Hannants Lowestoft

[Edge]

I've been rather quiet on the modelling front of late. Bought plenty but haven't found the time or inclination to do much except tinker with a 1/48 Airfix Hurricane.

Anyhow I found myself on business in Lowestoft today and remembered that Hannants traded from there so popped their postcode into the sat nav. Just 2.5 miles from where I was so I decided to head over and take a peek. 

Got a bit of a shock on opening the door as it's not a model shop per se, but the guys in the front office were great. Quick scribble in the visitors book and through the double doors I was invited. And wow - what a sight! Row upon row, shelf upon shelf of beautiful, pristine kits of all shapes & sizes. Also what seemed like a million smaller bins with etch, resin and heaven knows what. I was allowed to browse the shelves (except the paint area) and all the guys working in there were extremely friendly & helpful.

After mentally spending the national debt of a small African nation, a modicum of sense took hold & I picked up 4 kits and headed back through the doors to the office where I was looked after really well.

 

The reason for the post is simply to say thanks to the team at Hannants for great customer care, I felt like Charlie Bucket when he enters Wonka's factory. And also to suggest to anyone in the area that they call in and spend some hard earned supporting one of the stalwarts of the business. Plus it saves on postage!

 

Edge

 

 

[Stew Dapple]

I think all modellers should make the Pilgrimage to Hannants at least once. I've never been anywhere quite like it - perhaps the 'new' place lacks the ramshackle charm of the old place and both could be quite overwhelming as there is really too much to look at to sustain your attention; after a while you find you are just scanning rows and columns of boxes without really seeing what you are seeing (that could just be me though, my brain is not a powerfully-developed organ)... but as an experience for a modeller, it is probably unique, certainly within the UK.

 

Also agree regarding the customer service, very friendly and professional staff who somehow seem to know where everything is

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[stevehnz]

One day.

Steve.

[bootneck]

I would wholeheartedly recommend Hannants to be on the list of places to visit, especially overseas visitors who are modelling enthusiasts and ask "what model shops are there in town A or city B" etc.  Compared to many other countries, the UK is fairly small and a trip, from London for example, would be "just up the road" for them!

 

Mike

[Edge]

10 hours ago, Stew Dapple said:

I think all modellers should make the Pilgrimage to Hannants at least once. I've never been anywhere quite like it - perhaps the 'new' place lacks the ramshackle charm of the old place and both could be quite overwhelming as there is really too much to look at to sustain your attention; after a while you find you are just scanning rows and columns of boxes without really seeing what you are seeing (that could just be me though, my brain is not a powerfully-developed organ)... but as an experience for a modeller, it is probably unique, certainly within the UK.

 

Also agree regarding the customer service, very friendly and professional staff who somehow seem to know where everything is

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

That's exactly how I felt Stew! I'd have needed a lorry to move all the kits I took a fancy to! 

 

Edge

 

[Jinxman]

Been there once, and it had a very nice, relaxed atmosphere, with oodles of plastic and resin.

 

I think Aviation Megastore gives it a run for it's money, and of course they have real Iskra in the showroom as well..

[Ray S]

I intend to make a visit sometime in the near future as a relative lives in Lowestoft, but I do wonder if I would be like a kid in a sweet shop...

 

I will have to make a list, and only take cash, a limited supply otherwise Hannants could retire after I had been!

 

Ray

[spruecutter96]

Hi, Ray. 

 

You are a very wise man.... I remember my first/only visit to the Big H.... left feeling that I could have easily spent 4 or 5 grand in there (and not got everything I wanted!)

 

Hope you enjoy your visit. I reckon you need a good 2-3 hours to take a proper look around the warehouse. 

 

Cheers.

 

Chris.  

[Ray S]

Hello all, just to update a previous post of mine here, I stayed in Lowestoft recently, and after booking in at my hotel used a route planner to locate Hannants from there. It turned out it was 0.2 miles away! One very happy chappy wandered over early on a Tuesday morning, armed with a list of only 6 or 7 items on it.  As @Edge said, I was greeted warmly and lead through the double doors (after locating most of my transfers I needed) and into a dreamland! Oh boy, I used to run a warehouse in a store and I never had it looking so good as this one was, I was highly impressed. I managed to find my MikroMir Argosy (RAF) and a couple of kits that were not on my list (my wife Jane treated me to the AZ Chipmunk and KP DH88 Comet), but I could not find the F-Rsin ATR-72 in Air New Zealand colours. A quick chat with one of the staff (and forgetting to say it was F-Rsin Plastic rather than F-Rsin when he checked on the computer) and he whizzed upstairs to the mezzanine floor and bounded back down with it.

 

Checkout was easy, and , despite me being a bloke, I asked the lady who was going to take our money totally without being reminded to if she had the one transfer sheet I could not find. Yep, the system said she had, so she went and got it, with me following along behind. I had originally tried to find it, I looked in the Airdecal box for ADTS7204 and did not notice the box said Airdecal AD. Obviously she went to the box which said Airdecal ADTS and found it!

 

This was a brilliant visit, and I would like to say a hearty 'THANK YOU' to all the team there, and I am so glad I stuck to my list - I could easliy have spent £thousands! Like the HobbyBoss Seydlitz for example...

 

If you get a chance, go for it, it is well worth while,

 

All the best,

 

Ray