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Hobbies Shop And Exhibitions


History dude

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My Dad loves to model ships and in 1953/54 he went into the Hobbies Model Shop on Saint Paul's Parade and purchased a kit of the Royal Prince, which cost him £2 and spending that got him into trouble!

When he had finished building it, he entered it into a competition at the Hobbies & Craft Exhibition held on the 21 April to the 24 April 1954. He thinks this was connected with the Hobbies Shop itself.

He was awarded a certificate to say his ship had been award second prize for Fretwork. I have the certificate, but it's in a glass frame which sends it out of focus on the scanner. However it does say it was run by the Sheffield Society of Aeromodellers! Which is odd for a ship to win a prize!

Later in 1958 he was working at Hatfields and they were putting on an arts and crafts exhibition and asked employees to bring anything in that they had made. The photograph below shows some of the item's and my dad's ship, with the directors and the Lord Mayor and his wife, in the Dining Room at Hatfields.

I believe it might have been a newspaper photo as it's the size they used, but there's no stamp on the back, so it could have just been a Hadfields photograher that took it.

My father says it would have won the first prize in 1954 had it not been for the son of the Hobbies Shop manager entering, who of course won!

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However it does say it was run by the Sheffield Society of Aeromodellers! Which is odd for a ship to win a prize!

I was quite keen on aeromodelling at one time, doing quite a lot of control line flying

At the time (late 60's, early 70's) there were 3 main specialist aeromodelling shops in Sheffield

One on London Road (Hobbies?) which I frequented most often

One on west Bar

One on Attercliffe Common, near Banners.

although at that time aeromodelling was so popular that there weree other outlets as well, - not forgetting REDGATES.

Can anyone remember the names of these 3 model shops?

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Marcway Models and Hobbies 598-600 Attercliffe Road. I did a bit of window shopping there last week during my wanderings.

Yes that's the one I was thinking of at Attercliffe.

So that just leaves the one on West Bar

I think the one on London Road is called "Hobbies" and I think that it too may still be open for business.

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There was a shop called Sheffield Transport Models on London Road, don't know if it is still there. It sold models of Buses etc. It might be the one you are thinking of Dave H.

There was another model shop further down Attercliffe Road from Marcway Models. It had a lot of foreign trains such as Marklin and Faller brands. Very expensive!

Lets' not forget Beatties accros from the Town Hall.

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There was a shop called Sheffield Transport Models on London Road, don't know if it is still there. It sold models of Buses etc. It might be the one you are thinking of Dave H.

There was another model shop further down Attercliffe Road from Marcway Models. It had a lot of foreign trains such as Marklin and Faller brands. Very expensive!

Lets' not forget Beatties accros from the Town Hall.

Sheffield Transport Models is still on London Rd, I don't think it has changed for years

on Attercliffe Rd the shop past Marcway was I believe MG Sharpe's or something like that, that is still there I believe (don't go down there very often)

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There was a shop called Sheffield Transport Models on London Road, don't know if it is still there. It sold models of Buses etc. It might be the one you are thinking of Dave H.

There was another model shop further down Attercliffe Road from Marcway Models. It had a lot of foreign trains such as Marklin and Faller brands. Very expensive!

Lets' not forget Beatties accros from the Town Hall.

No it isn't Sheffield transport models, which I am aware of, it is / was another model shop that specialised in balsa wood, model aircraft, model aircraft engines and fuel and radio control units. It used to be on the Hill Street / John Street side of London Road in a fairly small shop but later moved to the opposite side of the road which is the same side as both Sheffield Transport models and that other shop that sells old gramophones, needles and 78rpm records. The photography shop owned by Ron Harrison also made the same move into bigger premises, except that he has changed from one side of the road to the other several times.

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Lets' not forget Beatties accros from the Town Hall.

Yes I have used Beatties as well, although by the time it opened flying model aircraft was going out of fashion so it was mostly just balsa wood, glue and dope that I could get there.

They did however have plenty of other types of models on offer.

Was Beatties the shop that now sells electronic and computer equipment?

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Yes I have used Beatties as well, although by the time it opened flying model aircraft was going out of fashion so it was mostly just balsa wood, glue and dope that I could get there.

They did however have plenty of other types of models on offer.

Was Beatties the shop that now sells electronic and computer equipment?

That will be Maplins the electronics shop, yes I think Beatties was that shop. Also I do remember that model shop on London Road with the aircraft and balsa wood things. I think I remember buying one of those rubber band powered planes from there. I used to fly it from the top of the hill behind St Theresa's School all the way down to the kickabout pitch below the bowling green and near Woodrove Avenue. It was a big plane, so it could fly that far, not those little things with a piece of balsa and styrofoam wings and a propellor like one of the windmills that go on sandcastles.

