Model Shop Nostalgia.

[Richard Baxter]

From time to time, those of us of a certain age seem to like to reminisce about how we started in the hobby. A regular part of these musings seems to be the fact that, in the days before on-line purchasing, you could visit your local model shop and actually buy figures over the counter. The names and locations of such retailers are recalled with great fondness, so, I thought, why not start a thread and get such hoary ramblings into one place?

Most of these shops are long gone, so why not take a few minutes to add your favourites to this thread, along with any info, stories, etc relating to them? Over to you...

 

[Richard Baxter]

Ok, I started this, so here's my contribution.

I started in the hobby in 1970, in my first year at university in Birmingham. The trigger was the appearance of the Airfix 10th Hussar kit. You could buy these in any toy shop and high street rertailers like Woolworths and WH Smiths. However, one day wandering around the centre of Birmingham, I took a short-cut through the Burlington Arcade off New Street and there I stumbled across a small shop with a window full of Historex figures, made up and painted. It was love at first sight, I was hooked. Can't remember the shop's name, can any Brummies help?

Subsequently I moved around the country a bit. Here are a few other shops that I remember:

In my home town of Middlesbrough there was a shop on Linthorpe Road opposite the Dorman Museum near Ayresome Park. It was called the Stamp Shop and its main business was philately, but it also sold the full range of Historex.

There was a good little model shop in Claypath in Durham, can't remember its name, Steve Kirtley probably will.

Liverpool: a great shop in Cases Street in the city centre specialisng in figures. Again, can't remember its name. Also The Northern Garrison on Smithdown Road in Wavertree.

London: no trip to the city was complete without a visit to Under Two Flags, which was in a little alleyway (St Christopher's Place?) near Bond Street tube. A real Aladdin's cave, absolutely stuffed with figures, including hard-to-find items from the continent.

Cardiff: Bud Morgan's shop in one of the city centre arcades. A limited range of Historex, Hinchcliffe and other larger brands of the time.

There you go, time for a lie down.

 

[NigelR]

Under Two Flags and Tradition in London were my two "go to" places for figures. Joyful places to visit.

I even visited Edward Suren's place in Kensington once in the 70s.

 

[Banjer]

When I was posted in Ripon I used to visit a specialist figure shop in Skipton whose name escapes me, he was expensive but good.

On discharge from the army I relocated to Dunstable and used a lovely little shop in St Albans called Cavaliers.
When I moved to Wiltshire Bonapartes in Bath was often visited.

Most of my buying was either mail order from Historex Agents or direct at Northern Militaire or Euromilitaire.

Bill

 

[Civilwar 100]

Started modelling when Airfix produced their 1/32 figures (pikeman) from good old Woolworths, before finding a local model shop in Welling, Kent called “Welling Model World” run by Bob (l think) which opened me to Historex, Hinchciffe Series 77 and Post Militaire. All long gone.

Barry

 

[polyphemus]

Liverpool was probably City Models - 3 hours journey time.
Skipton could have been Northern Garrison - 2 hours journey time.

Points up how lfar I was prepared to travel!

Also a little model shop in Blackburn where for me it all started. Also in Blackburn a shop run by an army retiree.
Victoriana Furnishings in Accrington.
The last 3 were all in Lancashire, UK. Probably within a 7 mile radius.

Geoff

 

[Merryweather]

My three favourite model shops were all in London, early seventies.
Seagull Models in South Kensington sold figures and card models. I remember buying a SEGOM Poilu there made of Acetate, which I had to glue together with acetone!
They had a brilliant diorama of WWI Poilus made from Plasticine -about 54mm-don't know who by, but it really inspired me to try sculpting for myself.
There was a model shop (Trafalgar Models?) right near the Imperial War Museum that I always went to when I visited the museum. I could only drool at the stuff that was WAY out of my pocket money budget.
And then there was the original Beatties in Holborn , where I bought my first Historex model.
And I've just remembered a fourth shop which was in Grays Inn Road where I first saw Lasset and Hinchliffe figures , and probably bought my first ever white metal figure. This shop eventually morphed into 4D Model Shop which is actually still in existence, although now in Aldgate.

 

[valiant]

In Stafford, there was Bagnalls, a toy shop but which had a good model section upstairs and there was for a while The Stafford Garrison, a bespoke model shop. In the Potteries, there was Brookfields, in Longton, again primarily a toy shop, but which sold models, in Hanley, City Centre Models and Bratt and Dykes, a department store which had a great toy and model section! In Burslem, there was Pleasure Treasures. Further afield, there was a model shop in Lichfield called Imperial Modelling (i think!). More recently, there was Affinity Models in Longton, but has since closed th shop, but still trades at shows.

