I came across this the other day on Facebook and thought it might interest some here. What struck me was seeing 'HQ, 1A Craven Passage, Charing Cross' listed as one of the exhibitors because it was where I first started buying Hinchliffe ECW figures around that time. In 1976 I was 18 years old and had started work at the Municipal Mutual Insurance Company, Old Queen Street, Westminster,. My short walk to work from Charing Cross station took me across Trafalgar Square, under Admiralty Arch and along past Horse Guards and the lower end of Downing Street. I can't recall how I discovered 'HQ' possibly from a hobby magazine advert but once I had I became frequent visitor and all of my first Hinhcliffe ECW figures were purchased from what was a tiny shop, barely able to fit 3 customers and that at a squeeze! I don't though remember anything about this event, I wonder if anyone else does?
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| Craven Passage, you can see the platform level of Charing Cross and 'HQ' was just along from the Ship and Shovel, a Victorian pub connected underground by cellars which occupied both sides of the alley. |
Two things were key to my teenage introduction in the hobby. One was the library for all the Featherstone books and the other was having a local hobby shop to ‘explore’ the hobby and take first steps. As a result I have a nostalgic fondness from the various outlets spread across a city that would sell figures ….. now all gone of course and I do feel we have lost something, internet retail is just so soulless.
ReplyDeleteInteresting never heard of that - I note that Hinton Hunt didn’t attend!
ReplyDeleteI was too busy doing my O Levels!
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