Model railway up for auction to raise money for charity
BIDS are invited for a model railway which was built as a lockdown project and is now being sold to raise money for the charity Young Lives vs Cancer.
Paul Foster, who built the 8ft by 4ft model, said he was introduced to the hobby by his father when he was seven years old.
‘As a child back in the sixties, my father gave me the inside loop and siding of the layout as a Christmas present, as all fathers did, and mainly so that they could play with it themselves,’ said Mr Foster.
‘It was much enjoyed and there were the dreams of a seven-year-old to build something much larger with buildings and scenery, but alas limited pocket money did not allow these dreams to be fulfilled.’
He said that buying annual Tri-ang Hornby catalogues was all he could afford within his budget.
When Mr Foster’s father passed away in 2019, he discovered the railway set in his attic and relocated it into his own home, thinking that one day he would do something with it.
The semi-retired chartered surveyor began working on the set when the Covid lockdown hit, and has continued working on it intermittently since.
‘It has been a four-year project, which has been on and off. I spent an awful lot of hours on it when it was raining or during hours of an evening.
‘I want to find it a nice home. It needs a push now and again and it often derails, so it’s really an engaging one.’
Mr Foster said he was retiring from railway building, though he said he might make ‘the odd airplane model’ in the future.
The reason Mr Foster chose Young Lives vs Cancer is that cancer claimed the life of his wife’s 13-year-old niece.
‘The charity offers practical and emotional support to the entire family of any child battling with this horrible disease.
‘The support offered by the charity focuses on areas that the States or the NHS are unable to provide.’
‘Families in Guernsey are able to stay in the charity’s "home from home" close to Southampton General Hospital, which allows the family of the child to travel and stay together over the period of any treatment.’
Young Lives vs Cancer’s senior fundraising engagement manager, Liz Blunt, said: ‘We really appreciate Paul’s novel fundraising and it’s so kind of him to donate something that really means a lot to him to support young cancer patients.’
The model is available to view in the foyer of Le Friquet Garden Centre.
Store manager James Robin said that people interested in bidding should leave their details and an indication of the donation at the centre’s information desk, for the attention of Paul, by 19 September.
‘We are delighted to support Paul and his fantastic model railway to raise funds for children and young people with cancer,’ he said.
The model’s new owner will need to complete regular maintenance, including cleaning the track, and will need to arrange collection.
Mr Foster and Dice Gifts and Model Shop have offered their help, if required, once the set is at its final destination.
