Once in a while my wife likes to indulge in some serious retail therapy ... and one place that she likes to go is the McArthur Glen designer outlet centre just outside Ashford, Kent. Today was once such occasion, and as a result this morning I found myself driving down the M20 motorway towards Ashford.
She spent an hour or so wandering round the shops whilst I tried not to look too bored (I am not a great lover of designer labels on things ... unless the name is Airfix, Revell, or the like), and then we had a very nice lunch in a pizzeria. She was very pleased with what she had been able to buy, and on the way home I persuaded her that a short diversion to Newnham Court Shopping Village on the outskirts of Maidstone would be a good idea ...
... especially as one of the shops situated there is a model shop called Model World!
I was very pleased with what I managed to buy there. I was able to purchase several sheets of 0.08" Plasticard (which is very useful when one hopes to build quite a few model warships over the next few months!) and another Airfix 'Sink the Bismarck' set (which means that I now have two!).
So in the end it turned out to be quite a good day's retail therapy for both of us.
She spent an hour or so wandering round the shops whilst I tried not to look too bored (I am not a great lover of designer labels on things ... unless the name is Airfix, Revell, or the like), and then we had a very nice lunch in a pizzeria. She was very pleased with what she had been able to buy, and on the way home I persuaded her that a short diversion to Newnham Court Shopping Village on the outskirts of Maidstone would be a good idea ...
... especially as one of the shops situated there is a model shop called Model World!
I was very pleased with what I managed to buy there. I was able to purchase several sheets of 0.08" Plasticard (which is very useful when one hopes to build quite a few model warships over the next few months!) and another Airfix 'Sink the Bismarck' set (which means that I now have two!).
So in the end it turned out to be quite a good day's retail therapy for both of us.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteLove the designer label comment - Airfix, Revell etc!
I used to live very close to Newnham Court many years ago and if you ae ever in that part of town again try and get to Bearstead village. There are a couple of good pubs there with a nice line in lunches.
Two Bismarck sets? The lure of the North Atlantic and some Fletcher Pratt may be a temptation too many!
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
ReplyDeleteOther than central London, Model World at Newnham Court is probably the closest 'proper' model shop to where I live!
I will try to go to Bearstead next time I am in that part of Kent as a good pub lunch is - in my opinion - one of the best meals you can get out.
I have always liked 1:1200th-scale ships and this set of models is a godsend ... and will probably mean that I will be indulging in some Fletcher Pratt naval wargames at some time in the future.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThere are two pubs at opposite ends of the village green and an Egon Ronay rated restaurant to boot - and they play cricket on the green in the summer!
I am trying to avoid opening my sets of Sink the Bismarck as it will be a distraction too many at the moment!
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
ReplyDeleteI am leaving my 'Sink the Bismarck' sets alone until I have at least finished my 'Monopoly'-inspired battleship prototype ... and even then I may well leave them for a month or two. As my mum used to say, 'The don't eat much, so you can keep them as long as you like!'
All the best,
Bob
There's now a model shop in Rochester High Street with a small but growing stock that includes Frontline resin models. The model railway shop near Rochester Station isn't bad for modelling materials, a few months ago I bought a load of remaindered trees from them.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the WW1 MkIV in Ashford?
Nigel Drury,
ReplyDeleteI have been to both shops ... but was out of luck when I visited them.
The Rochester Model Shop had only been open for a short time (and did not have much stock when I was there), and the Signal Box model railway shop had run out of the one thing that I was looking for ... and did not know when it would be restocked.
I ought to go to both shops again now that Christmas is over and they will have re-stocked.
All the best,
Bob