Thanks Mike, greatly appreciated but can I make it clear please, I have not retired I have just left Hornby. As of last week I restarted my consultancy business, KOHLER coms that I mothballed when I returned to Hornby 5 years ago. I still have plenty of fuel in my tank and relishing my new challenges. Thanks again Mike, working with you has been an absolute pleasure. Good luck and best wishes. Simon
Simon, all the best to you. Hornby will miss your experience. Lets hope they don't go backwards again now that you have left. You made countless of 'good calls' in your time, releasing some iconic product and while you cant control what the factory sometimes churns out, you were always open to constructive feedback from me and personally went out of your way to find the solutions to problems. Now that is someone who goes the extra mile for the customer. Bravo. Maybe see you up in Scotland sometime. Perth model rail show is always a good one! ;-) Cheers Dave
Simon is a one-off. I was impressed by his consistent willingness to interact with enthusiasts , make his e-mail address known and respond to comments and suggestions. Enjoy your retirement, Simon (not that I see you putting your feet up!).
I'm absolutely gutted, all we can say as a community is thanks for all your years you have have to the hobby and Hornby, you will be massively missed and good luck in the future
Happy Retirement Simon. From us all at South East Essex Railway society. Which you gave us a fantastic evening about 5 years ago at our base at Leigh on Sea. As you know Paul Barnard and friends are some of our members. Look forward to seeing you at Warley in November.
So pleased to have met you in February. I'm glad I got to the visitor centre before you retired and that I was able to talk to you. Your passion for Hornby and model railways in general really shows and you interact so well with Hornby fans and your fans. Enjoy your retirement.
Only met Simon once at the Great Dorset Steam Fair - he was selling Hornby models and he sold me a class 71 loco at a knock-down price. I hope he has a long and happy retirement.
Simon, thank You for all You have done for this hobby. TT120 is excellent. Your chat at last years Warley was Great and enthused both the Wife and Me. Happy retirement, but You will be missed. All the Best.
Simon what brilliant ambassador you are to Hornby and it's brands, you are a credit to the company. Many thanks for the TV series "Hornby a model world" a brilliant insight to the world scale modeling. As a viewer may we wish you a very long and happy retirement. Rgds, Peter.
Its such a shame to see you go Simon. You've done yourself and Hornby proud in your long service for the company and on the hand full of times I've managed to chat to you, you've always taken on my feedback for future projects I'd like to see Hornby produce, answering questions on projects you've had on the stands at exhibitions, and you have always come across as passionate for your job and your love for Hornby, and that passion has driven me to make me even more confident and passionate for this wonderful hobby we have. I wish you all the very best for the future and hopefully one day we may cross paths again James
Thank you Simon kohler you are the best I love the work you have done I love all the locos I have gotten form Hornby I will miss you Simon kohler love from Harry Easton
My dad and I are big steam and railway model enthusiasts and have really enjoyed watching all the hard work and dedication that both Simon and his amazing team at Hornby have shared with us inside the wonderful world of model railways on Hornby A Model world series on Yesterdays Channel that still continues to inspire and delight both young and old to this day thanks again Simon we will miss you 😢 and hope you have a fantastic retirement 👍❤️
What a great guy to listen to on all the Hornby tv series. Best of luck in your consulting business Simon. I’m sure you’ll make it as good as you did with Hornby. Stuart from Queensland.
Thank you for an excellent video. May I wish Simon a very happy retirement. I really enjoyed the Hornby A Model World television programmes where Simon's enthusiasm shines through so brightly. Those programmes really helped me get back into model railways again.
Very decent chap, our Simon! Had the pleasure of discussing the TT120 range at Gaydon last year, and now I've got a lot of Hornby TT120 rolling stock and can't wait for more. Good salesman! Thank you, Simon. Hornby and the hobby will miss you 👍
Good luck and thanks for your passion for turning it around. I met you at Ally Pally and willing to talk to anyone ( see if you can get those 12 wheeler pullmans back in the range before you go!) All the best and welcome to the club
I never had the pleasure of meeting you Simon . I wish you all the best with your retirement. You will be a huge loss to Hornby and the model railway world . Thanks for all you done for this great hobby. Take care Basil from Ireland.
What a joy it was to meet Simon when I brought Bruce Malcolm to the visitor centre on his birthday in January this year. He had supplied Simon with photos of Formula One cars to accurately replicate the team colours on the models and he was delighted to see Simon again and to introduce me to him. What a place you have built up there, it's fantastic and I wish you well, Simon , in your future and all the Hornby team as they take up the reins.
