642 - Kirton Games - Super Hobby Store

Last post, I went through the fun I had recently at Kirton Games in Crediton, and I said I'd write a few words about the venue, so here goes...

The place is amazing!

Okay, this photo is from their website.
The rest, below, were hastily snapped by Yours Truly.

Mostly funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign a short while ago, the new shop is in a fantastic location in Crediton [link here] and is staffed by a very friendly, welcoming and affable bunch. They run all sorts of special and themed events, and they cater to a wide (and increasing) variety of games and gamers. 

This is the 'live-stream' table [see below] set up for their
Bolt Action day a fortnight ago.

There are two main gaming rooms: the front one, which is what you walk in to from the street entrance (and which has all the toys for sale), and the 'gaming loft' itself, upstairs. All-in-all they have over a dozen 6x4' purpose-built gaming tables, and by purpose-built, I mean that you don't break your back whilst using them, nor do you have to worry about cracks and ledges between trestles. They even have lower tables for card games like Magic: The Gathering. 

Front of House...

...and Loft

There are comfy sofas upstairs, and downstairs a kitchenette with teas and coffees available for purchase (free for members) and a range of other splendid snacks on offer for sale. I have it on first-hand evidence that there's a rather good chip shop nearby too! 

Beside the kitchenette is a brilliant space: a hobby bar!

As I understand it, the range of paints available is again a free bonus for members, and the lamps and painting/modelling stations are evidently installed by someone who knows their stuff. Genius.

Talking of genius, one of the staff's strengths is in IT, and I was really impressed by the combination of well-equipped podcast/recording studio and a 6x4 gaming board permanently set-up for live-streaming. What a great opportunity! The studio can be rented for podcasting too: clever stuff.

tech-y

This is actually a whacking-great widescreen monitor for the
livestream cam... it just looks tiny in my crummy picture. D'oh!

Elsewhere, the astonishing building is as convoluted and higglety-pigglety as one would expect from one found in an old market town (for any US readers, just imagine something out of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter), and there are at least three or four other usable spaces with plans afoot for a roleplaying room and a cosy boardgaming room, amongst other possibilities. What joy! What potential!

All of the above. 

The store is still a work-in-progress, and I guess the local community there (it's 70 minutes' drive for me, sadly) has put in a lot of person-hours to help get the place up and running, but by gum it really is an amazing store: if you're anywhere within an hour-and-a-half of Crediton or Exeter, I'd absolutely urge you to get down there and visit them.

Here's wishing them the very best in hobbying success - cheers, Kirton Games!

- Drax.