Model shops: neither gone nor forgotten!

[sjp23480]

The "Gone but not forgotten" thread has seen a lot of activity of late, nostalgia is a wonderful thing and I have many fond memories of W&H, Kings X Models, Hadley Hobbies, Railmail, East Kent Models in Whitstable, Signal Box Chatham, Jennings in Enfield, Bexley Models, Engine Shed in Leytonstone and many, many more that have long since disappeared.

 

But, what are your suggestions for the longest trading model shop in the UK which still operates from a physical premises?  I used to have a collection of 1970s Railway Modellers that I could have reviewed for familiar names, but they are long gone.

 

Both Hattons and Rails have been a long time, but I would be fascinated to hear your nominations?

Steve

[Matt]

I think Monk Bar in York has been around a while? Well I mean Monk Bar Model Shop of course… Monk Bar itself must have been there for centuries!

[Gilbert]

15 minutes ago, Matt said:

I think Monk Bar in York has been around a while? Well I mean Monk Bar Model Shop of course… Monk Bar itself must have been there for centuries!

I was pleased to drop in at Easter this year....well worth it...

Chris H

[Gilbert]

Hattons has moved around a bit but I remember the small shop in Smithdown Road (1960s?) and I have visited both its replacement and the Widnes warehouse....

Chris H

Edited July 12, 2022 by Gilbert

[great central]

Sherwood models in Nottingham has been around for something like 40 years now. The original owner opened on Sunday morning, long before Sunday trading became the norm, I used to have a run over there while the other half was at church, certainly when our son was small and possibly before he was born,  he's 42 now by the way.

[CUCKOO LINE]

Train times in Eastbourne been around since early 60s.

[Roddy Angus]

Harburn Hobbies in Edinburgh have been in existence for at least 90 years, about 60 of them under the current owners.

Regards

Roddy

[Philou]

Lendons of Llanishen, Cardiff, has been there since the 40s (IIRC). His trading rival, Bud Morgan is no more, but one of the 'lads' who worked there (me too), has continued with his own shop (Lord and Butler).

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[RANGERS]

19 hours ago, Matt said:

I think Monk Bar in York has been around a while? Well I mean Monk Bar Model Shop of course… Monk Bar itself must have been there for centuries!

Monk Bar was built in the 14th Century….named after the model shop next door….

[sjp23480]

On 12/07/2022 at 22:41, CUCKOO LINE said:

Train times in Eastbourne been around since early 60s.

I have an occasional foray to Train Times - lovely little shop, but under new ownership since I last went.

 

Everyone has RTR, I enjoy finding the bits and pieces that may have been on the shelves for years.  Its a bonus if the price hasn't been updated.  

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

Steve

 

 

[Dava]

The Signal Box, Anstey, Leics. Last one in the County? 
 

https://signalboxanstey.co.uk/

 

Dava

[RANGERS]

2 hours ago, Dava said:

The Signal Box, Anstey, Leics. Last one in the County? 
 

https://signalboxanstey.co.uk/

 

Dava

I must drop in there some time. I was a regular in the 1980s when they’d the shops in Oadby and Ibstock I think it was, and before that in the indoor market in Wigston.

[Mike Bellamy]

11 hours ago, Dava said:

The Signal Box, Anstey, Leics. Last one in the County? 

 

 

UKModelShops website also lists "Rocket Railways" in Coalville - it appears they were previously based in Grantham - but even so, only two shops in all of Leicestershire . . . . . . 

.

[MyRule1]

Although in no way is it a pure model shop Hamleys in  London was founded in 1760 and the current flag ship store opened in 1881. There maybe some Toy Shops with a significant modelling department that are fairly old. Unless my memory is playing tricks I remember visiting Hannets (not a railway model shop though) when if was upstairs in a Toymaster (or similar) on Lowestoft high street.

Edited July 15, 2022 by MyRule1

[russ p]

The train shop in Scarborough has been around for a long time. A great shop but I think Jeff is winding down now as its not open too much now

[RANGERS]

12 hours ago, russ p said:

The train shop in Scarborough has been around for a long time. A great shop but I think Jeff is winding down now as its not open too much now

Sorry to hear that, visited once a month or so when I worked in Scarborough but have only been back once since I moved jobs in 2014.

