25081

just glad I bought what I did when I did over the years - thanks for being the supplier of so much pleasure - sorry to see you go - best wishes  

23 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

I've still got a whitemetal chimney that I got from Hobbies for some project or other. Its about an inch long...  🙂

 

 

Hobbies was a required port of call whenever we went into Liverpool.  Boring stuff like dolls and dolls houses and such downstairs.  Upstairs a delight of model railways...

 

Are those real air rifles in the lefthand window display. or just cap guns?

 

And the tail-end of a car in Tarleton St, before they pedestrianised the area.  I remember dad driving along Church Street and Bold Street so we could see the Christmas lights...

 

the mpte brass band used to be set up in clayton square on christmas eve in the 70's playing christmas tunes on their instruments - imagine that nowadays

just thinking of all the retailers that used to be in the merseyside and surrounding area during mid to late 70's and there was no doubt more - were the likes of the following

hattons at 180 smithdown 

beatties in st johns precinct

city models 

the model shop between clayton square and church st that did a lot of meccano - think it was called hobbies

vanguards on queens drive

birkenhead model shop

alec green's also on oxton rd who did Hornby and raleigh bikes

marriotts also on oxton rd who did hardware/household and lima 

peter toner's on seaview rd in liscard who did Hornby and think was also a bike shop

the model shop in runcorn

the model shop in ellesmere port who did mainly aero modelling but was useful for supplies and humbrol

the arts and crafts model shop down below in the rows in chester with the steep creaking staircase

then there were numourous  other toy shops that sold Hornby and sweet and tobacconist stores who sold the airfix kit range - what happened to them all - suppose you could say in one way as happened with grocers and supermarkets that hattons probably swallowed a lot of the trade up as the smaller retailers just couldnt compete on price and its a trait of mankind that no one likes paying over the odds for anything - whatever hattons and all the others had and have been responsible for bringing a feeling of wellbeing and smiles to so many over the years 

Sad news - feel more and more everyday that my life is imploding - really am so sorry to hear this - been a big part of my life since the mid 70's - however they are more than likely being shrewd and they know the time has come to sell up - you only have to look at the main retailers websites and they are awash with clearance items that they can't give away - the new releases are just too expensive and so many nowadays just haven't got the money thanks to certain prime ministers 

On 03/11/2023 at 11:29, beast66606 said:

Heard the sad news this morning that Ken Gibbons has passed away.

 

Ken (and his brother) were in the Merseyside MRS with me back in the 1970s / 1980s, he moved to Hull for work and settled into his model making on t'other side of the Pennines.

I personally haven't seen him for a good while but friends saw him recently (Hornby show) and said he looked well.

 

Ken was one of the good guys

 

Condolences to Ken's family and friends.

On 03/11/2023 at 16:21, durham light infantry said:

I am still reeling from the news that Ken Gibbons has died suddenly. A thoroughly decent human being, top bloke, gifted modeller and champion of the micro layout. At 62.

With Pete Johnson going earlier this year, and some non modelling friends also passing early I am shaken. After nearly dying myself 3 1/2 years ago I thought I was good for another 30 or so years, but am I?

 

Let us take this as a clarion call. Get off our phones/tablets/laptops (apart from checking on rmweb!). Love those closest to you and lets get some modelling done. Don't hold back. Dive into that stash of unmade kits, build a micro layout, or just run some trains.

 

Do it for the Kens, Petes, Tonys, Iains, Roys, Normans, Teds, Johns et al.

 

But do it for yourself too, that three score and ten is not a given anymore.

 

Hello - I am Ken's brother Graham - firstly many thanks for the kindest of words re Ken - what makes it worse is the fact I and his mate Brian were with him the day before and he seemed perfectly ok , his usual quick witted self and we were talking about the fact that we needed to make a start on some of the many layout idea's we've been talking about for years -I myself am retiring from work at the start of next year at 59 one of the reason's being the number of people I know of in the last few years who have suddenly passed away - not elderly people either ; would never have thought the reaper would come calling for Ken so soon  - personally am convinced the after effects of covid or the vaccine has something to do with it - just too many people nowadays suddenly passing away or having strokes and what makes it worse they've been in good health too - I know for a fact Ken was shocked upon hearing Pete Johnson had suddenly passed away - a couple of years ago he was stood next to Ken at Crosby show when Ken was awarded the worst scouse accent of the weekend award , best of it was Ken was'nt even a scouser ,he was a Glosterian - I bet Ken would never have thought he would be heading the same way before the year was out .

