Peter was a likable and approachable 3mm modeller who offered help and support  , certainly his work with  Hoath Hill sidings inspired me back into 3mm. 

Shall be missed , RIP.

 

Robert    

[AY Mod]

Sorry to hear that news. It's sometime since I last saw Hoath Hill Sidings but it was certainly excellent work.

[Flying Pig]

I knew Peter Bossom only through his modelling and I recall both Hoath Hill and Whatlington very well.  The former seemd to have a permanent role as the ambassador for 3mm scale for several years. The latter created a very convincing and compelling ambience, the use of end backscenes being very effective, and if not unique then certainly unusual.  I found a short video of the layout by an RMwebber that gives a good impression of it:

 

 

[Tony Wright]

What sad news.

 

My most sincere condolences to his family.

 

I recall a couple of hugely-enjoyable occasions when I popped down to Sussex to photograph two of his layouts for BRM in the earlier years, spending a week's cottage holiday with my family at the same time. The layouts were exquisitely-observed and ran perfectly.

 

Another top modeller gone. 

[St Enodoc]

I knew Peter slightly from my Sussex days. Very sorry to read this news. My sympathy to his family and friends.

[Strathwood]

When I saw Thunders Hill in the mid 1980s at the Chatham Show it struck me as a delightful masterpiece and the charm of its concept has stayed in my memory ever since. Another sad loss to not only his family and friends but to the hobby too unfortunately.

[adrianmc]

Sorry to hear this sad news. Many a time I've spent helping behind Peter's layouts at exhibitions - usually over lunch time.

 

Being fairly local, Peter was kind enough to bring many of his excellent creations in both 12mm and 14.2mm gauge along to the Uckfield Exhibition. These included in recent years:

 

Bulverhythe

Hoath Hill Sidings

Thunders Hill - aka "the play pen"

Hoath Hill Halt

Whatlington

Sub Wealden Gypsum Co.

 

He was due to return this year with his latest layout Alfriston which made its exhibition debut back in March 2020.

 

 

He was a very talented modeller and a friend who will be missed on the exhibition circuit.

 

My and the Uckfield Club's condolences to his wife and family.

 

[CF MRC]

A lovely man. 
 

Tim

[bcnPete]

Am really sad to read this too.

 

My first memory of Thunders Hill was seeing it in an old Model Railway Constructor Annual but was lucky enough to see it in person at one of the Burgess Hill Model Railway shows one year.
 

Peter would attend and bring a different layout bi-annually to the show and he was always so kind, friendly and easy to talk to. I especially liked his BR blue layouts and would always leave the exhibition thinking ‘maybe I should move up a scale from 2mmFS to 3mm’...

 

Very inspirational modelling and lovely bloke.

 

RIP Peter and my condolences to his family.

 

[dibber25]

My sincere condolences to Peter's family and friends. I well remember featuring Thunders Hill in Model Railway Constructor some half a century ago. (CJL)

[chris45lsw]

I saw Thunders Hill several times over the years - it has always been my favourite amongst his layouts.  He will be sadly missed.

 

Chris KT

[nest]

Very sorry to hear this. I had Peter exhibit with us at Brighton on several occasions and he was certainly a friend of the club. 

 

Will be very much missed. 

 

Nestor