Hammonds Toy Shop – Marina Court St Leonards who remembers the window train set?

shop & photo source unknown but Hammonds was similar

Colin Bell asks Who remembers Hammonds Toy Shop, where you put a penny in the window slot to make the train go round?

Alan Esdaile… Remember it well. Anyone got a photo?

Martin Richter… anyone got a penny? i think the coin-slots were still there the last time i was there?

Yvonne Cleland… My mum ALWAYS had a penny to spare for this when we lived at Marina. Magic xxx

Peter Fairless… Yes, used to be an add on to the regular Christmas trip to see Kings Road lights. A walk down to the front to see the train and then walk back up to Kings Road and some sweets from Woolworths!

Steve Cooke… Loved it. Great shop and always a grand window.

Bernard Goffredo… Loved that when I was a kid

Steve Fox… Oh yes.

Judie Struys… I do indeed. My bus stop was just outside x

Andy Clarke… I also remember the toy shop at Silverhill had one that took 2p to get it going.

Steve Thorpe… Remember Hammonds, I put £1 per week from my paper round on account and eventually paid for a train set!

Alan Esdaile… one penny! and how exciting and happy we were to watch it go round.

Martin Richter… bus fare to my nan’s and her *magic cupboard* was a ha’penny

Stephanie Blackledge… Oh yes! Happy days

Tim Moose Bruce… Toy shop called Arbours (later called Wonderful Wilsons) in Western Rd Bexhill had a coin operated train set in its window.

Angela Frances Gardner… It was 4 old pence when I was a child in the mid 60s.

Josie Lawson… Is that the toy shop I think my parents took me in just before Christmas one year. I think it was the only toy shop there . I loved it.

Nicola Dobson… Loved it put a penny in the slot

Jon McCallion… Yes remember it wel

Cris Kennard… Gosh that brings back memories mum always had spare 1d.

Tony Court-holmes… yes very well

Dave Nattress… remember Hammonds and In Bexhill there was a bicycle and toy shop in London Road, called Searches, where Aldi now is which had a model railway layout in the window for 1p a go. Wonderful shop smelled of bikes, tyres, toys. Great for Airfix kits and tiny figures in sets – mainly soldiers – Airfix also I think. A very long time ago. Got my first train  set there one Christmas, consisting of a little 0-6-0 tank engine and 2 tin-plate coaches and a simple oval of track.  00 Scale. It went round and round and round and round and round and then I got a set of points and a siding.  Little things pleased little …..

Mick O’Dowd… Remember it well. Spent a fortune making it go. A 3-rail track and bigger than Hornby trains. The penny often got stuck and you hammered the window. Then across the road to see “Jim The Jollyfish on the Lower Prom! Heaven!

Colin Bell… Great to see so many people have fond memories of Hammonds! Mr & Mrs Hammond were lovely people. Wish I still had my Triang Train set bought in 1963…ah happy days!

Nigel Ford… Used to go in there occasionally to get extra Meccano bits, always wanted gears that were about 2/6 when I only had a shilling to spend! They had a chest of drawers of different depths that these were in, which I later learned was probably set No10. I only got to about set 4 (still in attic plus many extras). Also remember classmates at Bexhill Grammar getting their bike bits / toys from Searches (R.J.Search,I think) and many years later I found a lot of old stock,long out of production, Britains Farm / zoo /space models / figures there that I either added to my collection or sold on to fellow collectors. (as I also did at a shop along Kings Road Hastings in the 80’s about half way along on the east side – name anyone? some going back to 1950’s ! Another family-owned shop from memory?) Dave: Searches wasn’t as far up as Aldis but about half-way down between there and Beeching (?) road, so is still a shop of some sort.On the subject of Toy Shops…. Hyams in Battle ,circa 1960’s (about where Taylors Fish bar is – Opposite where Tills Ironmongers was) was later run by Dick Parkhouse’s parents. He was guitarist in Die Laughing when Mick Mepham left (if my memory serves me correctly…?) as I saw them in Eastbourne at an old cinema opposite Hughes furniture shop there somewhere, Seaside Rd (?). Is he still around?

Roy Penfold… Silverhill Models & Toys used to have one too

Michael Pannell… Thats a US shop but yes i remember Hammonds and the big layout on the pie

Mick O’Dowd… Well spotted Michael but in small print there is a disclaimer. Very similar to Hammonds though.

Peter Merrick… Remember it? If I had now all the pennies I spent on it then, I would quite happy, not to mention wealthy. That and the fresh doughnuts at 11-00each morning from the shop, can’t remember the name, just along from there accounted for quite a bit of my pocket money.

Jeanette Alexander… Yes I do now you point it out

Tracy Birrell… I do.

Jac O’Dowd… I remember it and also the one at Silver hill

Lyn Beveridge… Oh yes I remember putting a penny in the brass slot at the side of the window, magic!!

Lynda Edwards… I can remember the excitement of it!

Annie Sivers… There used to be a beautiful shop in the town center which had a fantastic toy department and sold gorgeous pens and stationary. Was it called Jepsons

Doris Brookes… yes

Linda Hollands… yes in Robertson Street,l remember the lovely staircase.

Susan Richardson… We loved popping in the penny and watching the train!

Brigette Lee… Me too.

Kevin Carleonis… Yep I remember. Used to put a penny in the slot and I think the girl who worked there was called Ruth.

Mark Hardwick… The penny slot is still there

7 thoughts on “Hammonds Toy Shop – Marina Court St Leonards who remembers the window train set?”

  1. I remember Hammonds and In Bexhill there was a bicycle and toy shop in London Road, called Searches, where Aldi now is which had a model railway layout in the window for 1p a go. Wonderful shop smelled of bikes, tyres, toys. Great for Airfix kits and tiny figures in sets – mainly soldiers – Airfix also I think. A very long time ago.

    Got my first train set there one Christmas, consisting of a little 0-6-0 tank engine and 2 tin-plate coaches and a simple oval of track. 00 Scale. It went round and round and round and round and round and then I got a set of points and a siding. Little things pleased little …..

    Reply
  2. Remember it well. Spent a fortune making it go. A 3-rail track and bigger than Hornby trains. The penny often got stuck and you hammered the window. Then across the road to see “Jim The Jollyfish on the Lower Prom! Heaven!

    Reply
  3. Great to see so many people have fond memories of Hammonds! Mr & Mrs Hammond were lovely people. Wish I still had my Triang Train set bought in 1963…ah happy days!

    Reply
  4. Used to go in there occasionally to get extra Meccano bits, always wanted gears that were about 2/6 when I only had a shilling to spend! They had a chest of drawers of different depths that these were in, which I later learned was probably set No10. I only got to about set 4 (still in attic plus many extras).

    Reply
  5. Also remember classmates at Bexhill Grammar getting their bike bits / toys from Searches (R.J.Search,I think) and many years later I found a lot of old stock,long out of production, Britains Farm / zoo /space models / figures there that I either added to my collection or sold on to fellow collectors. (as I also did at a shop along Kings Road Hastings in the 80’s about half way along on the east side – name anyone? some going back to 1950’s ! Another family-owned shop from memory?)

    Reply
  6. On the subject of Toy Shops…. Hyams in Battle ,circa 1960’s (about where Taylors Fish bar is – Opposite where Tills Ironmongers was) was later run by Dick Parkhouse’s parents. He was guitarist in Die Laughing when Mick Mepham left (if my memory serves me correctly…?) as I saw them in Eastbourne at an old cinema opposite Hughes furniture shop there somewhere, Seaside Rd (?). Is he still around?

    Reply

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