Bekonscot Model Village and Railway

Behind the Scenes: Snow Pictures of Bekonscot - Winter 2009/10

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:17:00 +0000

With just a few days ‘til reopening (and the prospect of more snow on the way - we’d rather hoped we’d had the lot for this year…) we dug out some photos taken by Chris (one of the engineering team) around Christmas. That is, when the snow almost obliterated us. An inch of snow for you is a foot for us!

We don’t seem to have had much damage from the snow, as all of our delicate models come in for the winter. You’ll see that a number of buildings also have plastic wrappers on them to protect from the worst of the frost. All set now for the reopening this Saturday. Our 81st season… crumbs. Come and see what’s new!

Remember - to get the latest news first, become a fan on our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/bekonscot

Bekonscot Model Village in the snow - December 2009

Latest News: Bekonscot Model Village on BBC1 Cash In The Attic

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:51:00 +0000

We’re very pleased to announce that we featured on BBC1’s Cash In The Attic TV programme on Thursday 4th February - with various scenes around the model village. Jennie Bond presents - whilst the couple (Ken and Viv) search through their own hidden treasures at home to raise money for a new piece of art.

Watch it on iPlayer here.

Midsomer Murders, The One Show, Cash In The Attic… we’ve had a lot of fun playing host to the crews.

For our video archive including some old TV programmes that we’ve featured on, see http://www.vimeo.com/bekonscot

Latest News: Bekonscot on The One Show - BBC1 29th January 2010

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:32:00 +0000

We’re very excited that Bekonscot features on tonight’s “The One Show” on BBC1.

You’ll see us preparing for the 2010 season (we reopen on Saturday 13th February), bringing the models out and getting ready for everybody to arrive. See behind the scenes and listen to some of the team explaining what we do.

We had a marvellous day filming with the BBC production team - and hope you enjoy seeing a little bit of what goes on during our winter months - when everything is indoors or under cover being restored.

Our managing director, Brian Newman-Smith said: “I’m very proud of everyone’s efforts in getting the village ready for 2010, our 81st year. They all work tremendously hard and we hope that this short piece will let people see the work that goes on in the cold winter months!”

Behind the Scenes: Bekonscot wins Attraction of the Year Award

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:47:00 +0000

“On behalf of the Bekonscot Model Village team, I was delighted to accept an award from Chiltern Railways, Bekonscot having been voted Attraction of the Year on their web site.

“This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of my team who work in all weathers to maintain the village in its excellent condition.”

Brian Newman-Smith Managing Director

Behind the Scenes: We're on Midsomer Murders ITV1 Wed 28 Oct - 8pm!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:40:00 +0000

A dreadful thing has happened - a body has been discovered in the model village of Little Worthy. Disaster! With the body count rising, Barnaby and Jones face a race against time to identify the perpetrator. (Thankfully, it’s all for TV: it’s not real…)

When a man is killed in the model village and tied down like Gulliver in Lilliput, DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) and DS Ben Jones (Jason Hughes) discover a community full of traditions, tourist attractions and tea rooms. But behind the guide books and picture postcards, the residents of Little Worthy hide many secrets from one another.

Sisters Harriet and Hilary Compton, who own the miniature village, are stunned, but caretaker Bob Moss seems more upset about the blood on his figurines… Victim Richard Tanner was a man who didn’t want Little Worthy to move with the times. His sister Jackie reveals he recently jilted his lover, schoolteacher Rebecca Rix, and Barnaby finds her classroom is full of children’s paintings about Gulliver’s Travels.

Regular viewers of Midsomer Murders on ITV will know that many scenes are filmed in and around the Chilterns - and at last, Bekonscot Model Village features. Hurrah! We play the part of Little Worthy Model Village - where the body (played by a very much alive actor!) is discovered. Younger viewers may find some scenes in the light and entertaining detective drama a bit much, but we’re sure that our starring role will appeal to others…

Filming for Midsomer Murders - Winter 2008 - all parts are played by actors and nobody was hurt at all - apart from a few model people...

Events: Huge Summer Fun Day alert!

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Visit us on 5th August 2009 for a huge family fun day with falconry, train rides on the Light Railway, vintage side shows, entertainers and mini carousel. We’re celebrating our 80th anniversary as the world’s oldest model village. And of course the model railway and the hundreds of models will be working too!

We open the gates at 10am and close at 5pm. Normal entry prices apply. We and the little Bekonians hope to see you here!

Plan your visit now (perhaps even download the new car activity packs)…

Behind the Scenes: Welcome behind the scenes

Sat, 16 May 2009 16:48:00 +0000

We’re just getting the hang of this interweb netsite thingy. We’re going to use this space to show you what happens behind the scenes at Bekonscot Model Village and Railway — it’s the place where we can show you what we’re building, what we’ve found and what we’ve seen.

Sometimes we even go to other model villages, small railways and attractions, and report back on our visits. If you’d like a photo of something at Bekonscot, or want to know how it works, just make a comment below.

Latest News: New interweb netsite launched

Sat, 16 May 2009 16:46:00 +0000

How exciting! The boys in the technical workshops have cobbled together this new website from bits of string and leftovers from the Light Railway extension. The old website kept on falling over and damaging things, so we hope you enjoy this one. Do tell your friends – perhaps you’d like to send them an online postcard?

More than 1500 people visit this site every day (and you’re one of them) - we do like hearing from you. If you see anything that’s not working, or there’s something else you’d like to see, get in touch!