zombie_spiderman Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Hey community! I'm an American, but my wife is British (Welsh, specifically). We're planning to go back to the UK for Christmas this year, and it's our first trip back since I've been re-bitten by the hobby bug. We'll be spending most of our time in Cardiff, but we'll also be taking a trip to London to visit her brother. We live in Chicago (not exactly a backwater) so there are plenty of resources here, but I imagine the shops in the UK are perhaps a bit better. Are there places in Cardiff and London (and possibly Bristol) which I should definitely not miss? Specifically, are there places that carry Forgeworld stuff in stock? Or is that all just an online thing? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyshift Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Nottingham, well specifically Warhammer World, are about 1.5-2 hours from London on a train in case you can wangle a day pass from your wife?? WW stocks most of the FW range and you could always order it online and collect it on the day. It's well worth a look around the place too and a pint in Bugman's of course Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3700660 Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle captain corpus Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Games Workshop Cardiff. Its run by a great friend of mine Steve Smith, he's been with GW years and years and is probably the greatest hobbyist I know Dark Sphere is good for all hobby stuff as is Orcs Nest, both are in London. As an aside also, I live on the south coast of UK but am in London occasionally. So should you like a friendly face and a pint let me know. :) BCC (Dave) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3700717 Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombie_spiderman Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 Thanks guys, I'll check these out! But keep 'em coming! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3701915 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Look up Firestorm for gaming stuff and Antics for modelling. Antics is more aircraft and military but does a lot of supplies like powders, etc. And watch out for sheep and words with too many Fs (my wife grew up in Cardiff too). Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3704575 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Just noticed the London bit. Dark Sphere for sure. Good prices and you can play there too. Look them up on Facebook too. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3704580 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvilarium Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I've never visited Dark Sphere Games - it looks really good. Think I might have to pay it a visit later this week! Apart from that, there is only really a couple of Games Workshops and Orc's Nest left in Central London. I noticed that Model Zone on Holborn has finally shut down completely after briefly relocating to a smaller premises. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3706330 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Modelzone went bankrupt a year or two back. GW is still in the Plaza and Covent Garden. Orks Nest is still in the same place but more for RPG stuff. Dark Sphere is near Waterloo and is more like a gaming club with loads of tables and a shop running down one long wall with GW and many other games and supplies. Serbiton and Croydon have Heroes & Legends too if you are south. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3706361 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvilarium Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Modelzone went bankrupt a year or two back. GW is still in the Plaza and Covent Garden. Orks Nest is still in the same place but more for RPG stuff. Dark Sphere is near Waterloo and is more like a gaming club with loads of tables and a shop running down one long wall with GW and many other games and supplies. Serbiton and Croydon have Heroes & Legends too if you are south. I knew Modelzone went into administration a tear or so ago, but they downsized in an effort to recover - hence the smaller shop on Holborn up until a couple of months ago. Unfortunately it looks like their recovery plan did not work and they are now owned by WHSmiths, who have reduced them to a small section in some of their larger WHSmiths shops, where they now only sell model kits and model magazines - no more modelmaking supplies though I can't believe I've been working in London for over 16 years and I never knew about Dark Sphere! I'm going to have to go and take a look! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3708980 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 @Urza. It's well worth a visit. One warning though. Take cash so you can set yourself a limit (good GW discounts there). And it sucks about Modelzone. Used to love the Holborn one back when it was Beaties. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3708996 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Was there the other day actually - and it's great! Lots of good places and clubs - 4D Modelshop (near where I work in E1) is class for supplies mind. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3709000 Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle captain corpus Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Heroes and Legends in Surbiton will be closing on the 15th of June, they are consolidating into one store at Croydon. BCC Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3709014 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvilarium Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Well, I visited Dark Sphere yesterday and I have to say I was SERIOUSLY impressed! They have about 8 full size gaming tables along one side of the shop, and the other side is an absolute treasure trove of games, models and model-making supplies. They had more GW stock than I have ever seen inside a Games Workshop store, and they also had Warmahordes, Dust, Firestorm Armada, X-Wing, Infinity etc and miniatures from companies such as Anvil Industry. They had an amazing array of paints: GW, Vallejo (complete ranges of Game Colour, Model Colour & Air), Reaper P3, Coat D'Arms and Army Painter (including all the Army Painter sprays and varnishes). I'll definitely be going back there for all my model-making supplies from now on! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3710156 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolemai Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Just to add, if you are near the City of Cardiff stadium, it could be worth popping into Hobbycraft. However, there are better options as mentioned above. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3710159 Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhg033 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 +1 for dark sphere though I haven't been to them since they moved. the old store used to be pretty convenient, especially for 'tourists' as it was almost a direct walk south from the London eye. not sure how easy it is to get to the new store. I keep meaning to get back into the gaming side of things and paying a visit on one of their gaming nights. also keep meaning to go to heroes and legends Croydon some time. be interested to know what its like. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3710195 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvilarium Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 +1 for dark sphere though I haven't been to them since they moved. the old store used to be pretty convenient, especially for 'tourists' as it was almost a direct walk south from the London eye. not sure how easy it is to get to the new store. I got the Northern Line to Elephant & Castle, and then changed to the Bakerloo Line to Lambeth North (1 stop). Its a couple of minutes walk from Lambeth North station. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3710357 Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhg033 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 ta! not the route i'd take from work or home . looks like I might (just) be able to do a turnaround trip on a lunch break. may give it a go soon as need some paints, and flash gits, and black knights, and....... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3710522 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I made it from Whitechapel in a lunch break (albeit, District was all over the place and took me longer than expected and so was late back!) - but could be doable from most places in a lunch hour. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3713098 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvilarium Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I made it from Whitechapel in a lunch break (albeit, District was all over the place and took me longer than expected and so was late back!) - but could be doable from most places in a lunch hour. Agreed! I easily made it in my lunch hour, travelling from Moorgate. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3713123 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Risky in a lunch break unless you know the trains are behaving and you know exactly what you want. If you'll be browsing you'll want more time for sure ;) Not good to hear H&L dropping to one store, even if the Croydon one is quite nice. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3719440 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 It's in Croydon though.. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3728894 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Juan Juarez Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 It's in Croydon though.. I went to Croydon once because I was on a fact finding trip for how the world might look after a ZomPoc. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3728902 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 It's in Croydon though.. I worked in Croydon for over two years. On the main high street too. But, the Heroes & Legends store is a bit out the way so it's not too bad. And the shoplifters have no interest in the place because CEX won't buy the stuff. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3731516 Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhg033 Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 technically Croydon should be my local but I think I'll stick with London based, via work, stores. may have to try heroes and legends at some point though. it'll all change over the next few years when they build the new Westfield in Croydon, possibly not for the better of the gaming community. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3733494 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forté Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Westfield won't be touching where H&L is. Just the two big centres (I worked in Centrale for two years) and GW relocated a while back too. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291600-hobby-shops-in-uk/#findComment-3733625 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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