What did you do at the weekend?

I thoroughly enjoyed myself.


One of my Grandson’s took me to a Blitz party on Saturday. The party started late afternoon 5pm and finished at 11pm.

Lots of people dressed up in 1940s wartime dress (optional) but fancy dress preferred. Around 90% were dressed for the part.

The purpose of my attending was my Rc Tanks, no time to charge batteries or check out if they still operated that was not important, it was my models and my input.

They also had a couple of re-enactment guys along with a replica American civil war cannon and a collection of WW2 weapons, I had a long chat with them as three of their weapons were very familiar to me. I surprised them when I stripped and reassemble the Bren for them, albeit not at speed, an eyes and dexterity thing. The Le Enfield I didn’t attempt rifle drill, nothing worse than old people attempting something that 45 years ago was natural, but now a very precarious thing to do with bystanders and the rifle was the real deal and not mine. They were interested in how we got our drill timing in sync. They were not ex-service nor told how to do it, adding “We only do the Confederate army“. (or were they just being kind to an old git)! The latter probably.

The point of this post. I haven’t displayed any of my models in public since 2006. I cannot get to the shows early enough to set up, so they are out of the picture, but this was another avenue to explore.

My models attracted much attention and questions, showing genuine interest not just to make me feel better.
I was also asked about my model boats, (we have a way of slipping things in ). Could I bring one or two next time?
Would I go again if asked, of course I would, subject to help from my Grandson..
He now has a couple of new friends (they want to come to play Tanks when I’ve charged up batteries etc).

That's great for you and your grandson Brian I have a small Sherman tank on my tank landing craft unfortunately the Tx for the tank went missing in a house move. The LCT is in the War ships threads.

Hi Damiem.
Spotted it, looks like the 1/30 scale Heng Long Sherman.
Regards.
Brian.

I do believe you're correct.

I bought the one those around 7 years ago.

I was attending a show with some of my models. The traders stand next to the tables my models were on. Had a wide stock range with about thirty plus of those Sherman’s, brand new in a sealed box, a bargain at £12.00.
Breaking down and packing up at the close of the show he had just one left.
I had bought a few things from him over the two days of the show.
Cheekily offered him £10.00 to take it off his hands, He accepted, deal done.

Back home we tried it out everything working fine. Tried a couple of programs, it followed them no problem.
It then went into the workshop (Shed or perhaps the Garage). Where it lurks to this day.

I’m going on a hunt the tank chargers, “when the rain stops that is“, I will look for it at the same time.

Regards.
Brian.

Saturday.
While shopping at our local super market, I took up my usual position sitting by the checkouts at the warm end.
Watching the endless procession of customers using the self serve points. 
Last year they had just one row with three self service machines and a member of staff to oversee things.
Now they have six rows with a total of eighteen machines still only one staff.
Its not just the supermarkets, large news retail chains. Banks all going the same route.
For several years now I have been able to pay in cash, cheques get information all from a machine at my branch.
With the internet I can do all the above and much, much more sitting at home.

At this point I started to cast my mind back to when I first bought a model kit.
1948 I was ten years old. All our pocket money then we had to earn doing odd jobs for 1 or 2 pence. Old money, if lucky 3 pence but not often.
Those jobs involved a cycle ride five miles each way into town, going ok, it was downhill but coming back uphill a loaded bag balanced on the handlebars a little too much for little legs to manage so it was push it back, and very pleased if the reward was 3 pence.
A model kit costing 2 shillings & 6 pence was a lot of hard work, so a much cherished possession.

Our model shop was the local & only cycle shop called Ricketts, run solely by Mr Rickett.
More cycle repairs than sales, but he saw a potential market in and sold modest fishing items, toys, including model kits. The latter because he was an avid aeromodeller, also chairman of the local club. Mr Rickett had an artificial leg, one of those no knee joint type which meant somewhat restricted his movement. Not the war he had been involved in a very bad motorcycle accident.
Five years later 1953 in pre craft training prior to signing my articles as an engineering apprentice, earning the princely sum of 1 pound, 2 shillings & 4 pence a week.
Able to afford a small 1cc diesel engine, to power my first free flight model.
Mr Rickett very shrewd used to award a kit to a club junior he judged to have shown most promise over the year. Mine was a F/F Sky leader Zipper.
I was awarded it about a month before my birthday.


