The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

I have just moved into Essex on the edge of London and have no idea what the lay of the modelling land is. I would have thought that locating a decent model shop in London would have been easy, but after looking through Yell.com and google all I can find is a 3d printing shop and various stockists of 'electronic toys big enough to ride on'! Obviously not what I had in mind Is anybody here able to narrow down the search for me, and more importantly, recommend a decent one? Ideally it would be within walking distance (up to half an hour) of Fenchurch St. Station, though I am also not averse to popping on the tube as long as I don't have to ride the district line past central London; I retire in about 35 years so don't really have the time to spare for such a journey

Thanks!

You're out of luck, I'm afraid. London hasn't had a decent model shop since Modelzone on High Holborn closed -- the end of an era dating back to Beatties.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings...

bestest,
M.

You'll be looking at a lengthy tube ride to Colindale to get to Hannants (that said, a trip to the RAF Museum can be part of your day, too, as it's right next door). I believe that The Aviation and Hobby Store is open for business again (?) out in West Drayton.. wrong side of town for you, I'm afraid.

I'm guessing you're in Barking/Ilford/Upminster or environs.. the Overground train will get you to Norf London and cut down on Tube time to Colindale.

Darn it. When I moved here from Aberdeen I was under what Bomber Harris would no doubt refer to as 'the rather childish delusion' that the modelling world would become my oyster, and that London would provide a styrene filled paradise for the discerning modeller. I suppose that these days the demand for hobby shops selling kits must be quite low, given that a) many people will purchase from the internet and b) serious modellers will buy a lot of their rarer kits from modelling shows like Telford. Seems a shame; I used to love going into what I call proper modelling shops, with shelves stretching from floor to ceiling, stuffed full of kits from manufacturers I had never heard of and usually with a bespectacled fleece-clad unbelievably friendly and helpful owner standing behind the till. Still, progress is progress I suppose

Arcwelder wrote:I'm guessing you're in Barking/Ilford/Upminster or environs.. the Overground train will get you to Norf London and cut down on Tube time to Colindale.

Yep that's about right. Will have to pay Hannants a visit; I have been trying to get to the RAF museum for quite some time actually, so it makes the perfect excuse for me to visit and then merely 'stumble' upon the model shop without my other half knowing a thing

Thanks for the replies and help so far chaps

Me too when I moved to London some years ago. At the time there was still Modelzone in Holborn and Kingston and TAHS in West Drayton but a real lack of old-fashioned LHS stores (luckily I have one here in Cork !) It's probably worth checking for RC shops: many of them carry paint, glue and even some kits. But Hannants is well worth the trip and you could (and I assume still can) order stuff from their website to collect in store.

The former Aviation Hobby Shop is still in business at West Drayton. The shop is now called AJ Aviation and is situated in an office building just behind where the previous shop was.

Some toy shops have model sections. A couple of years ago I was in Hamleys in central London and they had a good selection of Revell and Airfix kits. I don't know what the story is now though.

See my thread below.

If you are visiting the RAF museum, it pays to park near Hannants, as the Museum charges for parking. Hobby Craft in Chingford has a reasonable range of model accessories and a selection of Revell, Airfix Tamiya and Italeri kits, although not necessarily the latest issues.

It's worth asking local craft store managers if their suppliers supply Airfix kits. They may not advertise the fact and the range might be small. I just stock up on rare visits to places in East Anglia that I know have a hobby shop, so a degree of patience is needed.