Just a few words on his retirement to thank "Mr Grain" for starting and running Nottingham's oldest proper model shop. Yes – it's true that I once worked for "the enemy" {Pegasus Sports and Toys} but Gee Dee's has always been there and has seen off all the competition.
I used to count up my pocket-money to see if I could afford another sheet of balsa on my way home from school, and it would usually be Mr Grain who served me. The shop expanded in the 60's to another branch on Friar Lane but that was eventually sold to one of the optical chains. The original shop moved from its pokey little Hockley premises to a new and specially-built shop at the front of Pete's textile machine business on Heathcote Street, and there it has remained.
I do hope someone has the wit and capital to buy the business, which must be one of the country's oldest and finest. It's a fact that they've never stocked much for the boat modellers but that's more a reflection of the relative markets for planes, boats and particularly trains (which are a speciality of the house).
If you ever read this, Peter – I couldn't believe it when Andy told me last year that you still visited the shop regularly. I was about ten when we first met and I'm now 65, so to reach 87 like you and then retire is a rare achievement. Many thanks for the years, the deals and the memories.

Peter was interviewed by the BBC and was featured on tonight's edition of East Midlands Today. I'm sure it will be available on the i-Player for anyone who wishes to see it.   http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b094dfr5

Dave Milbourn

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 14/09/2017 19:21:06

Mark

I think you're right. Add to that the forthcoming review of business rates {never downward…}, the difficulty in obtaining good staff, the gradual drift away of young people from such hobbies and the competition from Internet traders and there's little if any future for High Street model shops. Looks like I'll be travelling to Gliders in Newark more often.

As Lawrie White once remarked, unless your circumstances are unusual – like owning the premises outright and having a monopoly of the trade in a pretty big city – then there's no decent living to be made from the model trade. If there was then we'd all be doing it!

Dave M