Your First Airfix Model?

[DaveB]

I have no idea what the first kit I made was, but well remember the Saturday morning ritual.

Much like me Paul. I have absolutely no idea which was the first I bought.. I had so many The Saturday morning ritual included Woolworths in Walsall and another small shop called Backhouses. This had everything a boy could want as far as model railways was concerned (something I didn't have but loved looking at the bits). A shop in the village.. Spencers.. was also good for the odd model or so. It was a sort of push bike shop come hardware shop and also sold Matchbox and Corgi cars. The building is still there.. I passed it only this morning.. but Spencers are long gone.. along with Woolies and Backhouses in Walsall. There used to be a few model shops in the town.. one was a fave haunt for Tamiya 1/32.. something I really got in to. They're all gone now

ATB
DaveB

[hobby]

Sky blue Spitfire with tiny locating pips. Ugh! They did improve.

I also recall building a light grey plastic Fordson tractor - cannot recall if maker was Airfix.

[Garry Russell]

Airfix had a contract to make some models of a tractor.

They did injection moulding making things like combs. Problem was the cost of the tractor models was too high. It was suggested that instead of supplying the models they supply the parts in kit form and let the customer put it together.

The plastic model kit was born.

[DaveG]

I seem to remember my first as being the F-5A Freedom Fighter, although there may have been one before that.
A mate and I always used to spend most of Saturday mornings doing the rounds of all the local shops that did models. Used to be a couple of specialist ones and the usual Woollies etc. Been a long time since I've made one though. Accurate Armour Scammell Commander tank transporter with a Chieftain MBT being the most recent (& only surviving!) model.

[DaveB]

I don't have any now unfortunately.. all gone I quite got into motorbike models when I was at NATO in Portugal.. Italian made as I remember. My estranged son did for all of those. Prior to that, I think Emerson Fittipaldi's JPS Lotus and Jackie Stewart's Tyrell Ford were the last two I'd made.. both Tamiya. Cracking models. No idea what happened to them

ATB
DaveB

[airboatr]

Garry

I thought I'd show you , .. i have started on the B377




got the box open, then I thought, oh .. what's this, noooo paint included.??
Plus, - where are the other sundries, exactõ kuh-nife, files, sand paper, emory board. .. Brushes thinner. .....
Paint! That was a C note. . So i shelved it. Had other priorities.

i called you up Back then,, and you suggested i pick up a air brush kit. ..
.. I wonder...
Alex? . ello Alex..
say. . If you aren't going to get around to using that airbrush you're kicking yourself over. You could send it to a worthy cause.
Me.
it could make the pain go away... you know. .. out of sight out of mind.



So getting the B377 out, I pulled out -, Čoncord i bought with.
and a Nimitz which I forgot having .

..... excuse the dust. Men working.





thanks Brian ... finding the Nimitz was a treat.

EDIT
Jon. Funny you have Pan Am , and I have BOAC.

[paulsl]

Hello Mike,

Harry has it right. Leslie Brown's was in Stockton-on-Tees and and absolute treasure trove for youngsters. IIRC there was a train set that ran around most of the ground floor, and a Scalextric layout set up on the first floor just before you got to the models. You could lust after the completed kits in the display cabinet along the back wall as you span the rack with the Airfix series 1s on it. I'm not saying it was a long time ago but I remember the vinyl singles sleeves pinned to the wall in the record department just by the front door

Hi Harry, didn't notice Whitby in your profile before. My dear old Mum (92) still lives in Stockton, but as you'll know Leslie Brown's has long gone

Best Regards, Paul

[Harry Basset]

Hi Paul

I used to take my toddler son to Les Browns, stick him on the miniature Harley Davidson and put a coin in the slot. I could browse for new models till the money ran out. They had a coin operated Hornby layout up stairs and I had to feed that too. I think that layout (Or one very like it) resides in the Shed Shop at Grosmont loco depot on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Regards

another Mike

[Garry Russell]

Nothing like a model railway layout in a model shop . Something you just don't see nowadays.

[DaveB]

Nor model shops for that matter.

ATB
DaveB