TT120 stock in Fenwick store

[Moccasin]

Yes my old West Yorkshire home town of Heckmondwike had a large Co-op that had Lego & Hornby. Also a photographic shop that stocked Hornby  

Fenwick are better than John Lewis (Bainbridge’s) here. Huge store, lots of investment and a great toy department.

Seems unusual now and suspect that this is an experiment for Hornby (it’s their concession). 

[Rob60532]

Good to hear that Fenwick in Newcastle still stock Hornby. My local branch at Canterbury stopped selling Hornby a few years back. As you say Newcastle is the flagship store and where the company started out. I've visited the store a few times when I've stayed in Newcastle but never thought to check out the toy department. Will certainly have a look next time I'm there. It's so sad that we've lost so many of these big stores in recent years. I try and support these companies where I can.

I live quite near the Hornby Visitor Centre / Wonder Works in Margate. They have recently started to award the website reward points on purchases in the shop. Not sure how it works. I'm presuming you give them your account details and they somehow add the points to your balance. Something that could perhaps be extended to Fenwicks and other Hornby concessions? That way you'd get something back and it would bring the RRP prices down to the standard 10% dealer discount and bring back much needed custom to the High Street.

[D9020 Nimbus]

Back in the 1960s Fenwick's didn't have a toy department — except for the Christmas Toy Fair which was held in the Exhibition Hall on the first floor (the layout of the store has changed a lot since then—there were no higher floors than the first except for the Terrace Restaurant which was pretty much where it is now).

In the 1970s they started having a "Summer Festival of Toys" which gradually expanded, the Toy Fair itself started earlier, and the two events became a continuous toy department. The store was expanded and things were pretty much similar to now, though there have been a number of changes mostly affecting the ground floor layout.

Unusually they used to close half-day Saturday (when most other stores closed half-day Wednesday — a 5 ½ day working week was the norm then).

[Moccasin]

3 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

Back in the 1960s Fenwick's didn't have a toy department — except for the Christmas Toy Fair which was held in the Exhibition Hall on the first floor (the layout of the store has changed a lot since then—there were no higher floors than the first except for the Terrace Restaurant which was pretty much where it is now).

In the 1970s they started having a "Summer Festival of Toys" which gradually expanded, the Toy Fair itself started earlier, and the two events became a continuous toy department. The store was expanded and things were pretty much similar to now, though there have been a number of changes mostly affecting the ground floor layout.

Unusually they used to close half-day Saturday (when most other stores closed half-day Wednesday — a 5 ½ day working week was the norm then).

it certainly has changed, even in the 30 years I’ve known it. I recall the major works in the 90s when they rebuilt it and removed some of the higgeldy-piggeldy-ness! To be accurate, I remember them erecting the tower crane one Sunday morning - a small crane to set up the jib of a larger mobile crane which then hoisted in the tower crane sections. I have to say that the recent improvements (escalator atria) have made it even better and the next step is to to re-do the frontage. In those days Bainbridges was closed on (I think) a Monday (?). I was born on Teesside and my brother remembers going to the Christmas window that was based on Trumpton/Chigley/Camberwick Green - probably early 70s.

When at university there, I also memorably arranged to meet my Mum in the Fenwicks cafe - not realising there were about 5. We did find each other eventually (I had no mobile phone then, even if I had I think my parents finally got them around 2007 😀)

The fact that there was more TT120 stock and several new OO locos suggests that it is worth their while, which is encouraging. 

[D9020 Nimbus]

Yes, the ground floor used to be on several different levels, although I don't think there has been much significant change to the higher floors since 1976 when the nearby part of the Eldon Square shopping centre opened.

Bainbridges did close Mondays — at first half day and when the 5-day week came in, all day. Like John Lewis in general it didn't open on Sundays when that was first allowed.

[Moccasin]

Yes there’s just the small level change at the interface with Eldon Sq now. The basement changed a bit when Monument Metro opened and then again a couple of times as Monument Mall has changed. 

Maybe I should add T&W Metrocars to the TT120 wish list. 

[Rallymatt]

As we are having a NE department store with a Toy Department diversion, being from Bishop Auckland, for me it was Doggarts, they closed all across NE in 1980. BA was head store and huge on two linked Market Place front to Newgate Steet (where you could get to toy department the quickest) always had a display layout and it used to change, they had a massive good quality toy/model offering. There were two other shops in 70’s in BA that also sold model railways. A toy shop near the old picture house and McDonalds Pet Shop..strange mix but there you go! 

 

 

[Moccasin]

I’m hoping that as it’s my thread and it’s not really too far off topic, it’ll be allowed…..