In the last few years Ken had started modelling Belgian prototypes and had been showing his Veldvoort layout - think it was Ken's way of having a break from the way this country was heading post Brexit - Ken always hated injustice and was never afraid of telling anyone if he thought they were wrong - as for his British outline modelling he had recently shown his Wirral based idea called Rivacre - this was a small industrial idea bringing back memories for him of going on the Wirral Railway Circle's Ellesmere Port Docker railtour of the mid'70's - had some newspaper pictures to show him next time he came round of his mum,dad and me joining the tour at Ellesmere Port - unfortunately he will never get to see them - other idea's he was wanting to get done were a Settle to Carlisle idea,a West coast overhead idea and going back to Wirral again Liscard and Poulton on the Seacombe branch and he'd also been getting a few bits together to do a model of Seacombe itself - it does'nt end yet ,he'd been going on for years about doing a model of Liverpool Central High level as when he was young he'd remembered seeing trains in there .

Ken was already building and showing layout's in the early 70's when he was at Wirral Grammar School - he went on to join Merseyside Model Railway Society with his dad - one member who I suppose was his modelling mentor was Jim Sullivan - Ken always liked the OO layout High Cross that Jim was involved with - somebody else who had a lot to do with Ken's interest in model railways was Gerry in City models in Liverpool ,another decent person who always gave customers a warm welcome and had time for people just like Ken did

Still can't believe it

RIP always Ken      

Graham

x

If anyone would like to attend Ken's funeral service it is at 2.40pm on Tuesday 28th November at Scunthorpe crematorium - in anyone wishes to send some flowers please can you send them to Hutesons funeral directors,Holydyke funeral parlour,Barton upon Humber,North Lincs

Thanks Graham

On 04/11/2023 at 20:21, RANGERS said:

Reading this almost with disbelief, I’d been talking to Ken at Caistor just a fortnight ago and having mentioned how pleased I was that Lapford Rd was still around, it turned into a long discussion about its future.

 

Ken was one of life’s really nice guys, always had time to chat and always had some words of wisdom to offer. I’ll miss his company and his models immensely, shows will be the poorer for me without him, our thoughts are with family and friends.

 

RIP Ken, we’ll miss you.

 

Hello Andy - thank you so much for the email and the kind comments re my brother Ken's passing - Ken would stop and engage in conversation with anyone be it at model railway exhibitions ,car shows,on public transport,at the shops,basically anywhere - if you went to swapmeets with him you had to leave him to it at times as he'd always meet someone he knew and would be talking to them for ages about layouts,show bookings,the outcome of committee meetings,other modellers dilemna's,etc,etc - meanwhile all the bargains were being snapped up! I know after Caistor show he told me he had given Lapford Road away as he wanted to concentrate on other projects - I hope its in good hands - the last few years he had got interested in Benelux stuff - I myself had been there a few times  and told Ken to come along as he would really enjoy it - he did and enjoyed it so much that he started modelling it ! He also had a great sense of humour - had many good laughs with him over the years and we had many in jokes between ourselves that we often quoted to each other time after time . God Bless Ken

Graham 

… you are of course referring to the usual journalist crap of oh,your into railways - you must have a thermos flask,a parka and source your wardrobe from the centre isles at either Lidl or Aldi - the likes of jasper carrot and that moron seen on itn news trying to s--- a deltic never helped years ago

..anyone got a new style 24035 in a darker shade of rail blue - acquired one of a certain internet auction site and it appears to have been finished in what I think is referred to as charter blue - maybe some finished in this colour before they realised it was wrong - looks sort of halfway between Bachmann's rail blue and Hornby's dark rail blue - must be others out there   

Think the trailer for this program with Simon Kohler's statement "Im selling happiness,buy me"is the most positive thing I've heard in a long time certainly post covid - this man should put himself forward for PM    

..was on this railtour with 40106 -  still got my ticket somewhere - seem to recall it took a wrong route somewhere not far beyond Edge Hill and the whole train had to reverse -  travelled in either an SK or a CK - bright sunshine at Stockport but by Guide Bridge was getting really murky - I too have a sllde of the 76's at Guide Bridge - had my head out over Dinting viaduct and also approaching Woodhead tunnel - thick snow ! Doncaster works was snow covered and thick mist probably mixed with all the industrial grime from back then - was 14 back then in 3rd year of secondary school so had a kodak 126 with slide film in  - took a few shots but obviously the weather didn't help - recall Alycidon in bits in the shops having its sandbox fillers and small cabside windows plated over - quite a few Deltics outside waiting attention , also outside a 56 with an end whacked in possibly 029,St Paddy in the snow,50009 and 50037 - will have a better idea when I dig my slides out of what was there - seems a long time ago now but still remember it - a highlight of my youth - mentioned to someone at work not too long ago about having been over Woodhead behind 40106 and they went off in a mood - would never have thought it would have that effect - when I see him next time will have to mention that I went to Stranraer behind 40033 on the Ayrshire ranger in Sept 83 and see what effect that has !