stanley69 | 31 Aug 2012 9:08 a.m. PST |
First of all i hope this has been posted on the right message board.Do any of you remember the Rye stamp and hobby shop that was situated in Rye lane peckham, in s.e.london?The shop was run by bill brewer, who was a fine figure painter;and he made newcomer`s to the hobby of wargaming very welcome.The shop as it`s name suggests traded in stamp and stamp collecting equipment, and wargaming stuff.Inside the shop were many shelves of well painted essex miniatures mainly 25mm.They had a closing down sale ,and there was a sizeable queue of people trying to snap up bargins!If you have any memories of this shop and bill brewer please post them! |
Shagnasty | 31 Aug 2012 9:40 a.m. PST |
I visited the shop on a trip to the UK in '85. It was a cool place. |
Huscarle | 31 Aug 2012 9:46 a.m. PST |
I remember placing my 1st ever mail order with them back in the 70s when I was 14. I think it was for Minifigs Middle Earth figures. I was impressed with the service as they arrived within a week or so. That was the beginning
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Oh Bugger | 31 Aug 2012 10:39 a.m. PST |
Yeah visied a couple of times to buy stuff Bill was a very friendly guy who knew his stuff. Can anyone remember what year the shop closed? |
rtc105 | 31 Aug 2012 11:04 a.m. PST |
I remember going there in the late 70's I think it was. Finding a shop that sold wargames figures and a chap who sat there and painted them at the counter was a revelation. Bill Brewer was a superb artist and I tried hard to copy his style, even buying some of the painted Minifigs ancients he was selling – I went without lunches for that month but they were worth it. I still have a set of Lamming vikings that he painted. I used to keep them on my painting table for inspiration. I think I may get them out again to get over the dreaded "painters block" I seem to get so often these days! |
altfritz | 31 Aug 2012 11:13 a.m. PST |
I bought my first miniatures from that shop! Middle Earth figures by Minifigs, mail ordered via an ad in either Military Modeling or Battle. Only about a dozen figures or so but a huge amount considering how low my allowance was in those days. Probably used up my Christmas or Birthday money! Must have caused some problems for them though, b/c they didn't want to do international orders after that, and they changed the ad to state that! |
ashill4 | 31 Aug 2012 11:30 a.m. PST |
I went there a few times when I lived in Camberwell for a short period. Inspirational. |
ashill4 | 31 Aug 2012 11:31 a.m. PST |
While we are on the subject, does anyone recall the tiny shop by Charring Cross Arches, opposite a pub called the Ship and Shovel and next to a sandwich/delli shop called Garveys? |
altfritz | 31 Aug 2012 2:32 p.m. PST |
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unfashionabledc | 31 Aug 2012 2:41 p.m. PST |
Sadly i never met BB but i did admire his work via the hobby press. The earliest articles i could find (both from 77) are posted here: link |
Sparker | 31 Aug 2012 3:35 p.m. PST |
Yes! Thanks for posting. I was at Dulwich College, which had a thriving Wargaming Society. On Exeat Saturdays I'd get on the 37 bus and venture into the gritty SE London slums, feeling very brave, to get my weekend fix of Minifigs
This would have been around '78-80 I think, before I discovered girls
He was a very patient man, I could never make my mind up, and was very nervous about mixing with the hoi polloi. Later, when I realised I probably wasn;t going to get stabbed for my £7.50 GBP, I even dared to venture into Peckham market for a Jamaican Curry Patty god they were gorgeous! |
Doctor X | 31 Aug 2012 4:56 p.m. PST |
Wow, that's a name from the past. |
VonBlucher | 31 Aug 2012 10:01 p.m. PST |
When I saw the name Bill Brewer, all I could think about are his beautifully paonted knoght that adorn the pages of Battle, Minature Wargame, and Wargame Illustrated. |
geudens | 31 Aug 2012 11:46 p.m. PST |
I remember and visited it in the late 70's. It was on my London "to do" list as was "Soldiers" (Kennington Road) near the War Museum. |
altfritz | 01 Sep 2012 9:08 a.m. PST |
There was a place out by King's Cross tube station also. I recall it having stacks of 15mm painted armies for sale. This was back in '91. |
artslave | 01 Sep 2012 10:25 a.m. PST |
Yes, ashill4, I remember the little shop under the bridge. It was from one of my first trips to London. I never got to Rye Stamp and Hobby, though. It took several trips for a yank like me to understand the bus system. |
rtc105 | 01 Sep 2012 1:42 p.m. PST |
The shop at Kings Cross was called "Gamers in Exile". I remember selling quite a few painted figures there. There were several wargames shops in Central London around the 70's & 80's that gradually disappeared never to be replaced. |
Sparker | 01 Sep 2012 3:12 p.m. PST |
There was a Skytrex shop near Victoria Railway station – that may have not been its name, I just used to go there to buy the skytrex davco 1/3000th ships
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SECURITY MINISTER CRITTER | 02 Sep 2012 7:05 a.m. PST |
I was there in 80 on my 1st London visit. Had about $500 USD from friends and came away with a ton of Minifigs! |
flipper | 05 Sep 2012 1:46 p.m. PST |
Hi Been to most of the shops mentioned (although not the Rye stamp and hobby shop). Another shop I frequented in the late 70's was in Manor Park East London
I think it was called 'The New model Army' or something similar there was a games club in the basement which I attended a few times. I have a local shop called
wait for it: 'The Hobby shop', which is in Elm Park, Hornchurch (yes, that is in ESSEX), basically a 'general store', selling ironmongery, timber, paint, tools and so on they also sell model aircraft kits, have a donkeys year old rack of Humbrol enamels, brushes, glues, balsa wood
