Ramsgate Man Chuffed Off With Hornby

By Isle of Thanet Gazunder Tourism Editor Sandy Gusset

A Ramsgate man has claimed his idea for a Hornby Museum on the isle has been stolen - by Hornby!

The Margate manufacturer opened its doors to visitors this weekend, with millions expected to marvel at the Scalextric cars, Airfix models and toy trains on display.

Now Thanet millionaire and socialite Richard Eastcliff, 29, says he wrote to the firm last year suggesting a Hornby visitor attraction in Ramsgate's former Motor Museum.

'I told their marketing manager it would be a fantastic addition to the island's range of indoor tourism offerings,' said Mr Eastcliff. He added he had even suggested a name - Hornbyland.

Mr Eastcliff says he is now working on an alternative attraction for the disused West Cliff Hall called ThanetWorld. 'It will be an intriguing tribute to Kent's Ramsgate Peninsula,' he said. 'We hope to attract thousands of visitors a week with our displays of hair straightening products, double glazing and bad tattoos.'

Hornby was unavailable for comment.

Richard Eastcliff is 29.

Hornby To Play With Bigger Train Set

Margate model manufacturers Hornby have reported a late surge in sales in the run up to Christmas, and say they'll continue with expansion across Europe. The company makes model chuffers, Lewis Hamilton style Scalextric sets, Corgi toys and Airfix glue-your-hands-together kits.

Hornby's success clearly demonstrates that staying in and playing with yourself is the new going out. Although if you want to invite a friend, I can thoroughly recommend the Horny Pain Set, a snip at £29,95 from Pillow Talk on Margate front.

Update: The Hornby Visitor Centre in Margate launches on 3 July 2010 and will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. Click here for more info.

Click here for full story on BBC News website

Disarray Hits Wind Array

Bloody Shell! The Anglo-Dutch oil giant has announced it's jacking in its commitment to the proposed London Array offshore fart farm, which was going to be nailed together at our lovely port here in the Millionaires' Playground. That just leaves the Ethel Mermans (Germans) in the shape of E.ON to get on with building the world's biggest offshore wind site, so the future's not so rosy. Or should that be green?

Meanwhile in other suity news, Margate-based Hornby has bought model car maker Corgi to add to its purchase of Airfix last year, another neat fit with its existing Scalextric and Hornby Trains brands. Phew! At this rate they'll be asking me to edit the Pink 'Un!

Click here to read Shell story on BBC website
Click here to read Hornby story on BBC website

Glued To The Box

Tonight's Money Programme (BBC2, 7pm) should make fascinating viewing for chaps of a certain age who habitually found themselves with small bits of plastic stuck in their barnet when they were nippers.

It's all about the resurrection of Airfix, the glue together kit company which Margate firm Hornby bought after it, er, came unglued last year. Hornby have already made a success of Scalextric and, of course, Hornby model trains.

Manufacturing has now been shifted to China, and groovy, new kits for the Playstation generation have been designed, including a snap together Dr Who. Probably a wise move. After all, kids these days would probably be more interested in sniffing the glue than using it to patiently construct a 1:400 scale model of the Scharnhorst!

Click here for BBC Airfix story
Click here for Airfix website
Click here for Hornby website