Sir Rod chuffed to aid model railway fans
Musicians line up to help as singer pledges £10,000 to his fellow enthusiasts after ‘senseless’ destruction
Some of the biggest names in music have rushed to offer support to a model railway society that had an exhibition trashed by vandals. Sir Rod Stewart, a model railway enthusiast, was so appalled by the act of wanton destruction at Market Deeping Model Railway Club that he pledged £10,000 and urged other stars to follow suit. He said he was “devastated” to hear of the crime. Pete Waterman, the producer, also offered a donation, and Jools Holland sent a message of support.
MARKET Deeping Model Railway Club does not, on the face of it, seem very rock’n’roll. But after vandals trashed an exhibition that had been months in the making, some of the biggest names in music have rushed to offer support.
Sir Rod Stewart was so appalled by the act of wanton destruction that he pledged £10,000 and urged other stars, including The Who’s Roger Daltrey, to follow suit. Pete Waterman, the music producer, also came forward with financial support. All are model railway enthusiasts.
Sir Rod has a 1,500-square-foot model train layout, which takes up a whole floor of his Beverly Hills home. He has said that making the cover of Model Railroader magazine meant more than appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone.
The club in Market Deeping, near Stamford, Lincs, had laid out displays for its annual exhibition in a school, but these were vandalised on Saturday.
“I was absolutely devastated to hear that vandals had destroyed what was to be a lovely show by the Market Deeping Model Railway Club over the weekend,” Sir Rod said.
“The collection was priceless and I am donating £10,000 to help compensate those affected and asking fellow enthusiasts Jools Holland, Roger Daltrey and others to do the same. It took me 23 years to build my model railway so I feel their pain.”
Holland said: “All my sympathy goes out to the members of the Market Deeping club. In my experience, modellers are generally gentle and creative folk. I hope that they will take comfort from the overwhelming international support and concern for their situation and they will be encouraged to start rebuilding their unique and magical worlds.
Waterman told The Daily Telegraph he was donating an undisclosed sum. “They have lost a lifetime’s work,” he said. “These things can be £4,000 or £5,000. It’s really not just about the money. It takes four or five years to build these sets.”
‘The collection was priceless. It took me 23 years to build my model railway so I feel their pain’
The producer, who had a string of hits as part of Stock Aitken Waterman, has been collecting and building model railways for 55 years. He sold a tenth of his collection in 2015 for more than £600,000.
Waterman said he would happily help to repair some of the club’s broken trains. “I would definitely help them out, no question about it,” he said. “If it happened to me I would pack it in – it would be the end for me. I can’t comprehend why somebody would go in there and smash things up.”
The club has received more than £65,000 in thousands of donations from around the world after setting up a crowdfunding page.
The support had been “overwhelming”, said Peter Davies, the club’s chair- man. “Models that were made over years were trodden on and thrown around. It’s a total, wanton destruction of the highest order. I’ve never experienced anything like it. A hurricane would have done less damage.”
Lincolnshire Police were alerted by a resident who heard noises coming from the school shortly before 4am. Four youths were arrested but have since been released on conditional police bail pending inquiries.