[sjp23480]

13 hours ago, russ p said:

The train shop in Scarborough has been around for a long time. A great shop but I think Jeff is winding down now as its not open too much now

An all too common occurrence.   

 

My local, the Model Shop in Woodchurch (Kent), has been around for some time but Veronica and Harry aren't getting any younger and are also starting to run things down :-(.   They can't afford to have much UK RTR on the shelf, in the past they specialised in French RTR and had a stand at the SNCF Society expo in Lenham for many years, which has not re-emerged after the health crisis, yet.  But, it is a treasure trove of spares and other bits and pieces.  They don't advertise and are off the beaten track, so often have things long since out of stock at other spares outlets. 

 

I guess the moral of the story is to support your local model shop?

 

Steve

 

 

[St Enodoc]

17 hours ago, MyRule1 said:

Although in no way is it a pure model shop Hamleys in  London was founded in 1760 and the current flag ship store opened in 1881.

Remember the model railway that was built around the central atrium?

[Matt]

On holiday at moment - Setchfields on Poole High St is still going - believe been around for 60 yrs or so? Not made it in yet…

[ianmacc]

Funnily enough I Googled this very topic this morning on the back of the nostalgia thread unaware that this thread existed! Lendon’s of Cardiff comes in at 1944 I believe. Monk bar is 1963. We lost Gee Dee recently and that was 1956. 
 

I also visited Harburn Hobbies on a work trip last week for the first time in a double coincidence. 

[sjp23480]

3 minutes ago, ianmacc said:

Funnily enough I Googled this very topic this morning on the back of the nostalgia thread unaware that this thread existed! Lendon’s of Cardiff comes in at 1944 I believe. Monk bar is 1963. We lost Gee Dee recently and that was 1956. 
 

I also visited Harburn Hobbies on a work trip last week for the first time in a double coincidence. 

1944 for Lendons is great, shame I am in SE England, otherwise I'd pay a visit. 

 

Thanks Ian,

[Invicta]

On 14/07/2022 at 23:11, RANGERS said:

I must drop in there some time. I was a regular in the 1980s when they’d the shops in Oadby and Ibstock I think it was, and before that in the indoor market in Wigston.

 

I don't remember them at the indoor market, and never visited the Oadby shop- the other one was Coalville, rather than Ibstock, and I was a regular from the day it opened (1979/80-ish?). I'm trying to think when the Coalville shop closed, early 90's?- I moved away to Kent in '89 and think they were still there then?

 

I moved back to Leicestershire about 10 years ago and I'm a regular customer at Anstey.

[Philou]

On 19/07/2022 at 22:51, ianmacc said:

Lendon’s of Cardiff comes in at 1944 I believe

 

James Lendon and Bud (Bernard) Morgan both opened at about the same time and were 'rivals'. It wasn't uncommon when I worked in Bud's part-time (1965 -1981) that we would send customers to each other's shop (or exchange stock) if an item wasn't in stock. James Lendon started mainly dealing with bicycles and general toys and then as time evolved more specifically into railways (H/D) and modelling. Bud's was centred around model aircraft (there was AIUI a tie-up between him and Keil-Kraft) and despite only having one arm (following being run over by a tram as a child), he was an accomplished R/C modeller and a very skilled and prize-winning photographer. Railways was a sideline and as time passed railways (Trix and Triang) and modelling too came into their own.

 

Bud Morgan's was taken over by Antics when he retired. I like to think that my brother Peter (of Lord and Butler) has carried on with the railway modelling tradition. Lendon's, on the other hand, are still where they started nearly 80 years ago (8-0)!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[ianmacc]

On 16/07/2022 at 08:40, Matt said:

On holiday at moment - Setchfields on Poole High St is still going - believe been around for 60 yrs or so? Not made it in yet…

Worth a look. Found it by luck. I don’t think it advertises anywhere so is under the radar for most. 

[acg5324]

On 12/07/2022 at 21:01, Matt said:

I think Monk Bar in York has been around a while? Well I mean Monk Bar Model Shop of course… Monk Bar itself must have been there for centuries!

Monk Bar Model Shop will be 60 years in its current location next year, I believe it originally started elsewhere in York with a different name. The current owner is the son of someone who started there as a Saturday Boy and ended up taking the business over.