Ganymede Model Village

Hi, I'm helping to research a book on Model Villages with my wife's Uncle, Brian Salter. Brian has written books for Shire Publishing. We are very keen to get info on the Model Village at Hastings, pictures and any family members that we can talk to for an in depth view of this once great model village. Does anyone know if any of the building have been saved? Hope someone can help. Thanks Mark.

Hi. I don't know if any buildings have been saved by Beckonscot. We have a model village at the Devon Railway Centre and have saved buildings from World in Miniatureand St Agnus model village.
Cheers
Matt
Devon Railway Centre

Hi, During the early 1960s we as an electrical contractors were employed by the owner a Mr Stanley Deboo to install lights in most of the buildings forming the model village. These at that time were just a plain batten holder secured to a piece of wood with a 40 watt bare bulb operated from it inside the buildings. We, well I say we, actualy it was me that had the pleasure of hiding cables in the water scenes etc whilst my mate looked on until he fell backward admiring his work straight into one of the houses demolishing it within seconds. Nevertheless, the team of miniature builders were on site and took the remains away, and low and behold the very next morning there was a new (old looking) replacement installed. We were pleased to think that Mr Deboo had no knowledge as to what went on in his absence. As far as preserved stock goes, the local louts that smashed their way through the site on many occasions destroyed more or less everything in sight, so much that Mr Deboo called it a day and closed the site down. I have no knowledge of any buildings that were saved, but someone might know different!
Thanks
Richard

Richard,

unfortunately, one of those louts happens to be my uncle. He has since then come to regret his actions, although I can't account for his fellow teenage mates. My uncle was a bit of a follower as a teen and was very impressionable. It is likely he was egg'd into it.

Chris

I have many happy memories of walking round the model village with my mother and brother. It was a magical place for a small child. I'd imagine little people living and working there. We spent all our summers growing up in Hastings so would visit often. It's such a shame that there isn't a model village for every child to visit and enjoy. I'm sure there must be lots of photos stored away.

As a model village fan from Southsea I was fascinated to spot 2 images of Southsea Model Village in the modernmooch website entry of Hastings Model Village, pages no. 5 and no.10! Even stranger is that page 10 is an aerial view. A family who appear on page 5 can also be seen on page 10!

Reading the blurb about how the Hastings model village was demolished and removed, I realise how lucky we are in Southsea to still have ours.

Jane.

A short piece on Ganymede Model Village appeared in the Pathe Colour Pictorial cinema newsreel, edition no 660, dated April 1967. The clip is currently on youTube for all to see. Phil (Cinema Museum, London)

The Rank series of short documentary films called Look At Life included one called Model World. It features a series of scenes recorded at the Hastings Model Village, as well as a number of scenes filmed on the miniature railway near the Old Town. I think the film was made in about 1960, and it's well worth checking out if you can find it on the web.