Now the shrewd bit.
The awards were selected from his shop, not the popular everyone wants kit, so rather than gather dust he gave it as an award.
Always given a little before the selected junior’s birthday. This generated further sales in his shop.
That sale in my case it was a diesel engine.
He always gave excellent service to all whatever you bought.
Kits it was advice how to build and get the best out of your model. If he thought it was a little too advanced for you, he told you so, advising an alternative often a much cheaper kit too.
Buy an engine from him, out the front of the shop would come his test bench
He would go through everything with you, safe operation and settings etc, then start it up so you saw it running.
That was good old time service.
 
To day some retailers employ staff only interested in trying to sell you something far more expensive, than you want or need.
Sales and commission driven rather than. With good service we may have a repeat customer.
That is, if they put down their mobile phone and face you instead of looking the other way totally ignoring you.
Unless it’s a nice big expensive item. Something about £5 or under no chance. (Hell will freeze over first).
So in that instance the internet is the best option.

The wind of change is certainly having it's effect in the High Street.

The Mr Rickett type do still exist! they are the people who own the small local shop or its their own business they are running.
We should appreciate what they do for us, and support them.

The alternative is a Bluetooth Zombie, Vending machines or Internet.



My said wake up, put that  box away time to go.

I quit my job in a hobby shop 1972 immediately after a lecture telling me if a kid comes in for a tube of glue (60cents)he's not to leave until he's spent $10 the bosses we so corrupt their lunch money and trips to the pub came straight from the till which I then had reconcile to the receipt books some how. You should have seen the look on his face when I quit.

Bang on the nail Damien. It is the person who employs, there are good and bad in all trades.

This refers to hobby type shops.
The good, usually own the business with hands on involvement,. Tend to employ staff interested in or participate in some hobby within their stock range. Could be dedicated mainly to one hobby with small stock catering for others. Sometimes a range of different hobbies with some staff more knowledgably in one area but all with enough experience to help or direct you to a colleague who can

The bad, usually large multi store, remote management. They recruit staff without product knowledge on a low wage with sales commission the only way to boost their pay packet.

A bad example, not hobby related just an illustration of one bad guys recruiting method.
The son of a very good friend applied for a position as a trainee locksmith.
The attraction being, the opportunity to have your own business with good basic rate plus commission and bonuses.
Reality.
Day one.
Morning the induction with twenty other hopefuls.
Started with promises of high earning possible, but required full commitment to the job. Then some outline info as to how to generate commission. This involved buying at trade, that’s business. Then doubling or trebling the cost to the customer then mention vat which would be an added cost, but if they paid cash you would not charge the vat. Thats bad business.
The I have to get the item you need its not usual stock. Leave, have an hours break before going back.
Always accept any offers of tea/coffee etc they are paying, you are charging by the hour.
Then it was a lunch break where they got to talking amongst themselves. He and five others decided it was not what they were expecting. After lunch informed the presenter their thoughts. He told them they were idiots and would never be achievers.
He then went on to praise the remaining group as being ambitious, who would be successful, the type of people we want. 

This was 2002. He is happy in what he is doing now it is a small family run business, they encouraged and paid for him to go on various courses. He is in charge of four electricians, with the opportunity to go into management.

Prior to this he sent me to a Dale Carnegie course in Human relations & Public speaking  a week after the course ended he threw the sales pitch I think the cost of the course was part of the look on his face when I quit

I can imagine it Damien. Must have been a true masterpiece. 

Dale Carnegie course in Human relations & Public speaking.
I sent someone on one of those. 1982.
Two days, when returned I asked what he had done.
11am, we sat in this room a short intro about the course, 12.30 lunch.
1.30 back in the lecture room. There we had to turn to the person next to us, and tell them our name, who we worked for and what we did. Then to the person on the other side, the person in front, and the person behind. Just repeating the same process.
3.30 finished for the day.
Second day same time start. Now sitting at square tables we now had to take turns to tell the others around the table more about our selves like school, hobbies/pastimes, that sort of thing. We each had 15minutes to do this in.
Lunch.
When we came back a general Q&A session.
Presentation of our certificates and finished at 3pm.
So I said.
I paid £400 for you to have a couple of lunches and chat to the person next to you and paid you as well.
Next time anyone wants to go on a course like this. My office door is open come in and talk to me. We could save a bit of time, I know who you are where you work and pastimes. I hear it every day.
I would save 400 Quid, plus giving two days pay for nothing.
Well he saw the funny side of it, if I didn‘t. ( I did have a snigger to myself later).