01/11/2026
❤️ THAT’S A WRAP ON 2026! ❤️
And just like that, our first full season as sole owners of Southsea Model Village has come to an end!
What a year it’s been!
When we took over the village last September, we knew we had a big job on our hands. We had plenty of ideas, a massive list of things we wanted to improve and absolutely no idea just how much work we were letting ourselves in for! 🤣
But looking back now, what a first season we’ve had!
We’ve welcomed thousands of visitors through the gates, made some fantastic memories and hopefully put a few smiles on faces along the way.
We’ve had dinosaurs, K-Pop Demon Hunters, birds of prey, reptiles, giant bubbles, unicorns, ponies and plenty more entertaining our visitors throughout the season.
We’ve transformed huge areas of the gardens, thanks in no small part to our fantastic friends at Keydell Nurseries, who have supplied us with thousands of beautiful plants and flowers.
We’ve added new miniature scenes, characters and little surprises throughout the village, including our very own miniature Keydells!
We’ve kept Thomas and his mates running, although thanks to a gang of foxes, a missing volunteer and an unexpected trip to Las Vegas and the World Cup , that hasn’t always gone to plan! 😂
And then there was Halloween! Thousands of skeletons, villagers fighting back and a 25ft Stay Puft Marshmallow Man who has caused us more stress than just about anything else this year!
And then there’s Dinny Darren, who somehow managed to appoint himself head of Village Security, Chief of Intelligence and Director of Absolutely Bu**er All. We still haven’t worked out what he actually does here, but he’s already requested a company car, a pension and a seat on the board.
But behind all the laughs, there’s been an enormous amount of hard work.
Running this place isn’t just opening the gates in the morning and locking them again at night. There’s always something to build, paint, repair, plant, fix or improve. And when you think you’ve finally caught up, something else breaks!
We couldn’t have done it without the people around us.
Our brilliant staff, our volunteers who give up their own time to help keep the village looking its best, our friends and suppliers, and everyone who’s supported us along the way. You all play a massive part in making this place what it is.
And most importantly, YOU! ❤️
To everyone who bought a ticket, visited more than once, brought their children or grandchildren, shared our ridiculous Facebook stories, left us a lovely review or simply told someone about us, thank you.
As a small, independent, family-run attraction, that support means more than you probably realise.
We’ve learned a hell of a lot in our first full season. We’ve made mistakes, had some stressful days, battled the British weather and probably aged about ten years in the process!
But we’ve also had an incredible amount of fun.
We’ve got plenty of plans for the future, more improvements to make and lots of new ideas that we can’t wait to get started on.
For now, though, it’s time to close the gates, take stock and get cracking on all those winter jobs. Because the work certainly doesn’t stop when the visitors go home!
From both of us, thank you for making our first full season one to remember.
See you in 2027!
And just a little note about Christmas…
We've decided that we won't be opening for Christmas this year.
After a very busy first full season, we've got a mountain of jobs to get through, repairs to make and plenty of exciting plans for next year.
Rather than rush around trying to squeeze Christmas in as well, we've decided to concentrate on getting the village ready for 2027. ❤️
