Gloucester model shops

First, let me say I know there are three model shops in Gloucester but two of them are a bit off the centre and when I visited I didn't have time to tour them all. For the moment this means the only one getting a photo is Antics down in Northgate Street, the unfashionable end of the city centre.

It's not a big shop but for a chain the stock is packed to the rafters. A good selection of plastic kits, diecast stuff, aeroplane and buggy kits plus model railway items. You even find boat stuff including 3 rumagable bins of goodies including props and shafts, chains and the odd fitting.

The usual tools, materials (including the lesser spotted sawn plastic strips in larger sizes) and paint are around the counter. The only surprise omission was a Humbrol paint rack - only Revel is stocked. Plenty of choice in the glue section with several flavours of Zap-a-Gap plus lots of others.

Judging by the posters, aircraft play a big part in the sales closely followed by R/C cars. Not sure about the quality of customer though - the assistant was having great difficulty on the phone trying to explain that there was no point in bringing a particular car in the next day because the person who could help wasn't going to be in. Not even if they brought the car in. Nor if they just brought the bit that might be faulty in. And please would they not remove it from the car as it's not possible to diagnose the fault without the rest of the vehicle. And no there wasn't any point in bringing it in tomorrow as the guy who specialised in them wasn't in then.

One point - it's nice to see the odd made up plastic kit in a showcase. The Titanic on show wasn't the greatest example in the world with a very slight touch of wobbly paint but at least it means the people working there are modellers and that is A Good Thing.

Antics website