PIANIST, composer and TV presenter Jools Holland was spotted in Alcester last week.
The 67-year-old, who many will associate with his New Year’s Eve hootenanny show, called in to Alcester Trains and Models on Church Street on Thursday (22nd May).
Owner and town crier Dave Parkes told the Herald about the visit from a man who has a long-standing passion for model trains.
In recent years Mr Holland has spoken a lot about his modern railways passion. It is one that he started with his father in the 1960s, but attributes a meeting in the early 2000s with rock star and fellow enthusiast Sir Rod Stewart for expanding his interest.
In 2023, Mr Holland welcomed TV cameras for the Yesterday programme Hornby: A Model World to show the scale of his set-up. As well as 90 feet of track, he also showed the detailed stations and landmarks he also collects to line his railway.
“He was staying with friends nearby and they told him about my shop,” Dave said.
“He came over because they’d recommended my shop to him really. He’s a very big model railway fanatic. I think he had a wander around Alcester first and he absolutely loved the town, he told me how wonderful it was and he loved the architecture.”
