If you go to Conwy in North Wales you'll see signs for the 'the smallest house in Great Britain'. If you go in you'll discover that it is indeed very small and that there's not much to do but turn round and go out.
North London Models on the Hornsey Road is about the same size.
There are military model thingies linking back to the long and glorious history of model-making on and around the Hornsey Road.
I'll write about that later. In the meantime, go look here and here.
Oh, and books. It's an erratic selection, but I did find Titus Groan there. Plus curious odds and ends of all sorts 'a general mix of models, plastic kits, railways, scenery, and dolls house accessories' to quote their website.
I told the owner about this blog and he said 'so you're writing about all the funny little shops that are staying open somehow on the Hornsey Road'. That's about right.
It's an interesting street and I like the people on it.
Where: 474 Hornsey Road
When: afternoons until 5:30 except for Saturday 10:30-5:30.
Tel 020 7281 7877
North London Models on the Hornsey Road is about the same size.
See? The shop's smaller than the pub's doorway. It's a lot less predictable inside than the house though. There's a vintage arcade machine:
There are military model thingies linking back to the long and glorious history of model-making on and around the Hornsey Road.
I'll write about that later. In the meantime, go look here and here.
There are paints. As a child I could spend hours gazing at the Dulux colour chart and trying to decide whether I liked 'apple white' (slightly green) or 'ice white' (a bit grey) more.
Oh, and books. It's an erratic selection, but I did find Titus Groan there. Plus curious odds and ends of all sorts 'a general mix of models, plastic kits, railways, scenery, and dolls house accessories' to quote their website.
I told the owner about this blog and he said 'so you're writing about all the funny little shops that are staying open somehow on the Hornsey Road'. That's about right.
It's an interesting street and I like the people on it.
Where: 474 Hornsey Road
When: afternoons until 5:30 except for Saturday 10:30-5:30.
Tel 020 7281 7877
I heard the guy in there repairs arcade machines and that's his main "living". Did you not see the cat?
ReplyDeleteI still haven't seen that bloody cat. May I commission you to take a photograph of him/her/it? Pretty please?
ReplyDeleteIf I'm feeling brave enough to ask one day - I shall.
ReplyDeletePlease do.
ReplyDeleteNice post. I always used to drive past and cynically think: 'North London Models, yeah right,' as I thought it the sign purported to be a modelling agency in the same way many sauna's purport to be a sauna.
ReplyDeleteThen I saw it open one day and realised, it meant models as in toys. Makes me laugh everytime I go past now.
Hi SL and thanks for the kind comments.
ReplyDeleteI'd assumed it was dodgy too - the Hornsey Road felt like a much more innocent place once I realised that North London Models actually sold toy models.
Was passing along street there the other day and noticed this conspiciously small shop for the first time. Oh and the cat-a big tabby as I recall- was playing the bagpipes on the floor near the door. After staring at it for a while I then stared at the rest of the shop and it's well, not much really. It is conspiciously small and it crossed my mind how does the proprietor managed to keep it open. Not a lot of models on view actually and the description given above sums it up nicely.
ReplyDeletePlaying the bagpipes?
Delete