BachelorBoy Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Train Times of Eastbourne at 37 Seaside (aka Eastbourne Models and Collectors Centre) reopened earlier this year. https://www.traintimesmodelshop.co.uk/ From the owners: "Eastbourne's oldest model shop has an undocumented past and we would love to be able to cobble together a complete picture of its history. We're pretty certain that it was originally opened in 1963 by Mr Ken Morton - who was famous for wearing his pork pie hat and playing cricket for the town. "We know that it changed hands a couple of times before Trevor Hendrick took over the shop in 1994 and that he ran it for 19 years until he unfortunately passed away in 2013. "We are currently still in the process of adding products and descriptions to the site, in the meantime feel free to browse, and if you can't find what you need then call us on 01323 722 026 and we will be happy to help or visit us on www.traintimesmodelshop.co.uk" 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted March 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18 8 hours ago, BachelorBoy said: Train Times of Eastbourne at 37 Seaside (aka Eastbourne Models and Collectors Centre) reopened earlier this year. https://www.traintimesmodelshop.co.uk/ From the owners: "Eastbourne's oldest model shop has an undocumented past and we would love to be able to cobble together a complete picture of its history. We're pretty certain that it was originally opened in 1963 by Mr Ken Morton - who was famous for wearing his pork pie hat and playing cricket for the town. "We know that it changed hands a couple of times before Trevor Hendrick took over the shop in 1994 and that he ran it for 19 years until he unfortunately passed away in 2013. "We are currently still in the process of adding products and descriptions to the site, in the meantime feel free to browse, and if you can't find what you need then call us on 01323 722 026 and we will be happy to help or visit us on www.traintimesmodelshop.co.uk" Can't add much other than to say that when I lived in Eastbourne from 1997 to 2001 it was an Aladdin's cave for second-hand stuff. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 18 Was there an RMwebber called Sunshine Coast, deceased about a decade ago, who worked there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium cornelius Posted March 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18 That was Trevor. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_M Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Can't help I'm afraid, but it's great to hear of a shop that's re-opened! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyPenguin Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 If it's the store I'm thinking about it was always worth checking out when in the area - the "Aladins Cave" was out ther back, glad to hear it's re-opened. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 18 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 18 Fairly certain that in 1986 I bought an HO Atlas Alco Century 425 B-B loco there. That in itself was remarkable - Atlas N was widely sold in UK, but the HO range much less so, other than by the specialist importers like Victors. ISTR the shop window, which faced south, had a yellow film applied to limit the negative effects of the sun's rays on the models on display. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted March 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18 1 minute ago, Oldddudders said: Fairly certain that in 1986 I bought an HO Atlas Alco Century 425 B-B loco there. That in itself was remarkable - Atlas N was widely sold in UK, but the HO range much less so, other than by the specialist importers like Victors. ISTR the shop window, which faced south, had a yellow film applied to limit the negative effects of the sun's rays on the models on display. Yellow but it faces more or less west. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUCKOO LINE Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 (edited) All I can remember was that late 1960s early 70s it was run by a guy who seemed to continually find bargains, the story ai heard was that he spent a large amount of time scouring for redundant stock etc. It used to be packed floor to ceiling with kits and railway stuff. When I lived near Hailsham it was always on the agenda when Eastbourne was visited. He always seemed to be a bit of a Del boy but always friendly. Could have been Ken , not sure but I believe he got ill and sadly passed on. There must be modellers in Eastbourne who know more, whenever I visited there seemed to be some regulars chatting to him. Nice to see it back open , will have to visit on our annual sussex holiday, looks like the opening hours are more flexible for visiting too Edited March 18 by CUCKOO LINE 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Shall definitely visit when next in town to see family. On a previous occasion, I got a very nice 0 gauge Southern coach there, which I wasn’t completely sure at the time was Exley, but now am, at a very decent price, so I hope the new owners continue to find unusual secondhand stuff, and “price to sell”! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted March 18 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18 6 hours ago, Nearholmer said: Shall definitely visit when next in town to see family. On a previous occasion, I got a very nice 0 gauge Southern coach there, which I wasn’t completely sure at the time was Exley, but now am, at a very decent price, so I hope the new owners continue to find unusual secondhand stuff, and “price to sell”! Closed Mondays. On my last UK trip, that was my only day in Eastbourne so couldn't call in. Better luck next time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUCKOO LINE Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Website suggests now only closed Sundays and Bank Holidays so a lot better hours now. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BachelorBoy Posted March 19 Author Share Posted March 19 What happened here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted March 19 Moderators Share Posted March 19 17 minutes ago, BachelorBoy said: What happened here? Admin function testing. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted March 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19 8 hours ago, CUCKOO LINE said: Website suggests now only closed Sundays and Bank Holidays so a lot better hours now. Thanks! That must be a very recent change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty1966 Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 (edited) Ken Morton ran the place in the 70's and early 80's as Eastbourne Models and Hobbies. Ken really didn't like kids (I was one at the time and he was always quite brusque to me). Then a chap called Paul (for the life of me I can't remember his surname) purchased the store, owning it and running it until finally selling it to Trevor Hendrick who had just been kicked out of Scale Rail (the other bigger store in Eastbourne at the time). Under Paul the store was a shadow of its former glory and was in danger of withering away. Trevor renamed it to Train Times pinching the font from the actual "train times". The outside woodwork of the store was then painted in the old Eastbourne Bus Corporation colours from the sixties and seventies making it stand out against the white brickwork. Stock was purchased over a long period of time til eventually you could hardly get in the place for Model Railways, Scalextric Diecast and plastic model kits. Was a real Aladdin's cave. Trevor's almost encyclopedic knowledge of all things railway and his plastic kit building skills are sadly missed. Edited April 17 by lofty1966 Change of text plus added some 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 (edited) The Eastbourne Models and Collector's Centre applied very distinctive white labels to their stock, and these still turn up in seemingly enormous numbers - a lot of stuff must have gone through there! I did visit a couple of times in the 80s, an Aladdin's Cave indeed Edited April 17 by andyman7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty1966 Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 The Eastbourne Models and Hobbies Ltd Edition Box van that Ken commissioned from Hornby was still available from the store when Trevor took over. There must have been thousands! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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