Spent many happy hours in those places with my dad and latterly in City Centre Models with my son!

 

[Steve headley]

We had a beautiful model shop in Leeds city center, it was up the road from the wrens pup. Forgot the name of the street, they knocked the row of shops it was in to make way for a Abby national bank headquarters. It was a fantastic old shop filled with everything from Frog, monogram, Tanya,Airfix, and Aroura monster kits which Me, Terry and Ian used to visit on a Saturday. They had made up kits in glass cabinets that you marvelled at.

We loved the place and it was always busy with us kids buying Airfix 1/72 soldiers along with planes ships anything our hungry minds go take in. But it was the old Monster kits we all loved.

Then we had beatties on great George Street, got my first Historex figures in thier.

We still have the cross Gates model shop which has a good selection of kits. But it’s main product is radio control aircraft and boats.

And I remember another one in I think queens arcade that used to be a great place for kits too sadly gone which is a shame but they call it progress. I think it’s a step backwards. But the memories are still great to have .

Steve

TFB Miniatures Team

 

[Wayneb]

HMS Pandora......Plank on bulkhead wooden model ship that has been meticulously planked and decked piece by piece that sits in my workshop unfinished and a constant reminder of the motivation I had when I was younger. But many past hobbies and interests makes me jump from one interest to another. So here I am painting miniatures and after 14 yrs+- on PF and haven't been booted off yet. Still trying to get over the fact that I have to trim my ears both inside and out.

Wayne

Sorry.... Never answered the question......I got started by being born.

 

[David Spencer]

Punctilio Model Spot, in Hinckley Leics.
An Alladin's Cave of models, figures, paints and accessories.
Fantastic. I still have a few things I bought there in the very early 90s.
Gordon, if you see this: all the very best, mate.

 

[Ian Pen]

I grew up with City Models in Liverpool, a great shop. I spent hours there, just in wonder. Rooting through their Historex box, in the hope there was something I could afford I actually wanted.

Years later my Dad bought the Hobby Shop, Southport. Owned by the original owner for around 46 years and also another haunt of mine on a Saturday.

My Dad bought it from the son after his Father passed. We owned it for 18 years. Having the shop was an absolute joy, I worked in it as much as I could.

There were great shops in Birkenhead, New Ferry, Liverpool and around most towns in Lancashire. I knew the shops and the owners, sadly they all started to close and it was heartbreaking to watch.

My Dad sold the shop and 18 months later it closed, despite my Dad doing everything to help the new owner. A very sad day, my Dad lived above the shop, I don't think he ever recovered from the shop going.

Great days and memories, I remember when we had to have a professional stock check. The bank insisted I think. We had over 100,000 different items, that shocked the whole family. Interesting was we always knew where everything was.

Such good memories, I always wanted to take the shop from my Dad, however, the internet killed it as a viable business.

 

[MalcC]

Like Nigel, it was Under Two Flags for me, I spent a lot of time in there admiring the painted figures and spending too much.
Fortunately I used to walk around the corner.

Model Shops are few and far between now, but fortunately there is one in Southend. Lawrence Matthews, sadly it doesn't stock figures but I can pick up supplies.

Malc

 

[David Spencer]

Like Nigel, it was Under Two Flags for me, I spent a lot of time in there admiring the painted figures and spending too much.
Fortunately I used to walk around the corner.

Model Shops are few and far between now, but fortunately there is one in Southend. Lawrence Matthews, sadly it doesn't stock figures but I can pick up supplies.

Malc

That sounds familiar. I use the York model shops for paint and not much else.

 

[fogie]

Don't have any details as to who, where, and when, but thought this
sort of relevant.....

Mike

 

[David Spencer]

Ahhh, my childhood and teens captured right there!
Beatties in Nottingham.

 

[theBaron]

Don't have any details as to who, where, and when, but thought this
sort of relevant...

I may be wrong, but I think this vignette is the work of a Japanese modeler. I vaguely remember when I first saw it online.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Civilwar 100]

I love it, brings back memories.

wow
Barry

 

[arj]

I may be wrong, but I think this vignette is the work of a Japanese modeler. I vaguely remember when I first saw it online.

Prost!
Brad

You are perfectly correct Brad. His name is Takuji Yamada.
Here is the man himself with one of his models on the cover of a book of his dioramas:-

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[Larsen E. Whipsnade]

Frank's Barber Shop in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Lousy haircuts but who cared? His shop was a wonderland of modeling.
Rick

 

[David Spencer]

Frank's Barber Shop in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Lousy haircuts but who cared? His shop was a wonderland of modeling.
Rick

Interesting how, with age, haircuts have ceased to be a real issue. Fortnightly buzz-cuts in the kitchen are so convenient.
I think I prefer it.