Gone but not forgotten

[great central]

11 hours ago, Northmoor said:

The impression I got was that you stay in the shop longer, which may even be the intention of the shop (a big chain is more likely to plan this than a family-run shop).  Having waited a long time outside the store, unless you have a deadline (e.g. car park ticket) you are more likely to "make it worth your while" once in the store, and see if there's something else you need.

 

Definitely, I came across this some years ago when the small local chemist I used for prescriptions was taken over by Boots.

Prior to the takeover the service was always quick and efficient, repeat prescriptions were sent direct from the doctors to the chemist and ready for collection after a couple of days.

After Boots took over there was always the excuse that they hadn't received it or something else, it was obvious the staff were uncomfortable about it and when I checked with the doctors they confirmed the order had been sent through when required.

After several months of this I changed chemist to a smaller chain where, once again, pre-ordered prescriptions were ready and waiting. Later one of the staff from the Boots branch started working at the new chemist and when I asked her she said she couldn't work under the conditions imposed by Boots!

Incidentally, Boots have recently closed the two branches in the small towns local to me, leaving one in a small shopping area between the two and one which is little more than a shop which happens to do prescriptions on a retail park.

I doubt Jesse Boot would have been impressed.

[GNR Dave]

On 13/08/2020 at 08:21, 97xx said:

I seem to remember Model Corner in Horsham, West Sussex, located on the 'V' of the main road into the town from the East coming from the station, just past the old library.

 

Very small shop but catered well for the railway enthusiast.

 

Behind the white care in this 1960 picture I think (in terms of location - can't say whether the shop was there then).

https://www.francisfrith.com/horsham/horsham-the-library-c1960_h119148

 

Yes ! I remember my Nan taking me there when I went to stay with them during the school summer holidays in the 1970s. I wasn't into trains then, but remember cabinets full of built models and staff very knowledgeable about their construction. Helping Nan with her household chores was usually rewarded with an Airfix series 2 or 3 kit ! 

The building was still there a couple of years ago (A wool shop IIRC) but most of the area around it has been 'modernised'

[Philip Jackson]

In my home town Doncaster there was Curtiss's, Evans and T.A.G. In Sheffield there was redgates (I have a box wagon of them) and beatties. More recently Doncaster has lost Panda Models

[Pandora]

2 hours ago, Philip Jackson said:

In my home town Doncaster there was Curtiss's, Evans and T.A.G. In Sheffield there was redgates (I have a box wagon of them) and beatties. More recently Doncaster has lost Panda Models

There was also the "Doll's Hospital" in Hallgate,  similar in size to Cuttrisses but only sold Triang products.

Cuttrises were one of the first to close, between 1978 to 1980, a large shop with  many staff,  they catered for the  A to Z of boyhood ( and grown men) hobbies and were always busy, especially on a Saturday. In a newspaper   interview many years afterwards,  the owners said they saw the writing on the wall as interests in  hobbies for boys requiring  practical skills of engineering or construction were  in a swift decline , so the made a quick decision to close down while financially in the black.

Looking back, changes in education during the 1970s were the seeding of a negative sentiment towards practical skills for a boys education, as in ", Metalwork  OUT, Tap Dancing IN". the  decline of emphasis is useful skills acquired at school is one of several factors in the loss of many model shops

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Pandora

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 hours ago, Pandora said:

Looking back, changes in education during the 1970s were the seeding of a negative sentiment towards practical skills for a boys education, as in ", Metalwork  OUT, Tap Dancing IN". the  decline of emphasis is useful skills acquired at school is one of several factors in the loss of many model shops

 

 

Unless things have changed over the past few years, to enable kids to do what little bit of "craftwork" is done in schools these days, a PPE regime somewhere between building the Shard and working at Sellafield is employed, and the kids are taught to fear equipment, not be aware of it.

 

Mike.

[melmerby]

On 27/08/2020 at 06:13, great central said:

 

Boots have recently closed the two branches in the small towns local to me, leaving one in a small shopping area between the two and one which is little more than a shop which happens to do prescriptions on a retail park.

I doubt Jesse Boot would have been impressed.

Once while in Keswick (Cumbria) I went into Boots to get a couple of items (shampoo & soap) but couldn't find them.

I asked the assistant why not . The reply was "We don't stock them".

When I asked why I was told they were Boots own brand and we don't stock Boots own brands!

So much for choice.

A case of only stocking the high price brands so they could fleece the tourists.

 

Where I live now I have the luxury of a pharmacy that is privately owned, discounts prices on most shampoos, soaps, beauty products etc. and delivers prescriptions to the door fast.

