I was in WH Smiths in Kingston today to pick up a printer cartridge when I saw an interesting poster on the outside of the shop. Having not bought the cartridge there (as they wanted £24.95, compared with Tesco and Sainsbury's £9.99) I looked in the basement and discovered a mini Modelzone.
It looks just like the original (they're probably the original cabinets) and carries a small range of Airfix and Revell (mostly) kits, die-cast cars, some Hornby trains, railway scenics and one of the familiar circular racks of Ospreys. There were two staff in distinctive ModelZone uniforms but you paid at the normal checkout.
The best news for the Legatus is that they have the full range of Humbrol enamels there. Hooray! Now I wonder whether they have done the same in the big WH Smiths in Holborn? Even better they had some leaflets at the cash desk with a 20% off voucher. I didn't buy anything, despite being tempted by a Revell Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper (should have bought it - just the thing to do at Christmas!). If the Old Bat hadn't been around I might have succumbed but she's trying to get me to spend £62,000 on an extension just so Guy can have a bigger room! Forget it! Actually, I did buy a copy of the Osprey interwar rules A World Aflame as they do have (small) army lists for Chinese Warlord armies and maybe the casualty rate won't be as high as the Chris Peers rules!.
It's doubtful if the independent Modelzone shops will be revived but Hornby, for one, are delighted to increase their footfall on the high street with the deal.
I hope it does well!
My Dear Legatus,
ReplyDeleteAren't surprises like this wonderful? I would love to walk into a a store and find something like this....
Speaking of rules, the group I game with use fairly bloody rules for fighting the VBCW. However, we use a big casualty die which is rolled after each hit. Head, torso, chest and stomach wounds are considered fatalities. Anything else is considered a minor wound - even if a leg wound might actually have meant that your leg was shot off. Two minor wounds are considered incapacitating. Sometimes when we game we put in the rules that the wounded must be helped away from the fighting or there are penalties.
Anyway, once again a nice job!
Gerardus Magnus
Achbishop Emeritus
I had heard news of this merger and as you say at least it keeps a presence on the high-street. There is still time to nip back and grab the Viper!
ReplyDeleteInteresting , a shop within a shop as such, nice to see them still going this way...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see they have been reborn in this limited way.
ReplyDeleteI heared about this a few days ago and was delighted to see the name revived. I'll have to check out my local WHS to see what they have in stock...I have a burning need for more paint!
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