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One on west Bar

Can anyone remember the names of these 3 model shops?

The model shop on Shalesmoor,

in 1965;

Sheffield Electrical & Model Engineers, model supplies.

248 Moorfields, S3.

It stood on the corner of Ebenezer Street.

picturesheffield

Note the spelling of Ebeneezer :mellow:

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That will be Maplins the electronics shop, yes I think Beatties was that shop. Also I do remember that model shop on London Road with the aircraft and balsa wood things. I think I remember buying one of those rubber band powered planes from there. I used to fly it from the top of the hill behind St Theresa's School all the way down to the kickabout pitch below the bowling green and near Woodrove Avenue. It was a big plane, so it could fly that far, not those little things with a piece of balsa and styrofoam wings and a propellor like one of the windmills that go on sandcastles.

Yes I think you are right about the shops.

Most of my model aircraft were powered by small (up to 2.5cc) glow plug or compression-ignition (Diesel) engines both of which ran on special fuels, available from the shop on London Road.

They were nearly all control line models which meant that they flew on 2 long steel lines (usually about 50 feet) which teathered the aircraft into a circular path making it ideal in an enclosed space. I usually flew them on Arbourthorne fields, although Norfolk Park and Hollinsend park were favourites if it was relatively quiet.

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The model shop on Shalesmoor,

in 1965;

Sheffield Electrical & Model Engineers, model supplies.

248 Moorfields, S3.

It stood on the corner of Ebenezer Street.

picturesheffield

Note the spelling of Ebeneezer :mellow:

That's the one I was thinking of Steve.

So it was on Shalesmoor rather than West Bar then.

Not as far from town as I thought then, - mind you it always seemed one hell of a walk to get there as a kid.

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There was a chap who flew a control line plane on the pit fields near us. He had the wires in his hand and went around with the plane in a circle :blink:

My uncle had radio controlled planes. He told me once that one plane he had flew out of range from the transmitter and he never saw it again!

Once on holiday I was watching these two blokes flying this really big radio controlled plane and to land it they waited while the fuel ran out. Anyway it did and it started to make it's landing approach. It got closer and closer then I realised it was heading for me! So I started running and in the end went down on my face the plane wizzed above me. When I looked up the plane landed safely and the two blokes were killing themselves with laughter lol

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There was a chap who flew a control line plane on the pit fields near us. He had the wires in his hand and went around with the plane in a circle :blink:

My uncle had radio controlled planes. He told me once that one plane he had flew out of range from the transmitter and he never saw it again!

Once on holiday I was watching these two blokes flying this really big radio controlled plane and to land it they waited while the fuel ran out. Anyway it did and it started to make it's landing approach. It got closer and closer then I realised it was heading for me! So I started running and in the end went down on my face the plane wizzed above me. When I looked up the plane landed safely and the two blokes were killing themselves with laughter lol

The standard way to land a control line plane is by letting the fuel run out and then gliding it in to a landing.

It is never a very elegant or easy way to land.

Into wind is best, the moving air gives extra "lift", - but a strong wind can cause loss of speed too quickly and put you in a stall situation

With the wind is OK, but the decent may be quite rapid

Wind behind you keeps the line tension

Wind in front of you blows the plane inward making the lines go slack with resulting total loss of control.

..and if you are letting the fuel run out you have no control over which part of the flight circle the engine will cut in and which way the wind may be coming.

It is certainly easier to land a fast moving plane than a slower one as this higher speed automatically gives you more lift and line tension and therefore more control.

Most designs have a 2 wheel fuselage mounted undercarriage which usually causes the plane to "nose over" once it touches down, tricycle undercarriages are better and in theory allow for repeated landing and take off while still powered by the engine.

However, after almost every flying trip you would come home with a pile of smashed up balsa and torn doped tissue awaiting repair or replacement before the next flying opportunity.

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The standard way to land a control line plane is by letting the fuel run out and then gliding it in to a landing.

It is never a very elegant or easy way to land.

Into wind is best, the moving air gives extra "lift", - but a strong wind can cause loss of speed too quickly and put you in a stall situation

With the wind is OK, but the decent may be quite rapid

Wind behind you keeps the line tension

Wind in front of you blows the plane inward making the lines go slack with resulting total loss of control.

..and if you are letting the fuel run out you have no control over which part of the flight circle the engine will cut in and which way the wind may be coming.

It is certainly easier to land a fast moving plane than a slower one as this higher speed automatically gives you more lift and line tension and therefore more control.

