The owner of City Models was "Gerry Van Der Hoek" - Dutch not Polish who was still there at Stanley Street. However, he became involved in a Restaurant business on the Wirral if I recall and Paul took it over.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
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The owner of City Models was "Gerry Van Der Hoek" - Dutch not Polish who was still there at Stanley Street. However, he became involved in a Restaurant business on the Wirral if I recall and Paul took it over.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
I stand corrected irishseashipping.com
I think that was called Bascombe's. Not far from Arnot St Secondary Modern that became Alsop Lower School (eventually made way for a supermarket - wonder what happened to Fred Flintstone)Quote:
Originally Posted by George
Big treat; early 60's used to go to Bascombe's with my mum every month or so to get the latest Corgi car.
When I first started coming over the water it was to go their with my mates.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
It was a cracking shop.
...and the ones that are there don't sell tools or bits-n-pieces.
I bought a small Meccano model for my sister's grand-son last year, and his not too delicate fingers couldn't hold the little nuts in place in some of the corners of the model. Heck, that was the hardest part of Meccano when I was a kid too...
So no problem, I'll just buy him a hemostat to hold the parts...
http://www.beadsforbeaders.com/acata...stat-clamp.jpg
I went all over Liverpool looking for one - specialty hardware stores and model stores - and never did find one. Even the model train store near Penny Lane didn't sell parts/supplies/tools for people to build their own stuff any more - just pre-packaged stuff.
In the end I got one from our local Harbor Freight store and mailed it back along with my mum's car keys that I accidentally exported to the US...:)
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...ry=&q=hemostat
I guess all of the modelers in Liverpool use mail order now...
PS I don't think anyone in the thread mentioned the hobby store that was in Bold Street for a while - part of a chain, IIRC - update - it was mentioned...
What a lovely thread , like Zappa , I can't recall any toy shops as a child either , there was a nice little one here in Formby called Delahunty's , but they closed the doors after many many years of trading due to high rents .. And probably awful cold souless places like Toys 'R' Us don't help small businesses to survive either ...
I loved Georges account of himself going to buy animals for his zoo collection ..Aww George , And Ged's 'In brief ' reply was hilarious :)
Shop was called Harris'. At least two floors with a little room off one of them selling radio and sonic controlled cars. Big feature was the train set window display that had touch pads fixed to the window so that kids could start and stop the trains from outside. Must have closed mid eighties I guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by disco
I do remember Hobbies as my favorite store, and the 3s 6d that would regularly come out of my pocket money for Keil-Kraft rubber powered models.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pennylane
It was the first place I went to when my parents let me take the bus on my own into town...:)
Are you sure you're not confusing hobbies with Ann Summers???Quote:
Originally Posted by az_gila
I don't think Anne Summers was in business in the early 60's - and I can't remember any "frilly knicker" store windows in town us young lads could go stare at...:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
blimey, the dolls hospital, that's going back a bit, was in chester years ago and there was a toy museum there
Your right DD , Gerry Harris the son a colleague of mine.Quote:
Originally Posted by disco
Eck! 40 years on and we still have ametuers on the Meccano constuction...a small magnet worked well for me whilst I screwed the screw into the nut. :)Quote:
So no problem, I'll just buy him a hemostat to hold the parts...
40 years on we have a new kind of magnet...its called the strip fridge magnet. :)
I see from Johnny Blue's avatar that he's moving into wig wam chippendale glam now - only I believe the guitar doesn't have to be so big. ;)
Great thread. I'm reliving some great childhood memories here. :PDT11
He'd look stupid with his two incher...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
Hey - I thought it was an achievement just to get him to build anything in this age of computers and video games....:)Quote:
Originally Posted by George
Modern kids just don't have the patience we had as youngsters...
That's so true , i used to sit for hours and hours , cutting out dolls clothes from the Twinkle comic .Quote:
Originally Posted by az_gila