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Things to do in Cornwall


BadKarma75

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Morning all 

a family holiday in perranporth cornwall is looming and I will at some point be needing to disappear off somewhere on my own (only so much family time can be managed in one go)

so any suggestions about museums, shops and general places of interest to the average modeller within reasonable driving distance for a day trip would be very much appreciated 

Matt

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  • 1 month later...

There is an air museum at Newquay airport but sadly, the model shop in Truro has closed. Just pottering round the coast is great fun (the kids live in Perranporth)

 

Andy

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20 hours ago, Red Dot said:

There is an air museum at Newquay airport but sadly, the model shop in Truro has closed. Just pottering round the coast is great fun (the kids live in Perranporth)

 

Andy

Thanks Andy 

Its the way of things that model shops all over are shutting down, I remember some really good ones when I were a lad that disappeared some years ago, the air museum sounds like a nice escape for a few hours 

Matt

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 If you should happen to find yourself on the A38 between Bodmin and Liskeard, look out for Trago Mills, an out-of-town shopping centre.  You can get practically anything you can think of there (kitchens, carpets, household goods, DIY, etc, etc, etc) so plenty of potential for distracting other family members, indeed losing them permanently, but the modeller will be interested in the model and book sections.  The books are mainly remaindered stock but at prices lower than in most remaindered book shops.  You never know what you might find there: always plenty of Pen and Sword titles but also odd Kagero and Hikoki titles plus the occasional SAM modelling guide.  I have been rather rude recently about the model section because it seemed Trago Mills' heart was no longer in it but, when I was there yesterday, they had a good range of Revell, across all scales.  Offhand I recall in 1/32 the Me 262B and in 1/72 the ex-Zvezda kits (Bf 109F, Yak 3), ex-Academy Catalina, Shackleton AEW, Hunter, Typhoon, Tiger I, Sd Kfz 7, Nebelwerfer on sWS.  Also a handful of Italeri (eg both Stirlings), Hasegawa (esp weapon sets) and some Misterkit.  All at about 30% off RRP.  The tools area can also be useful for things like files and clamps (they have a lot of Rolson stuff).  Just an idea if the weather turns out wet and windy - which it is today!

 

Other than that, options for getting your plastic fix are very limited.  Pick of the crop is probably Blewetts in Hayle, who have a small selection of Airfix and Revell.  They are pretty good at getting new releases quickly.  Just about worth dropping in if you're desperate and passing but definitely NOT worth a special trip.  "Accidentally" coming across it when buying pasties from Philp's pasty shop (some of the best around: many are awful) 300 yds along the road may be an option.

  

RNAS Culdrose near Helston is now the only active military airfield in the county and has a viewing enclosure but activity levels are so reduced nowadays that it's not uncommon for there to be nothing moving at all.  If you're there on a flying day, you may catch Hawks, Merlins and the laughably named "Avenger".

 

If the weather is good, you could take a look at the remains of RAF Perranporth, on the cliffs just west of Perranporth.  I gather it's one of the best preserved WW2 fighter airfields in the UK.  It's also still an active civil aviation airfield so I'm not sure how easy it would be to get in for a mooch around but you can certainly get access off the coastal path: I well recall a very well preserved double dispersal bay right on the cliff edge.

 

Or St Eval (ex Coastal Command (all sorts including Liberators and Shackletons)), just inland from the coast north of Newquay.  The village of St Eval was bulldozed to make way for the airfield, leaving only the church, which is now the Coastal Command chapel, with a stained glass window and a Roll of Honour.  The huge runways are largely in place and in part form the roads across the airfield.  Won't take you long to look round and not much of a diversion if you were, say, heading up the coast to sample Mr Rick Stein's overpriced fish and chips in Padstow.

 

Scratching the bottom of the barrel, you could also visit Davidstow airfield, north of Padstow near Camelford.  Ex Coastal Command (Liberators, Beaufighters) and abandoned by them as soon as they could manage it because it was (I think) the highest and probably wettest airfield in the UK.  Quite atmospheric: the huge main runways are still there and the dispersal bays in among the trees.  There are (or were) also not one but two museums in the old domestic accommodation, one devoted to the airfield and one to aviation in Cornwall.  One has (had?) a Gannet and some other interesting bit and bobs, both air force and army.  But it's a bleak place and a longish drive from Perranporth so a visit there may overtax your family's goodwill.

 

Hope this helps.  Good luck with the weather.

Edited by Seahawk
Normal discount 30% not 20%.
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If near Falmouth there's another Trago there. I picked up the Revell/Zvezda 1/72 109F and the 1/48 Revell/Eduard SE5a a couple of days ago, both at about 30% discount off standard retail.

Even if boats are not your normal thing the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth is well worth a visit.  And the Harbour Lights chippie is a lot better than Rick Stein's.

https://nmmc.co.uk/

Edited by Work In Progress
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If they drag you to Penzance, there is a shop for cards etc in Causewayhead.

I can't find the name, but it's up-hill from the Savoy Cinema on the opposite side.

Small selection of models in there, from which I bought a Revell Corsair .

The only place I've ever seen a Revell Hanebu II on the shelf.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On ‎4‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 12:22 PM, theplasticsurgeon said:

If they drag you to Penzance, there is a shop for cards etc in Causewayhead.  I can't find the name, but it's up-hill from the Savoy Cinema on the opposite side.  Small selection of models in there, from which I bought a Revell Corsair .  The only place I've ever seen a Revell Hanebu II on the shelf.

Easily missed.  Tends to have 2nd hand railway stuff either in the window or, weather permitting, on a table outside.  Much more choice at Blewetts though.

 

The last time I braved the traffic and parking hell that is Truro (about 18 months ago), there was a hardware shop called Millers in Victoria Square that had a selection of kits (Airfix, Revell) in their toy section.  Probably at least as good as Blewetts.  (Blewetts not that brilliant, just the pick of a thin crop.)

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