Close of play for Mr Toy Shop

Where was that ?

Cheers, Simon

The toy shop or the Co-op ?

Both might be interesting. One of our local surgeries had one running round high up on a shelf. beats the dentists fish tank anyday.

Cheers, Simon

The shop was called Golden Gains, They had two shops, both in Derby ( where I lived for a few years ), one in the Wardwick opened by Frankie Vaughan ( just within the 'Golden Mile' ... a pub crawl and just a few steps away from the museum ), the other, and the one to which I referred was at The Spot. It was one of those "traditional" toy shops that, in my experience, do not exist any more.

Why did Frankie Vaughan open one of these shops you may ask ! Well the man who founded Golden Gains was John Barnes ( ex Tank Regiment not the ex Liverpool FC legend ). He also owned 'Talk of the Midlands' night-club on Mill Street plus the 'Stork Club' at Hucknall. The 'Talk of the Midlands' used to be a tiny cinema that was turned into one of the Midlands' best night-clubs, it even had it's own free car park.

The Co-op I referred to is in Castle Donnington.

Chris

Frankie Vaughan was also a model railway enthusiast.

Any truth in the rumour that he built a layout on a green door?

LOL

Was that the door from 'The Gateways' club or the one from the 1968 film 'The Killing of Sister George' ?

Apparently other well known celebrities are model rail enthusiasts :-

Tim Allen comedian, based on his character in 'Tool Time' he would probably replace the electric motors with model aircraft engines :-)

Johnny Cash country music singer / songwriter

Phil Collins rock singer, actor

Kevin Costner actor

Roger Daltrey lead singer of The Who

John Entwistle singer member of The Who

Whoopi Goldberg actor

David Hasselhof actor

Tom Hanks film star, producer

Elton John rock star

Michael Jordan basketball player

Lionel Ritchie singer

John Pertwee actor 'Dr Who'

Bruce Springsteen rock star

Patrick Stewart actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation & The X-Men)

Neil Young rock star and apparently part owner of Lionel Trains ( had a look at their web site with it's MagniVision=99 view of their loco's ?)

Chris

Pity about the shop in Royston: I remember it well from the time I lived there (1981-99). If I had a quid for every tin of Humbrol paint I bought in there..............

Rod Stewart is another model railway enthusiast.

And of course Pete Waterman, music producer and owner of "Just Like The Real Thing", the company that specialises in high quality 7mm scale models.

Allan Sibley

Until I visited the website just now I didn't realise the Home of O Gauge had closed as well. I'm really going to miss the background music :o(

(kim)

"kim" wrote

Yes, the owner, Philip Millard has retired I believe.

John.

I've heard that Sir Elton has a full-scale ex-Melbourne tram on his estate. I don't know if he has any track to run it on.

In eastern Ontario, there is a chain of shops owned by a dairy, that operates a small children's theme park at its main location. Each of the shops has a circuit of 45mm gauge track suspended from the ceiling with an LGB train that is actuated by pushing a button near the doorway.

Gary Coleman - the black midget actor from the TV-series "Different Strokes" - is often filmed playing with a large proprietary H0 layout at his home. I believe the layout was purchased with the proceeds of a settlement from a lawsuit against his parents who he claimed had stolen most of his earnings from the show? Coleman always looks deadly serious when "playing" with his layout. In fact, I've yet to find anyone in any country other than Britain who finds this pastime remotely funny.

(kim)

Do you know him? He got quite nasty when it was pointed out to them that their website order page wwas insecure, accusing people who were trying to help of "malevolence and malice" and being "hard up for something to do with their time".

The wording of the closure notice on the website smacks of the baby throwing its toys out of the pram.

A few other choice quotes from the MERG archive:

"I have been told by others that this contemptuous attitude is normal for the 'gentleman'"

"I live within eight miles of the shop refered to but prefer to purchase my requirements elsewhere - I will leave you to your own conclusions"

MBQ

I think "idiosyncratic" may be the word you're looking for.

:-)

A timber merchants cum model shop around here was owned for many years by a former war hero by the name of Claude Beesley. He was one of those ex-servicemen who could never readjust to civilian life. He drove away a lot of regular customers like myself with unwarranted outbursts. Quite often the shop had to be run by his assistant or daughter while he was away "sick" and they made a very good job of it. Eventually, a competitor opened a specialist model shop just a few doors away and that was the end of "Beesley's".

(kim).

wrote

No I don't, but I believe he's a subscriber on the 7mm Yahoo! group.

John.

P'raps he wasn't a warrant officer?

(he asked, innocently)