JAMES MAY'S BIG TROUBLE IN MODEL BRITAIN 06/03/19

[End2end]

This just dropped into my inbox.

"JAMES MAY'S BIG TROUBLE IN MODEL BRITAIN

Follow a year inside Hornby Hobbies with insight into the business, the industry and the difficulties Hornby has faced over the last few years. The series will follow enthusiasts both inside and outside the company and will be narrated by model fanatic James May.

The first episode of the two-part documentary is hitting TV screens in the UK tonight on BBC Four at 9pm GMT."

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[Bigmet]

When I first saw mention of this some weeks ago, the thought occurred that he had crashed his meccano motorbike into his lego house. I suppose there might be some clues to which bits of Hornby's empire have done the most to damage their prospects, but don't expect any real revelations...

[End2end]

but don't expect any real revelations...

No your probably right there Bigmet. Nice to see model trains on tv once more though, even if it is on the bbc.
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End2end

[4472]

There is a following program at 22.00 (Timeshift) about the British love of model railways.

[End2end]

Is that on the same channel 4472?
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End2end

[Lysander]

even if it is on the bbc.

???

Tony

[End2end]

???
Tony

Propagander with a tie on.
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End2end

[4472]

It follows on BBC4

[flying scotsman123]

???
Tony

Propagander with a tie on.
Thanks
End2end

Known to infiltrate even television shows about toy train companies?...

[mjb1961]

Is that on the same channel 4472?
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End2end

Yes same channel straight after ,,it's boring Pete Waterman

[Lysander]

???
Tony

Propagander with a tie on.
Thanks
End2end

I'm sorely tempted, but I'll let it pass for fear of the topic being locked.

Tony

[Mountain]

Aww. It is nice to see Pete enjoying the hobby. He brightens up with enthusiasm when it comes to trains. I am impressed that the BBC is covering the hobby. It is a real positive delight. Yes, what is aired may not satisfy everyone (I can't comment until I see it), but that it is being covered is excellent.

[Peterm]

???
Tony

Propagander with a tie on.
Thanks
End2end

I'd have a propergander if it aired out here.

[luckymucklebackit]

A very interesting programme, although I felt that far too much time was spent on the the chap building the model aircraft, down to watching him slurp a cup of coffee. Obviously strong feelings at the start of the programme, and the promise of violence(?) in episode two! I had mixed feelings about the scrapping off of the old moulds. yes a bit of Hornby's heritage had been irreversibly destroyed, but if it was some of the old stuff from the 1970s then no great loss, that stuff was of its time and has no place in the modern industry unless Hornby really want to go back to the days of trainsets and pocket money accessories - a market that is clearly not there. Will watch next week with interest.

Jim

[Bigmet]

... I had mixed feelings about the scrapping off of the old moulds. yes a bit of Hornby's heritage had been irreversibly destroyed, but if it was some of the old stuff from the 1970s then no great loss, that stuff was of its time and has no place in the modern industry...

What we were not told was how much of the old tooling had already long before departed for China. No point keeping it in the UK where there is no production shop: that has to be in China for the TTTE and Railroad product to be manufactured from it. I suspect somebody had made a good call on what was then left in the UK, got rid of everything unusable, and reduced it to just those few items that might have some chance of profitable future production.

There was much too little reference to how the Chinese production is managed in my opinion. Maybe the second episode tells us more.