I just popped into our local hardware shop in Withernsea which has just had and a bit of a refurbishment and was greeted by a display stand filled with Airfix kits - a mix of Vintage Classics and new tool, aircraft, AFVs and a few ships with a mix of scales.  The Humbrol paint range they've always had has also been expanded.  They've had them for about 2 weeks and they've been selling well apparently.  Got chatting to a young lad of about 12 when I went to pay for my bits and bobs as he was looking at the kits with some excitement.  He's a keen modeller so we had a natter about modelling and all thigs connected with it whilst performing shoulder rolls and therfore keeping it legal by combining exercise and shopping for essential purchases.  He certainly knew his stuff and was telling all about the kits on the shelf and all those which weren't.  The lass on the till also said she'd been tempted to have a go to while away the time at home when there's not a lot else to do.

It's looking good for the future!

Hi Wizzel,
You never know, the Covid-19 pandemic might be the start of the younger blood returning to the art of modelling.
Lets hope so.
Bigkev

I have happy memories of when such as Woolworths, the Co-Op, Post Offices and just about every Newsagent sold kits. In fact I built a few for a newsagent in Sth Elmsall. My treats were trips to Cuttriss' in Doncaster, plus two others, Beatties in Leeds, and a smaller one whose name escapes me, as does the name of the shop on the outskirts of Wakefield.

Quote from: cph64 on February 14, 2021, 09:01:57 PM
I have happy memories of when such as Woolworths, the Co-Op, Post Offices and just about every Newsagent sold kits. In fact I built a few for a newsagent in Sth Elmsall. My treats were trips to Cuttriss' in Doncaster, plus two others, Beatties in Leeds, and a smaller one whose name escapes me, as does the name of the shop on the outskirts of Wakefield.

Every newsagent and small shop seemed to have models in my youth.

I used to walk home from school and on a Friday nip into the sweet shop at the top of the hill and buy a kit, mainly Airfix and Frog, when I start college there used to be a model shop at the railway station selling Tamiya mainly so guess where I used to be before catching the train home.

Colin Stevenson's bike shop on Grovehill Road in Beverley was my go to shop as he had loads of models too.  It was a long thin shop and on the right hand was was peg board with kits all along it on hangers as well as stacks of them behind the counter.  I get sent there one brithday by my parents to "pick up a model for your birthday".  Imagine my disappointment when instead of an Airfix B24J liberator being handed over to me, he went into the back and wheeled out a brand new British Eagle 10 speed racing bike.

What an ungrateful sod I was! 

Well just to upset some of you - yes my first model was a P51 Mustang and I made most of the Airfix ships BUT most of my money went on books.
So now you can all tell me what a strange childhood I had and get in a few other jokes as well.

Quote from: MSea on February 22, 2021, 09:59:15 AM
Well just to upset some of you - yes my first model was a P51 Mustang and I made most of the Airfix ships BUT most of my money went on books.
So now you can all tell me what a strange childhood I had and get in a few other jokes as well.

Maybe you should have read them as well? (Sorry, couldn't resist the dig).

I never had enough money to buy lots of models, we shared shoes, walked 5 miles to school, begged from the farmers.
You get the picture - sorry again, only joking.

I was brought up in Keighley and spent lots of my younger years painting Airfix 1/72(6) figures - American Civil war and so on.
I did buy and ruin the odd model.

Yes my first books were "Janet and John" books about how to read - MUST HAVE MISSED THEM OUT_ hohoho - you can tell by the speeeling  spealing  seapealing how to write

I never built models as a kid, my favourite toys were a sharpened stick and a catapult.

Quote from: Haddock on February 22, 2021, 11:50:10 AM
I never built models as a kid, my favourite toys were a sharpened stick and a catapult.

Why does this not surprise me    

Quote from: zak on February 15, 2021, 10:45:04 AM

Quote from: cph64 on February 14, 2021, 09:01:57 PM
I have happy memories of when such as Woolworths, the Co-Op, Post Offices and just about every Newsagent sold kits. In fact I built a few for a newsagent in Sth Elmsall. My treats were trips to Cuttriss' in Doncaster, plus two others, Beatties in Leeds, and a smaller one whose name escapes me, as does the name of the shop on the outskirts of Wakefield.

Every newsagent and small shop seemed to have models in my youth.

I used to get  to the one in Wakefield, it was in Westgate, also made it to Beatties a few times... they had Tamiya when the rest were still Airfix and Revell. That was all an awful long time ago!

Indeed it was Howard, indeed it was!!!

I think's it's hilarious that the title of this topic is "The next generation of modelling" and all except the initial post is about the current generation - us!!!

Quote from: Wizzel on February 25, 2021, 09:35:06 PM
I think's it's hilarious that the title of this topic is "The next generation of modelling" and all except the initial post is about the current generation - us!!!

We do have a next generation modeller in our midst however - Tom.