Model citizens aiming to keep business on track
AN INDEPENDENT business has been going from strength to strength as they say they have “no plans” of going anywhere.
Barry Williams and wife Gill had taken early retirement before they decided to embark on a new adventure together.
After realising there was a need in the area, they decided to open a miniature model shop in Widnes in 2011.
After facing Covid and the cost of living crisis, they are still going from “strength to strength” as they say they have been “passed the mantle” from Hattons Model Railways which closed last month after 77 years in business.
But Barry said there is still a huge demand for miniature models as a hobby.
Barry said: “We are both old now and were thinking of retiring but Hattons has passed the mantle on to us.
“One thing that makes us stand out is we don’t sell online, people come in or give us a call which gives that interaction but during the pandemic was hard. We set up a delivery service and delivered items ourselves.”
Barry, who had never owned a shop before but decided to “take a chance”, said the hobby remains strong among all ages and genders.
He said: “We’d never had a shop before but miniature models were very few and far between.
“But it’s a huge hobby, especially during the pandemic. We’ve always had a big customer base and it’s a reasonable priced hobby too, you can spend as little or as much as you like. We’ve had customers here since the day we opened and new customers every week.”
Open on Widnes Road, Barry said despite the struggles over the last four years, they continue to remain strong with no plans to retire yet.
He added: “People like to physically visit a shop and find a hobby as opposed to being on iPads and phones.
“We cover a multitude of models from trains to radio control cars. We even get threats from people saying we better not shut down. But hobbies will always be there, there’s that nostalgia for many, but for younger people, it’s something new. There’s nothing better, people can forget about their worries and relax.”
After Barry decided to retire early and wife Gill was made redundant, they originally looked to open an art gallery. But their plans fell through and they decided to take a chance on the Widnes Model Centre shop.
He said: “We’ve never looked back.
“Many people said they would give us six months and go bust but it didn’t happen.
We have a great reputation in the industry and we have no plans to retire. We tried it once and didn’t like it but our son Tom works here full time and one day it will all go to him.
“We love what we are doing and we love our customers.”