and a few boxes of plastic figures. The smaller half of their shop frotn has a window display full of made up and painted aircraft and the odd WW1/2 diorama (trench war for example). It's weird in a way, but I only ever 'glance' at these items when I pass the shop (or go in to buy odd bits for DIY) if I was a kid I would probably be drooling, but then again do kids today hanker after such goodies? I suppose I should take more interest, but then again I am not into kits and what not but like all these shops, when gone they will be missed by 'the few'. My other local store is the NAVWAR shop in Seven Kings,London this shop only opens half day every Saturday! When I went in there a while back and asked the owner why he did not advertise, his response was: "That would mean I would get busier"
! Well worth a visit though stacks of figures and books and often times boxes full of 'Sale' items in particular Naval stuff. The Tradition shop is still going as well! |
Marc the plastics fan | 12 Sep 2012 6:44 a.m. PST |
I bought some Airfix 1/32 figures at the Hobby Store a while back – for a couple of reasons. One was nostalgia – my Nan used to live in Elm Park so Bro and I would buy model kits there as nippers. Happy memories :-) Two was to support them – I still believe in this internet age that kids will wander past and see the window and wonder. Chattingto the guy revealed he does not shift much – he should stock Games Workshop, but I so glad he doesn't. So by buying some boxes, I had hoped he might stock some more. There is a great model show at Haroow Lodge swimming pool, so there is a thriving model making scene (and the Airfix mag relaunch appears to support that idea) – strangely, chatting to the Armourfast people at that show, their main market is modellers, not gamers, and teh man behind the company is a modeller, so accuracy is his prime concern. Anyway, I am glad the Hobby Store is still there – I must find an excuse to buy some more stuff from him. The internet is great, but a real store is more fun :-) |
Marc the plastics fan | 12 Sep 2012 6:45 a.m. PST |
And Flipper – fancy a game Friday nights at Harold Hill? |
Sidney Fiddler | 14 Sep 2012 11:49 p.m. PST |
I visited the shop in the mid 80s. On a personal level the little shop was full of brilliant painted figs which I could only dream of. The shop did seem dated and the gentlemen serving was very gruff and never smiled. I was a little scared of him . I am sure he was kind hearted but this I never saw as a customer. The one in Notting Hill Gate had a odd mother and son team. No smiles there. The oustanding one was Gamers in Exile. A true gentlemen and great bloke. What ever happened to him? |
Marc the plastics fan | 21 Sep 2012 4:18 a.m. PST |
Notting Hill – some lovely painted Essex Medieval knights from memory, but they sure were grumpy there. Where was gamers in exile? |
Bye bye | 21 Sep 2012 8:02 a.m. PST |
It was Teddington Model Supplies and BMV Models (?) in Wimbledon for me back in the late 60s and early 70s. There were also London Bus Red Rover ticket for 3/6d which got me to all the London shops. Hinton Hunt (Angel), Tradition (Piccadily)and Surens shop (off Sloane Square) were my my favourite haunts. Cheers |
flipper | 21 Sep 2012 1:19 p.m. PST |
HI 'And Flipper fancy a game Friday nights at Harold Hill?' Sorry – I haven't come back to this till now! I am in the process of moving (other side of Elm park this time!) – but yea – that would be great. I am thinking you are talking about a game at the club in Harold hill? Thanks. |
138SquadronRAF | 21 Sep 2012 1:46 p.m. PST |
Some games stores I do remember, but since the store was in Peckham and I was in Hammersmith, never visited Bill's store. The old problem, if you live north of the river in London, you don't go south very often for social activites and vice versa for that matter. |
Marc the plastics fan | 25 Sep 2012 5:32 a.m. PST |
No, I was talking about a Friday night game at a house – the club in Harold Hill meets on Mondays, but I no longer attend as I find Monday nights a drain these days – whereas Friday nights I can sleep in next day :-) Drop me an email if you want to talk more marc dot flack at uk dot pkf dot com. |
Narratio | 04 Oct 2012 10:24 p.m. PST |
Yeah, I remember Bill and his shop I lived about 30 minutes quick walk from there on the Old Kent Road. I used to go in every Saturday, buy half a dozen different figures and spend the week painting them up. The go and ask what I'd done wrong and get advice. One of the nicest guys on the planet. The figures on the wall rack started off as Hinchcliffe and then Minifigs. @Sparker – That was the Minifigs Skytrex shop, a first joint ventuer both companies. Reasonably successful for it's time. Run by Dave Rotor, with Ian Leek as his Ygor. The shop has long since disappeared. Never have been able to find was happened to Dave Rotor, which was odd as he was a big name in the London gaming circles in the 70's. Dave 'Egg' Church – Ex-Paragon Wargames Group. |
P a u l | 17 Jan 2013 2:32 p.m. PST |
Yes, a lovely guy knew him quite well back then as a warlord and regular at his shop. I spent many a time there and still have the image of him there sitting behind the counter all day painting his miniatures between serving. He really was a figure painting pioneer, I can think of no painter anywhere close to him in that era, he was putting the best modern day paint jobs on figures back in the 70's when standards were abysmal and doing it entirely in Humbrol Enamel. I once bought some acrylic from his shop and he complained and scolded me why don't I buy some decent paint (enamal) they're much better. I've seen a few figs claiming to be his on ebay, but the paint jobs was so below par I didn't believe them. Here's a genuine Bill Brewer from around 1980 in my Photostream, have a few more but no photo sorry. All the other figs are painted by me and a lot of them bought at the Rye Stamp and Hobby shop. link |
Nine cactus running rabbit | 17 May 2015 9:45 a.m. PST |
Does anyone remember Jim in the shop by Charing Cross? Under the arches running into baker St. |