Most designs have a 2 wheel fuselage mounted undercarriage which usually causes the plane to "nose over" once it touches down, tricycle undercarriages are better and in theory allow for repeated landing and take off while still powered by the engine.

However, after almost every flying trip you would come home with a pile of smashed up balsa and torn doped tissue awaiting repair or replacement before the next flying opportunity.

With modern multi channel radio control units and modern but very expensive model aircraft engines it is possible to have a radio controlled servo operated connection to the engine throttle so that the engine can be throttled back and revved up in mid flight.

This makes landing much easier and more "realistic" (appears to be exactly like the landing of a real aircraft) because on your final approach under full engine power you can throttle the engine back to reduced air speed giving a controlled, engine powered decent.

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Marcway was next to Burtons for years, a long narrow shop with a step about halfway back, counter on the left and display cases on the right. They moved into what I think used to be a shoe shop.

MG Sharp used to be at the bottom of Woodburn Road, later moving down Attercliffe Road. The original shop was tiny but most business was done mail order. When they moved there was more stock on display, mainly imported brass locomotives ready built or kits.

Marcways has always been friendly service, at MGS you always seemed to be in the way, even if you actually wanted to spend lots of money. lol

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I used to work with a chap who was into flying radio controlled powered gliders. As I understood it these were large wingspan gliders with a small engine to get them airborne.

One Monday morning late in the year he came in to work full of woe. He'd been flying his plane from Wadsley Common when it strayed out of radio range. The last he saw of it was a tiny speck soaring over the east end of Sheffield flying towards Rotherham.

He expected to get it back because his name and telephone number were written on the side together with details of a substantial reward.

Months went by without any word and he'd given up hope when he received a call from an irate pensioner who lived on the Sutton Estate just below Wadsley Common.

This chap had gone to clear his greenhouse ready for the new growing season, only to find the roof glass smashed in and the wreck of a large glider inside. My friend had to pay for the repairs and when he got back the model the R/C equipment had been ruined by exposure to rain water over the winter.

The model must have had the instincts of a homing pidgin or been made from boomerang timber.

HD

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Does anyone remember the model railway exhibitions at the City Hall?

They had a model of the Midland Station in OO/HO size! I wonder if it has survived?

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I bet there's an ejection seat for the Action Man pilot too lol

Well, with modern multichannel R/C equipment it would be possible to do that.

A R/C relay servo which operates a spring loaded / clockwork mechanism when activated that pushes off the canopy and throws the model pilot out on his seat, with a carefully attached parachute to bring him down safely. Should be quite simple to arrange as you would only want to operate an ejector seat once per flight, and not several times like the other controls.

Never seen it done, never seens plans for doing it, never heard any enthusiasts mention it or talk about so you may be onto a new thing for R/C model aircraft there History Dude. ;-)

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Marcway was next to Burtons for years, a long narrow shop with a step about halfway back, counter on the left and display cases on the right. They moved into what I think used to be a shoe shop. MG Sharp used to be at the bottom of Woodburn Road, later moving down Attercliffe Road. The original shop was tiny but most business was done mail order. When they moved there was more stock on display, mainly imported brass locomotives ready built or kits. Marcways has always been friendly service, at MGS you always seemed to be in the way, even if you actually wanted to spend lots of money. lol

Thanks for the descriptions of the 2 Attercliffe based shops Oldbloke

From your descriptions I can identify that the one I used was Marcways

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I used to work with a chap who was into flying radio controlled powered gliders. As I understood it these were large wingspan gliders with a small engine to get them airborne. One Monday morning late in the year he came in to work full of woe. He'd been flying his plane from Wadsley Common when it strayed out of radio range. The last he saw of it was a tiny speck soaring over the east end of Sheffield flying towards Rotherham. He expected to get it back because his name and telephone number were written on the side together with details of a substantial reward. Months went by without any word and he'd given up hope when he received a call from an irate pensioner who lived on the Sutton Estate just below Wadsley Common. This chap had gone to clear his greenhouse ready for the new growing season, only to find the roof glass smashed in and the wreck of a large glider inside. My friend had to pay for the repairs and when he got back the model the R/C equipment had been ruined by exposure to rain water over the winter. The model must have had the instincts of a homing pidgin or been made from boomerang timber. HD

Air currents, wind direction, thermals etc would be the main cause of this apparent boomerang behaviour

Gliders are very suseptable to this sort of thing and without any R/C control of rudder, ailerons and elevators would be totally at the mercy of an air movement at all.

Annoyingly, if the glider did boomerang back before finally coming down, had the owner known this was happeneing then at some point on the gliders return it would have come back within radio range and full control would then have been restablished and the accident could have been prevented.

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