Modelzone, Birmingham

Hooray, the second city of Great Britain now has a proper model shop in its centre !

For many years the only place you stood any chance of picking up modelling supplies was the Ian Allan bookshop. Now while this is a fine establishment, and it's certainly on my list of place to visit whenever I go to Brum, it is a bookshop. Yes they have some RTR stock and a few plastic kits. There is a paint rack and some kits but this isn't their main business.

Now one of the chain shops has finally decided there might be the odd modeller in the middle of the country and opened a store. Previously an independent record store and then empty for a long while, it's not In the fashionable part of town, but at less than 5 minutes walk from the stations it's not exactly out of the way either. If you are less than a hundred feet from a large GAP then you're in the centre. Good pub on the opposite corner of the crossroads too. Games workshop is another minute away. I went to the fashionable part of town after this though and it was horrible. This is much better.

Anyway, you walk in at a higher level than the main shop floor. This gives you a good view of just what is available. Lots of ready to play with radio control stuff. And diecast "collectibles".

Then on your right is a long aisle of plastic kits. Above these over 20 different Bliings boat kits. At the far end Hornby and Bachmann supplies. On the walls some Wills and Parkside kits. In a corner two ranges of paint, tools, wood, metal, plastic and other stuff. A huge variety of glues too - I can get Zap-a-Gap !

I'll be honest, I came out of the shop empty handed. My excuse is that I was supposed to be looking for a new rucksack and had bought a shiny camera in the morning. It was touch and go with the Robbie the Robot kit though. Maybe next time.

Modelzone website