 

Wouldn't want to have to use a Boots who I rate with WHSmith as the two worst businesses on the high streets.

 

 

 

 

[fezza]

The oddest model shop I have ever visited was in the basement of the old and semi derelict Readers Return, New Buildings Hinckley. You had to ask to gain entry into what was basically a dimly lit cave of second hand Triang Hornby Dublo, rusty second hand and odd modern bits. 

 

It was run by a guy called Shufflebotham who occasionally published in the model railway press. He was a bearded, bluff and  rather strange guy who made you feel somewhat nervous - you got the impression he found customers irritating and he always seemed to think you were going to nick stuff. He was probably OK when you got to know him though. I remember buying a Mainline Royal Scot from him. I still have it. 

 

The whole place was knocked down in the late 80s. Anyone else ever venture down there? 

[caradoc]

Trains on Time was in a kind of garage unit with a roll-up shutter in one of the less salubrious parts of Paisley (which is saying something !) But it was handy for my drive home from work, had good stock at competitive prices, and a friendly and helpful proprietor. Much missed, as my nearest proper model shops are now in Edinburgh, or another country, in Carlisle !

 

[andytrains]

Sleepers Models in Gravelly Lane, Erdington, Birmingham.  Just realised I have posted about Sleepers before. Doah!

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by andytrains
Senility

[Invicta]

On 24/09/2020 at 11:51, fezza said:

The oddest model shop I have ever visited was in the basement of the old and semi derelict Readers Return, New Buildings Hinckley. You had to ask to gain entry into what was basically a dimly lit cave of second hand Triang Hornby Dublo, rusty second hand and odd modern bits. 

 

It was run by a guy called Shufflebotham who occasionally published in the model railway press. He was a bearded, bluff and  rather strange guy who made you feel somewhat nervous - you got the impression he found customers irritating and he always seemed to think you were going to nick stuff. He was probably OK when you got to know him though. I remember buying a Mainline Royal Scot from him. I still have it. 

 

The whole place was knocked down in the late 80s. Anyone else ever venture down there? 

 

That's a new one to me- As a Leicestershire teenager, my model-buyng mainly centred around Signal Box and Geoff's Toys in Coalville, with very occasional visits to Apex Craft or Norcol Models in Leicester, but Hinckley was always a bit off the beaten track for me-  Found this feature on past Hinckley shops from the local paper website...

 

https://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/gallery/1980s-shops-11443843

 

...including a 1983 pic of Readers Return, complete with a selection of period Mainline in the window...

 

https://i2-prod.hinckleytimes.net/incoming/article11443723.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/JS80755638.jpg

 

Looking at the pic, I see what you mean in your description, it doesn't look like  the most inviting of shops!

[ianmacc]

14 hours ago, Invicta said:

 

That's a new one to me- As a Leicestershire teenager, my model-buyng mainly centred around Signal Box and Geoff's Toys in Coalville, with very occasional visits to Apex Craft or Norcol Models in Leicester, but Hinckley was always a bit off the beaten track for me-  Found this feature on past Hinckley shops from the local paper website...

 

https://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/gallery/1980s-shops-11443843

 

...including a 1983 pic of Readers Return, complete with a selection of period Mainline in the window...

 

https://i2-prod.hinckleytimes.net/incoming/article11443723.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/JS80755638.jpg

 

Looking at the pic, I see what you mean in your description, it doesn't look like  the most inviting of shops!

I have got to say though If I was passing I would still have a nosey! 
 

Even the ‘Model Railways’ signage is missing half its stick on letters....

 

It would make a good modelling subject!

Edited September 26, 2020 by ianmacc
Posted half finished message

[40152]

Now living in the model shop desert that is north east Scotland, this thread took me back to my youth in Birmingham. As well as my first trip with the old fella to Bob’s Models (bought my first sheets of plasticard there...made me a ‘real’ modeller!), we used to take a weekly trip to Southern Railways on Vicarage Road in Kings Heath. Think it only sold secondhand stuff, the locos were on shelves behind the counter. Bought quite a few locos there including a 2 rail conversion of the early metal bodied Duchess of Montrose. Remember the woman that served in there was always dead nice when I went in with my dad and spent cash, but once I went in with a mate to show him this cool shop, and she was dead nasty. So we never went back!

[HEATH STATION]

southern migrated to Stechford, close to the railway station. Still carried 2nd hand and in latter days only opened weekends, with a door lock opened from inside. Closed down now.

