Favourite shop

My favourite shop (apart from chip shops of course) was the "Experimental Model Company" in Lower Ford Street which stocked every kind of model you could think of. I used to spend Sunday mornings there window shopping instead of going to church.

Always remember coming out of Cov Baths and then into Fishy Moores or if I was flush into the Wimpy next door.

Not exactly the same, but favourite shop experience was always in Fennells in the Lower Precinct, watching Derek Fennell in action finding the LP or 45 that had been requested The guy had the most amazing memory for artists, titles and labels, and to see him go over to the far wall, perhaps 6 or 7 shelves high packed out with literally 1000s of LPs, and pick out the exact record the customer had asked for, never ceased to amaze me, even when I worked there on Saturdays on the build up to Christmas, selling record tokens What a star

I loved to look & dream about the toys in the windows of the Savoy Library shop (not sure why it was called a Library as I don't recall being able to borrow any books)on the Radford road opposite Bede road.

Hi Dutchman, Nice to know you liked the chip shops. I got round a fair few of them over the years, however, the model shop you refer to in Lower Ford street backed onto the entries in Alma street. I used to climb over the wall and sort through the "goodies" that had been thrown out. Had a few nice models over the years until they started to incinerate everything. We must be of a similar age.

On the subject of "model shops" can anyone remember the name of the one in Spon End (not the one at the bottom of Hearsall Lane) that used to be next to where Listers car showroom stands. I used to spend hours (and lots of pocket money) in that place but I cannot remember its name. In particular they had huge stocks of scale plastic models (Airfix)

Hi, Mattash. Yes it was sore point with me that during the period I lived in Gosford Street there wasn't a single decent chip shop Instead I had to walk all the way up to DiStefano's in Far Gosford Street. A shop called the 'Friar Tuck' eventually opened almost opposite me but it specialised in greasy overpriced chicken and even greasier overpriced chips. I wish I had a pound for every time I heard the staff tell a customer "we don't do fish".

Ah yes! The other branch was in Hales Street (opposite M,H&W) called the "Model Shop". I remember the glass counters full of fireworks near bonfire night and doing "Penny for the Guy" so we could buy some.

The one in Spon End was simply called "The Model Shop". It was run by Claude Beasley. One of my school friends got thrown out once for asking Claude for a bottle of spirit level bubbles. Claude as a nice, helpful guy, but I don't hink he had much of a sense of hunour. When I graduated to contol line model aircraft, I bought my engines from Claude. I generally bought 0.15 cu. in. (~2.5cc) glow plug engines that had a great power to weight ratiio. But he sold everything from airfix kits to model railways. There was another model shop at the top of Albany road, on the left just before the island. It wasn't called "The Model Shop", and I think it had a general toy angle. I forget the owner's name now, but he had a Christmas Club every year and I used it to save up for gross (i.e. 144) boxes of Little Demon bangers.

I think you'll find it was called the "Model Drome", in later years at least? It was originally a timber merchants. I had a similar experience with Claude myself, he had a very short fuse. I found out much later he was a war hero who had problems readjusting to civilian life.

The lady who looked after the model railways, upstairs in the 'Model Drome', moved to Allesley Park shops, sometime around 1999, but closed about 2008. At Allesley Park, it was a toy, model railway and art/craft type shop. Replying to the question asked about my favorite shop, as a child it has to be the model shop in Ford St. It was called the Experimental & Model. The owner moved to Crescent Ave, Stoke, before finishing up in the D at Coundon at Engleton Rd. My wife's favorite was Thorntons. I asked her once if I should buy some Thornton's to which she replied a very favourably yes. She was most disappointed when she realised I was talking shares! They were sold five years ago I am glad to say.

That was 'Model Craft' on the corner of Spon End and Hearsall Lane. No connection with Beesley's 'Model Drome'. She was a Geordie if I remember correctly? Didn't realise the one in Allesley Park had closed? Very sad

I am better at remembering numbers than names. Yes, sad as her shop was very convenient for the odds & ends. These days, it is the model shops that trade on-line that do well, like 'Antics' in Trinity St, which is where I now go for materials associated with my railway. My railway is a winter hobby so not any activity just now.

'Model Craft' was a comparatively recent use for the shop. For most of its life since being built in the late 1950s it was Gibbs' TV showroom. It's final occupant was a car accessory business called "Wheel Craft". The shop is currently disused. The upper floor of all the shops in that row was always intended to be residential accommodation entered from a courtyard and staircase at the rear of the shops with an opening in Broomfield Place.

I'm quite sure that in circa 1960 it was simply called the Model Shop. There was certainly no upstairs. You used to go in and be surrounded by various sizes and thicknesses of balsawood planks. The linoleum clad counter was so crammed with various items that often it was not that easy to find enough space to put down all your prospective purchases. Obviously it changed of the years.