miniature village

[mark_hickmott]

Hi All

I would like to make contact with anyone that has info on the Hastings Model Village. I'm researching a book with Brian Salter about Model Villages in the UK.

Family of Stanley Deboo or old employee's or general info.

contact; mark.hickmott@yahoo.com.

Thanks

Mark Hickmott

[Abigail]

I lived in St Leonards for a short time when I was very young, in the mid 80s, and while I don't recall the model village, I do remember a child scale castle, which you had the entire run of, you could climb up the towers and raise and lower the drawbridge. Does anyone recall if this was part of the model village? It was absolutely astonishing, like nothing else I encountered as a child and it is firmly stamped into my fond memory of Hastings.

On a side note, nearby there was also a huge barrel set on castors on its side, that we could run in like a giant hamster wheel. We always referred to it as at The White Rock Play Park, but I can find no trace of anything like that name on the internet. Might I have the name wrong?

[terry_again]

Abigail, I'm not familiar with the Castle so I can't comment, but I recently stumbled on this picture which appears to be the one.


Hastings 1972 - Play castle by trainsandstuff, on Flickr



[img[/img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8016/7274207096_2172cfb6c4_z.jpg[/img[/img][/url[/img]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainsandstuff/7274207096/[/img]Hastings 1972 - Play castle[/url[/img] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/trainsandstuff/[/img]trainsandstuff[/url[/img], on Flickr

[Geoff]

Wow, I remember this now, but where was it?

[john_gale]

Blimey , I remember the castle and the hamster wheel thing_ _ _It was, in those days, as close to you would get to an adventure play park_ _ _it was on the same site that is now held by Clambers and it was all outdoors.
The Castle ,The Hamster Wheel ,an army Zip slide , Seesaws , roundabouts and I think there was a small paddling pool
The Castle stunk of wee ,probably where kids couldnt be bothered to get to the toilet_ _ _I remember it even had towers that you could go up .

Next to the play park was a putting course and you use to pay where the bowling green hut is now
Then the other side was a crazy golf course and you purchased the tickets from the model village hut.
We had some great times up there . We use to spend the morning in the museum and then a snack and a drink at a very small cafe that was just below White Rock Road, in Cambridge Road (since gone) and then off to the putting ,the play park and then the crazy golf _ _ _.in that order

Can you imagine kids being allowed out to do that now ? We were 12 years old in 1973 and use to catch the 433 bus from the Fortune of War (well thats what we called the bus stop anyway) ,in priory Road, to the Oval_ _ _and back

Happy days !!!!!

[Chris in 1066]

Postcard of same

[img://www.hastingsforum.co.uk/forums/sf_attachments/Model_Village.jpg]




Chris in 1066

[Chris in 1066]

and another

[img://www.hastingsforum.co.uk/forums/sf_attachments/Model_Village1.jpg]




Chris in 1066

[leslam]

This picture was taken in 1959. I think that it was taken at the village.

[Graham Appleton]

Hi there, I wonder if anyone recognises the photo from this model village taken mid 1950s? I wondered if it was Hastings? Any help would be greatly appreciated.