A long weekend of penury was in the offing last weekend when Hazels Morris Dancing side,
Dead Horse Morris were making a weekend of it at
Ely in cahoots with the 'Powderkegs' side dancing non stop to the same old Morris tunes. Actually the
'Powderkegs' were excellent and god forbid they dance as a mixed group unlike DHM who have a mens and women's 'team' they therefore put on a better display. Now I wondered if Ely had a model or games shop .....well you would wouldn't you! I checked on the web and lo and behold the
'City Cycle Centre' came up trumps!
Now that is a welcome sign! The shop is a throw back to my childhood where often you would find cycle shops/DIY & Models in one emporium.....the smell of model kit boxes and cycle tyres...aaaah!
A very well stocked model centre - Airfix, Revell, Italeri, Tamiya, Zvezda, Armourfast, Roden etc glues and paints galore
Also a fine selection of wargames goodies....Warlord, Plastic Soldier, 15mm, 20mm & 28mm & the GW expensive stuff that few can afford any more.
More kits you can never have too many pictures of a well stocked model shop can you!
like you can never have to many kits!! I've meant to try 'Plastic Soldiers' kits for some time and they look excellent also picked up some crew for some 1/35th Desert war British Armour.....
On a marker stall near the model shop I paid £2 to purchase someones long forgotten Airfix Romans/Ancient Britons collection contained in a converted 'dogfight doubles box! now if I can get that bit of cardboard off the front & remove the inserts.....!
While I was happily entertained the Morris carried on scaring the locals! Although I did find another tasty real ale on this trip 'Wherry' by the
Woodforde's Brewery and I had been such a good boy (Hazel doesn't know about the kits!) that I was allowed to visit the hallowed ground of
Duxford on the way home on Sunday.
Harvard in Portuguese colours was flying together with two Tiger Moths and DH Rapide giving pleasure flights
As well as all the usual hangers with their superb exhibits, what was of most interest was the 'deposited' London collection in the restoration hanger
Spitfire V and 'Camel' which used to reside hanging from the ceiling of the IWM London currently going through a massive facelift to commemorate 100 years since the beginning of WW1next year
British WW1 Siege Howitzer
Lancaster nose which together with the Halifax cockpit is usually found in London
25 Pounder
V2 in Kit Form!
French WW1 75mm
Valentine ...good grief we fought German armour in that!!
The Lysander sadly my little camera hasn't got the range/flash to make the most of many of the exhibits in the large hangers where lighting levels are an issue. Anyway a jolly good weekend after all, now for half term week and goodness I need the break after my first term working in a school hopefully finish a few kits off and start those PSC kits.
Wow.. you had a good weekend... and a pint of Wherry as well... bravo!
ReplyDeleteThat looks a jolly fine shop Fraxinus!
ReplyDeleteOver in Christchurch in the 80's we used to have John Bull Cycles which also had the kit/bike combo approach, and was also on the list for visits every time I traveled over there.
Sadly the concept died in the early 90's, like most LMS.
Great post and some good buys.
ReplyDeletegreat to see some pics of the City Cycle Centre - and good to see it still going; an excellent 'old-fashioned' model shop. I'm originally from King's Lynn so know it well...
Now staying in Ely for a few days and this will be my first visit to the shop 😃 could be an expensive day !!!! We also done Duxford and heading to Bottisham museum Wednesday. With various trips to the Heath and Hall in between 👍
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