It was a shame to read today that Hornby has had to advise the City that it will not make its figures and will at best break even in its current financial year.
Hornby, a British institution, also owns/maintains the Scalextric, Corgi and Airfix brands and really should be one of the most important businesses to the male population in this country.
As a kid, all the brands above were important to me and, as an adult, the same still applies; but what’s better is that I can (within reason) buy anything I like from the ranges. As a kid, I got to ‘wish’, as an adult I get to ‘have’!
And have I do – a train set from Hornby (along with a considerable fleet of locomotives and rolling stock), a car park of slot cars, a decent collection of Corgi Whizzwheels/Rockets/Juniors and a roof space that acts as a hanger for a squadron of assorted plastic and painted Airfix aircraft models.
These collections have been built over years and some think I should be embarrassed by them. Me, I disagree but then, to be honest, I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks. I am a nostalgic soul and these things make me smile. Peter Snow, Pete Waterman and James May would undoubtedly agree with me.
I have made sure that my son, now nine, knows and appreciates the brands too because Wiis, 3DSs and television just cannot be the only entertainment a modern child enjoys.
My son has an Airfix Wellington bomber on his bedroom shelf that I made years ago (and to my pleasure, he coveted it), but next to it is a Hawker Hurricane that he and I built together during a visit to Duxford last year – we
bonded over it just as the glue bonded the parts together and he was very pleased with his efforts too. As he gets more patient and more dexterous, I will actively encourage him to make more models – he’s already artistic and I am sure he will love the challenge.
When I was a kid I made Airfix models and, whilst it was fun making them, they were basically shit – glue everywhere, no paint to decorate them and transfers applied to bare plastic (if they would stick at all). When I was in my twenties, I was determined to do something creative, that would force me to slow down and to concentrate, and so I started making models again. This time I found the experience very rewarding indeed. Of course I had tools, a decent range of Humbrol paints (also owned by Hornby) and much more patience than I did in my youth.
When I was my son’s current age, or thereabouts, I owned my first Hornby train set, an Intercity 125 set in the original BR blue and yellow 70s livery; and I loved it! Years later, as an adult, I got to interact with the train sets owned by uncle and my brother-in-law and, to my surprise, I got as much pleasure then as I did as a child. The engineering quality and paint finishes on a modern Hornby steam engine are just amazing and I defy any bloke with any interest in mechanics not to be impressed.
When my wife was pregnant with our son, she suffered badly from morning sickness and was tired most of the time. She often went to bed early and I needed a distraction. That was all the incentive I needed to build my own
train layout in the loft. We didn’t know what ‘model’ of child we were going to get but, just in case we had a daughter, it made sense to invest in the ‘boy toys’ early. All these years later, my son shows the kind of enthusiasm towards the train set and Scalextric track that justifies the time and money spent.
On the subject of slot cars, at the tender age of 41, the last slot car, a RS200 was bought only about six weeks ago. And I got a couple last Christmas too.
So my call to all male readers out there is get out to your nearest Hornby, Scalextric or Airfix retailer and buy something to take home and enjoy on your own or with your children. If your partner is pregnant, think about building your own train set as well as decorating the nursery. If your life is a bit hectic and you could do with a relaxing pastime, think about model making. If you like a beer with the lads, get them around your house and race slot cars whilst enjoying the ale – believe me, the competition is as much fun as it was when you were a kid.
Alternatively just buy presents for your children and broaden their horizons a little.
Together we can protect this British company and ensure its future. JJB Sports is readying itself for the receivers; it would be unthinkable for Hornby to be in similar circumstances.
It’s a shame to reflect that the Olympics, so good for morale in the UK, and so powerful in terms of uniting the country, has caused a lot of damage to one of our great British companies. Let’s create a new Team GB – ours will be Team Get Buying!
I am writing my shopping list now – why wait until Christmas!
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Hornby, a British institution, also owns/maintains the Scalextric, Corgi and Airfix brands and really should be one of the most important businesses to the male population in this country.
As a kid, all the brands above were important to me and, as an adult, the same still applies; but what’s better is that I can (within reason) buy anything I like from the ranges. As a kid, I got to ‘wish’, as an adult I get to ‘have’!
And have I do – a train set from Hornby (along with a considerable fleet of locomotives and rolling stock), a car park of slot cars, a decent collection of Corgi Whizzwheels/Rockets/Juniors and a roof space that acts as a hanger for a squadron of assorted plastic and painted Airfix aircraft models.
These collections have been built over years and some think I should be embarrassed by them. Me, I disagree but then, to be honest, I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks. I am a nostalgic soul and these things make me smile. Peter Snow, Pete Waterman and James May would undoubtedly agree with me.
I have made sure that my son, now nine, knows and appreciates the brands too because Wiis, 3DSs and television just cannot be the only entertainment a modern child enjoys.
My son has an Airfix Wellington bomber on his bedroom shelf that I made years ago (and to my pleasure, he coveted it), but next to it is a Hawker Hurricane that he and I built together during a visit to Duxford last year – we
bonded over it just as the glue bonded the parts together and he was very pleased with his efforts too. As he gets more patient and more dexterous, I will actively encourage him to make more models – he’s already artistic and I am sure he will love the challenge.
When I was a kid I made Airfix models and, whilst it was fun making them, they were basically shit – glue everywhere, no paint to decorate them and transfers applied to bare plastic (if they would stick at all). When I was in my twenties, I was determined to do something creative, that would force me to slow down and to concentrate, and so I started making models again. This time I found the experience very rewarding indeed. Of course I had tools, a decent range of Humbrol paints (also owned by Hornby) and much more patience than I did in my youth.
When I was my son’s current age, or thereabouts, I owned my first Hornby train set, an Intercity 125 set in the original BR blue and yellow 70s livery; and I loved it! Years later, as an adult, I got to interact with the train sets owned by uncle and my brother-in-law and, to my surprise, I got as much pleasure then as I did as a child. The engineering quality and paint finishes on a modern Hornby steam engine are just amazing and I defy any bloke with any interest in mechanics not to be impressed.
When my wife was pregnant with our son, she suffered badly from morning sickness and was tired most of the time. She often went to bed early and I needed a distraction. That was all the incentive I needed to build my own
train layout in the loft. We didn’t know what ‘model’ of child we were going to get but, just in case we had a daughter, it made sense to invest in the ‘boy toys’ early. All these years later, my son shows the kind of enthusiasm towards the train set and Scalextric track that justifies the time and money spent.
On the subject of slot cars, at the tender age of 41, the last slot car, a RS200 was bought only about six weeks ago. And I got a couple last Christmas too.
So my call to all male readers out there is get out to your nearest Hornby, Scalextric or Airfix retailer and buy something to take home and enjoy on your own or with your children. If your partner is pregnant, think about building your own train set as well as decorating the nursery. If your life is a bit hectic and you could do with a relaxing pastime, think about model making. If you like a beer with the lads, get them around your house and race slot cars whilst enjoying the ale – believe me, the competition is as much fun as it was when you were a kid.
Alternatively just buy presents for your children and broaden their horizons a little.
Together we can protect this British company and ensure its future. JJB Sports is readying itself for the receivers; it would be unthinkable for Hornby to be in similar circumstances.
It’s a shame to reflect that the Olympics, so good for morale in the UK, and so powerful in terms of uniting the country, has caused a lot of damage to one of our great British companies. Let’s create a new Team GB – ours will be Team Get Buying!
I am writing my shopping list now – why wait until Christmas!
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