THE SAGA CONTINUES
A LONG TIME AGO,
IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY –
So started our website. So we’ll start this one with:-
NOT SO LONG AGO,
IN A GALAXY FAIRLY CLOSE AT HAND –
In 1972 a guy by name of Ian Wares started Scoonie Hobbies in the wee town of Leven, then moved it to Kirkcaldy, both towns being on the East coast of Scotland.
In January 1988 Andy McCue took over and turned the business upside down, making it the lunatic shambles it’s been ever since.
Andy started as a serious modeller in 1961 when he joined the Air Training Corps and was introduced to the mysteries of aeromodelling. After a long lay-off once he’d discovered women (during which time he was also heavily into military modelling), his interest in railway modelling re-surfaced. Living in an East Neuk of Fife fishing village, it followed on that he took up boat modelling. He still can’t work out how he found time to go to work, especially when you consider he was also in the Territorial Army! However, it all stood him in good stead when he took over the shop.
His son Steve joined him 6 years later (you’d have thought he’d have known better) and (slightly) reduced the chaos Andy had created. Although an all-round modeller, Steve’s expertise lies in cars, be it radio controlled, slot-car, die-cast or plastic kit. Steve is now a partner in the business. He runs the shop while Andy does the shows. His daughter Lauren and son Grant are still a bit young to be involved .
Grandson Jack has been in the shop for an hour’s staff training every Saturday from the age of 2. There’s a long lead time training staff for a hobbies shop!
Jack , at 5,was the youngest driver in the BRCA and is turning into an avid car racer and railway modeller. He may shortly be joined by his wee brother Joe, born in October 2003. Jack and Joe share the same initials – JED. The plural of JED is JEDI—‘nuff said.
Andy’s wife and two daughters are still dragooned into helping. Andy’s wife (Chris) sees to all of the typing (including this catalogue), corrects Andy’s spelling, deplores his grammar and stops him from blowing up another computer. How she’s put up with him for all these years no-one knows.
June (another JEDI as her Christian names are June Elizabeth) helps out in the shop and copes with two potential modelling lunatics (Jack & Joe).
Kirstie (younger daughter and cavalry division of Scoonie Hobbies) is in the shop on Sundays and helps out at shows.
Somehow the three of them (known collectively as “Andy’s Angels”) manage to bring a wee bit of sanity to the proceedings.
Just in passing, there cannot be many shops in the world who can boast of THREE Jedi on the team!
Just recently Tony Campbell joined the team part time (he couldn’t stand the lunacy full time). He is superb on all aspects of radio and IC engines and is a very competent aero modeller. He has experience of plastic and boat modelling (Andy’s still working on the model railway indoctrination). Be warned Tony has an even more evil sense of humour than Andy or Steve and was responsible for some of the better(?) quips on our website and in our printable catalogue.
Last but by no means least, we must mention Findlay, our engineer and ultimate all round hobbyist. Very sadly Findlay passed away in the Autumn of 2002. He is very sadly missed by all who knew him. A mutual friend summed him up best when he said “ I’ve never known anyone so quiet, shy, retiring and modest; yet totally brilliant at everything he turns his hand to”. Findlay bound his own books, made wine, grew tobacco, built pond yachts, scratch built model railway loco’s, made masters for hulls, made electronic gadgets, drew plans and set up a superb modeller’s archive on his computer.
That is the team, and that is the story—————-SO FAR