Widnes Model Centre

AI is clearly being used by many businesses and obviously the government. In order to help High Street Retail there has been a review of business rates and in particular rateable value. Government Websites reveal that Retail Rateable Value has gone down 10%. Also reduced for Hospitality. Our business rates have gone up approximately 11%. That pushed up the Water Rates. We are currently paying before the expected increase, around £90 a month for our cold tap and a single toilet. Our rent has just gone up around 8%. Not to mention Energy Prices for which there is no help for small businesses. Decided having read one of the above posts to take the bull by the horns and contacted our landlords. Very sorry but they didn’t have any old settees! Did AI mention inflation? Last year’s Contents Insurance was £365, it was an Introductory Offer and we expected it would go up. This year, quotes ranged from £4000 to £8000. We pay the Building Insurance through our Service Charges. We will find out this month how much the charges will go up. We’re all doomed, beginning to think Private Frazier was right 😂

I have just spoken to someone who has Glasgow and Birmingham in his shop. He confirms that both models are exactly as they ran. He has personal knowledge of both locos. Confirming that cab side numbers never appeared on City of Glasgow.

City of Glasgow and City of Birmingham have both been despatched to us.

If you fancy something railway related, there is always the 1/35 Dora Railway Gun. Over 3,000 parts. Someone claims to have actually counted the parts and reckoned there are 3315! As a noteworthy bit of added information, the box won’t fit in a normal family car.

These arrived in stock today. As in AY’s photo in the Spring Announcements. The box says ‘Crossfield Chemicals’. Thankfully the wagon says ‘Crosfield Chemicals’. Would the incorrect spelling on the box put anyone off buying? The one customer l showed them to said it would.

You have to buy the stickers from Tier 1 retailers as Tier 2 only get one sticker each. 🙄

Personally, l think this is brilliant. @Nearholmer. Not made in Binns Road, can you clarify? As my late mum worked there it would make it even more important to get one. Need to place an order with another retailer as having just received our allocation…. None allocated to us.

Suppose we will have to wait for a few weeks to see ours.

We have only recently received the outcome of the review of the Business Rates system in England and Wales as announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement. The outcome was that there was an easing of business rates for those that had been particularly hard hit by the past three years. In our case the ‘Retail Shops’ on the high street saw a general reduction of 10% in their Rateable Value. Hurrah! But our RV has increased by 13%. The Small Business Rate Relief appears to be being phased out. Would any retailers be willing to PM me with whether their RV has gone up or down? Particularly those with bricks and mortar shops in a high street setting. Thanks in advance.

Hi JZ, We are Tamiya stockists. There are a number of Tamiya products that we are not allowed to stock in the UK. This is one of them. When l have asked why l have been told COSHH Regulations etc. Other items include polishing compounds, panel line wash etc.

The one day delivery delay according to Andy Y’s list above, has gone right out of the window . We are WA8. We are approaching seven days and DPD haven’t even collected our parcels. Now affecting at least four of our suppliers. The CEO of Watermans is suggesting to shop local to guarantee your items for Christmas. He also points our that even shopping locally at a bricks and mortar store will possibly be a problem as the store may have not received their deliveries. Does the rail system still carry parcels? Been lucky so far, only one cancelled order. He called into the shop and said as it was a Christmas present he would have to order ‘on line’. He was able to come yesterday as he was on strike.

Just been invoiced for ours, now it’s down to DPD to get them to us.

Hopefully Andy or Phil will place this in the correct Forum. One of our suppliers has informed us that some of the Couriers are unable to collect from our suppliers due to over capacity. This has been explained that due to national strike action with Royal Mail, Parcelforce etc, suppliers are switching to other couriers who are unable to take on the extra work and deal with it within their usual timelines . This appears to be effecting many suppliers, with the knock on effect of retailers being unable to Despatch until they receive supplies. Currently there are delays of at least 48-72 hours. If you have that all important item on route and are anxiously watching and waiting please be aware of the above.

Hi Bill, everything you have asked for is showing as being available and in stock at Bachmann. Any Bachmann dealer would be able to order them. However there are minimum quantities that have to be ordered and that could be a problem for some shops as they may be left with difficult to move stock. If all else fails give us a call and we can see if we can help.

Good price though. £149.99 but less if you are a Member of The Collectors Club, £134.99. Hang on......

Sad to report that Gus passed away earlier this year. The shop closed and the stock went to auction.

You have been.

We have basically given up on attending exhibitions as a trader. Balancing supporting a local show and making a loss can only lead to giving up. Noting that traders are saying the same thing to us. Being told that ‘we are trying to keep the numbers down’ didn’t help. What we find really strange is that many of the exhibition managers no longer send a ‘flyer’ advertising the show, let alone a bundle of small takeaway leaflets. When asked if there is any promotional material, ‘we have run out’ or ‘we forgot to send you some’. One of the local shows has forgotten for the past six years. At the moment we have flyers in our window for Manchester, Rainhill and a swap meet on the Wirral. In relation to the Manchester Exhibition we are on our second large bundle of flyers. A recent local event went largely unnoticed, l only discovered it was on when a customer came into the shop and said he had just visited. He was driving past the venue on his way to the shop and saw it was on. It costs next to nothing to post a flyer to a local shop. If potential attendees don’t know an exhibition is on, they can’t be expected to turn up.

Agreed, l wonder if anybody at Hornby really thinks allocating a shop a coach and nothing else is helpful? I await a response to my email. Expect to hear that there has been a dreadful mistake and that we should not have been allocated the coach. It will not put our business in jeopardy and l will not be in the least bit disappointed.

We have just received our total allocation of the newly announce FS range. If anybody is looking to pre-order a four wheel coach please get in touch! Only one available.

That’s the side of a retailer that Hornby don’t appear to see. Scalextric set brought into our shop, a birthday present. One of the cars isn’t working. Hornby advised the customer to take it to the nearest Hornby dealer. Quicker and easier. Ten minutes later car sorted and happy customer. It was brought from Direct Sales. @Trains4U is understandably miffed that Hornby have gone down the Direct Sales for TT120. Will Hornby be directing their TT120 customers to their nearest model shop? Getting back on topic, I have joined the TT 120 Collectors Club, l fancy the idea of a layout for myself. But for a Modern Image layout the gaps are visible. If as it appears Hornby are intending to go wholly down the direct sales, the risk is entirely on them. At the moment the risk is with their retailers. We buy, if it doesn’t sell, we get to keep it anyway. No Sale Or Return for retailers. If it doesn’t sell quickly enough, our warranty with Hornby runs out. Coincidently, we haven’t had a single enquiry regarding this range. Today we will be posting to our 7,000 Facebook followers and will not be able to mention TT120, just like all the other retailers. Hornby’s much talked about advertising campaign has missed the opportunity to have massive amounts of advertising at no cost to themselves. Not to mention Point of Sales advertising. Promised retailers so much, then…..

Not read all previous pages so....... Just in case no one has said it. "Nothing in this announcemement for us!"

Thanks for the above, very helpful as ever.

Does anyone have a photograph of the valve gear near the cylinder block? Need to compare the left and right sides. Have a customer who believes there is something missing but the model is running smoothly. Thanks in advance.

Important Update. C and M Models Carlisle;Temporary Closure: The shop will be closed on Thursday 18th August 2022. It is likely the shop will be closed for the rest of the month. Mike is having an operation on the 18th in Manchester as he has late this evening been diagnosed with a detached retina. He will update this post in due course. Mike apologises for any inconvenience. No mail order during this time. We wish him a speedy recovery.