Discover Great British Hobbies: Ms Philippines Great Britain and Gainsborough Model Railway

In this Shots! TV series, we dive into the fascinating world of British hobbies. From ancient traditions to modern passions, get ready to explore what makes Britain’s hobbies truly unique. In a brand new episode, we visit one of the largest ever model railways in ‘O’ gauge and meet Ms Philippines Great Britain 2024. Watch The Great British Hobby Hunt: Episode 4 to learn more about the country's most unique pastimes.

Gainsborough Model railway

In the episode, we visit Gainsborough Model railway, one of the largest hand-built model railways in the country, covering 2,500 square feet. The model replicates from Kings Cross station to Leeds Central station, which was demolished in 1967. The building of the model began in 1953 and initially belonged to a church before being taken over by the Modern Railway Society.

There are over 150 locomotives, 100 coaches, 200 wagons and vans, 150 pieces of pointwork, half a mile of trackwork and 9 stations. The period modelled is from the late 1940’s to the end of the British rail steam, with acknowledgement of the diesel era. Mark Edwards from Gainsborough Model Railway said: “This is a representation of the real Kings Cross. If you go there today, you’ll see this building. It still looks like this.”

Ms Philippines Great Britain 2024

We then travelled to Blackpool to meet accounting and finance student Jodie Rose Smith. Jodie was walking around a barrow fiesta and looking at the different food stalls, when she was approached by someone who asked if she was interested in doing a pageant. She then spoke to her family, who encouraged her to take up the opportunity. Not only did Jodie compete in the pageant, she won it and became Ms Philippines Great Britain 2024. She explained how she felt completely flattered and overwhelmed by the experience.

While competing in the pageant, she soon realised that looks weren’t everything and that confidence is key. She said: “You can go out in the worst dress in the world, but if you hold yourself with a lot of confidence, you can convince others that it’s the best dress in the world.” She added that pageants gave her the push she needed to become more outspoken.

Watch the full episode to learn more about unusual British hobbies. You can also tune into Freeview channel 262 and Freely channel 565 for more true crime, football, and quirky UK content . Keep up with our latest shows by signing up to Shots TV! Newsletter here.