 

[Crisis Rail]

Preston (Lancashire) had Harry Welch on Church St  - legend has it they gave PECO the name PECO Streamline. Trains and Transport on Charnley St a small chaotic shop but always had something interesting in the rummage boxes - it was  run by Chris who was A Lostock TMD Fireman.

 

Lastly Transport Models - closes this week - end of an era.

 

Ian

[melmerby]

5 hours ago, HEATH STATION said:

southern migrated to Stechford, close to the railway station. Still carried 2nd hand and in latter days only opened weekends, with a door lock opened from inside. Closed down now.

 

I swapped some Trix BR coaches for some H/D Pullmans at the Stechford shop.

 

Sept 2015:

https://goo.gl/maps/hLFEr7nRkAqNdf958

 

There's actually a thread on this:

 

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by melmerby

[Firecracker]

Whilst having a furtle in the attic, found this bit of history.   One GMR siphon, purchased 30(?) years ago.  When did the shop at steamtown close?

Owain

[Northmoor]

11 minutes ago, Firecracker said:

Whilst having a furtle in the attic, found this bit of history.   One GMR siphon, purchased 30(?) years ago.  When did the shop at steamtown close?

Don't know about the shop but I visited Steamtown on a weekday in May 1995 and was just about the only visitor.  I don't think it reopened to the public in 1996.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

On 25/08/2020 at 20:55, Talltim said:

I’ve just come across a seller on eBay who says they are selling stock from Victors. Someone must have been sitting on it for a while

 

Details please. I saw Bernie Victor today via ZOOM and I'm sure he would be interested to know about this.

[Firecracker]

17 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Don't know about the shop but I visited Steamtown on a weekday in May 1995 and was just about the only visitor.  I don't think it reopened to the public in 1996.

That sounds about right, Steamtown was certainly shut by ‘98 (because that’s when I learned to drive and post test I did pass plus, ending up in Carnforth after a spin down the M6 and discovered it shut then).  I reckon it was post ‘91 the shop closed, because I remember discovering it had shut on a jolly out with the old man after he retired (we went for fish and chips instead).  

 

Owain

[rob D2]

It would be a sobering experience to , say, get a 1990 railway  modeller And determine what % of shops are still with us .

 

Sadly the rise of internet shopping, not to mention the current madness certainly hasn’t helped 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

1 minute ago, rob D2 said:

It would be a sobering experience to , say, get a 1990 railway  modeller And determine what % of shops are still with us .

 

Sadly the rise of internet shopping, not to mention the current madness certainly hasn’t helped 

 

TBH it's always surprised me somewhat that so many model shops close rather than get taken over when the owner retires. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

TBH it's always surprised me somewhat that so many model shops close rather than get taken over when the owner retires. 

 

You've not heard of the internet then?!!

 

Mike.

[Talltim]

On 06/08/2020 at 17:13, 602Squadron said:

 

Just picked up this post about Chuffs, which brought back some memories.

 

The Central Hall exhibition you mention was probably the Model Railway Club's Easter show in 1971 or maybe 1972 - after nearly 50 years, I am not absolutely sure. Welwyn Garden City MRC were exhibiting Jim Armstrong's Richmond (Yorkshire), as we didn't have a club layout at the time, and Chuffs had a trade stand. "Count Dracula" and various other characters would wander round the hall all day, sounding air horns, jumping out at visitors and, as you say Eddie B, sometimes taking the joke to excess, to the extent that a PA announcement was made one morning before the show opened saying that complaints had been made about Chuff's behaviour which would no longer be tolerated, and that their stand would be closed if it continued. Things were a little quieter after that.

 

I still have a full set of Model Railway Constructors for 1971/2 with the notorious adverts. 

Were you a member of WGC MRC? I was, but only at the end (I wasn't born in 1972!). My dad was a member for many years, I'm not sure when he joined but it would have been after 1977 when we moved to Hatfield  @corneliuslundie

[corneliuslundie]

It was before my time. I have no memory of Jim Armstrong's layout, so things must have moved on before I got to Hatfield. I was a member of the club from shortly after our move until the club lost its premises and closed. By the time I arrived the club had OO and EM layouts well under way.

John Bancroft was also a member and we exhibited his very nice EM layout  Childs Ercal a few times.

Jonathan

[Northmoor]

3 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

TBH it's always surprised me somewhat that so many model shops close rather than get taken over when the owner retires. 

It shouldn't be that surprising, it's a very specialist business, not like a coffee shop or a newsagents where a high proportion of the local population might use it and can see the level of demand.

 

When the model shop owner retires, the odds of there being someone who (a) wants to run a model shop and (b) wants to run one in that location or even the same town, are pretty small.