A CHERISHED York model shop has closed its doors for the final time after over 40 years of serving the community.
P&S Hobbies and Models on Walmgate, run by husband-and-wife team Paul and Sue Lamming, has bid farewell, leaving a trail of heartbroken customers.
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The shop, which first opened in 1981, has been a haven for model-making enthusiasts.
From helping customers repair their prized possessions to offering expert advice, Mr. Lamming, 74, said, “It’s a sad day really, it’s been a lifetime.
“All my life, I’ve repaired things for people, and I’ve never charged them.”
“I’ll fix anything for anybody, and I enjoy doing that,” he told the BBC.
The closure comes as the building is set to be redeveloped, but changing times in the world of model-making have also played a role.
“When we started, plastic kits were a really good seller, and as people have got older, the younger generations are doing things like war gaming instead,” Mr. Lamming explained.
Loyal customers flooded in to pay their respects to the store before its final day on Saturday, January 18.
David, a customer of more than 30 years, said: “It’s very sad, but things are changing in modelling now.
“When Paul started up, there were half a dozen model shops in York, and now we’re down to one.”
Barbara, visiting from Malton with her truck-building husband, added: “I just think it’s a shame because they’ve been here 44 years now.
“I just love them to bits. Even when we aren’t buying anything, we still visit them.”
Bernard, a customer for 13 years, praised the shop for its personal touch, lamenting, “Everything now is online, and what you get when you come in is that personal touch.”
The couple thanked their loyal customers in an emotional Facebook post, writing: “Last Day open in York today as we say goodbye to the superb and wonderful customers we have met over the last forty plus years.
“Sue and I thank each and every one of you for your support, loyalty, and friendship… You have been the very best customers that anyone could ever wish for.”
Paul and Sue will continue to run their original shop in Scarborough, where much of their stock will move.
The closure of P&S Hobbies and Models is the latest blow to high streets already reeling from a wave of independent shop closures.
Earlier this month, Copland Family Bakers, a 57-year-old business in Great Yarmouth, shut its doors due to rising costs.
A sign posted by the owners said: “Unfortunately due to today’s continued price rises and economy etc, we have had to close our doors after 57 years of trading.”
Similarly, Oddie’s Bakery, a family-run chain founded in 1905, announced its closure of all 16 sites last week, citing escalating energy costs.
As P&S Hobbies and Models says goodbye, Mr. Lamming summed up the sentiment: “We’re going to miss them all, we’ve had some of the best customers you could ever want.”
CLOSURE CHAOS
Plenty of other retailers are closing stores across the country’s high streets as households lean towards online shopping.
Businesses have also been impacted by high business rates and cost pressures and are anticipating a dramatic increase in employment costs from April.
Soaring inflation in recent years has also dented shoppers’ pockets.
The Centre for Retail Research’s latest analysis suggests 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut for good in 2024.
Fashion chain Monki, owned by H&M, has announced it will close all of its high street stores with one in Arndale, Manchester having shut yesterday.
The Body Shop is pulling down the shutters on five branches on January 15 in Exeter, Plymouth, Horsham, Norwich and Sheffield.
Three other branches have already closed in Cambridge and Hove.
Stationer WHSmith is closing a branch in Bournemouth on January 15.
The Entertainer, which has 160 branches across the UK, has also confirmed it will permanently shutter its branch in Croydon’s Whitgift shopping centre.