I'm saddened by Simon leaving, though I hope he's doing this to pursue the goals he has whatever they are. To me, he's been the Mr. Hornby fatherly mentor figure who's witnessed a lot and- with the greatest to respect to the rest of the Hornby team- I think everyone's going to feel a bit lost for a while as that knowledge, experience and recognition within the modelling community isn't easy for a company to replace, especially for a figure like Simon Kohler.
Enjoy your well earned retirement, it has been a pleasure knowing you and having our chats at shows. I know if Dad was still here he would wish you the same.
I was very lucky to bump into Simon in a lift at the hotel in Milton Keynes. what i found is that he was kind enough to give up a few moments of his time just to talk to you. Thank you Simon, and all the very best in your retirement. best wishes Tony
When I've been lucky enough to meet and talk with Simon Kohler, I always found him to be a kind respectful, knowledge chap, I'm sure that he'll be missed at Hornby and elsewhere. I remember talking to him about Triang TT and O gauge etc years back, his passion always shone through. He leaves the hobby and Hornby with a fantastic legacy of his ideas, achievements and successes. My first train set was a clockwork Triang Dock set, a circle of track, that aged 4, I laid end to end tight reverse curves so as to make the set more linear and railway like. That led to some 55 years of modelling. I always loved getting Hornby and Lima catalogues, day dreaming about the products and layouts within. And I loved H&M products, superb brand. Happier, simpler, times. I wish Simon well in his new endeavours💜👍✌️😊
❤ All the best Simon. Just really got to know him and yes, he has recently given me his full support, toggled with his passionate positivity and, his time, even as he jetted off to Germany. The news has been so swift after launching TT:120 and then, The Centenary Celebrations with Flying Scotsman, Dublo models, NRM, TV episodes & HM7000 as well. Now this news has come and leaves me slightly baffled but, hey ho. My next episode will include my own tribute in the form of a TT layout I’ve been hard at work on and that now sits perfectly between OO and N. The models are superb and run beautifully. Highest Regards Mr. Hornby x
And I have an origianal Brittania 7000 from1960s. Still runs and is perfect. How many of hornbys models of today would last . From 50 million in the red to what now in the black. And we the modellers did that by being ripped off
It’s your time now Sir. I hope you have a happy and healthy retirement. You and your fine company have given millions of hours of pleasure to so many. Kind regards. Andrew.
Best wishes Simon! And thanks from Victoria Canada. Model Rail,January 2005 I won Q&A Star Letter and voucher for Hornby goods for my piece on my pet foible “close coupling” mechanism. He took much valuable time with me and much appreciated emails back and forth. A credit to the hobby.
Simon always displays such enthusiasm about the model railway hobby and seems to be quite generous with his time to other enthusiasts. He really is "Mr Hornby" to generations of model rail hobbyists. I do hope he stays involved in the hobby in some way and we get to see him occasionally. Thank you Simon Kohler for your great contribution to the hobby, and we all wish you well.
I remember Simon Very well and saw him come visit Stewarts Lane Depot with the film crew for Hornby A model world series 2 which was the episode starter set it was for him to come and see Clan Line and chat telling him how much I love the hobby and which locos I have but also I met him again at Kings Cross Station when he was showing TT120 I like to say if he is still seeing the comments Thanks Simon it was an Honour in meeting you hope you will come back to Stewarts Lane again to see your favourite loco
He will be so missed and such a nice guy not that i new him personally but from a response I got from him personally when I emailed Hornby about something I taken back by the friendly response I got from him I have always called him Mr Hornby and told him so when I heard of retirement and emailed him. I'm sure we all wish him the very best in the future. Well done some.
Good luck and best wishes from someone who has been buying Hornby products for 40 years. The jump in detail and quality over that time has bene immense and Simon has been a huge part of that. I just hope the team doesn't lose focus and continues to deliver to people like me. Can't help but wonder if he'll be back at some point...
Lucky enough to meet Simon at Golden Valley Hobbies when he was doing a Hornby promotion several years ago. Great ambassador for the hobby and Hornby. I had just gone over to DCC with a Hornby Select controller. Had an interesting chat plus he gave me a pressie.. a Hornby rerailer, still have it! Great guy. All the best in your retirement from Hornby but as my Dad used to say " you cant keep a good man down". So I dont think we will hear the last from Simon
Thanks so much for all you have done for the hobby. You might find life a bit empty when you first leave but I'm sure you'll cope and I understand you'll continue working. A bigger model railway at home perhaps as well? Make sure it's Hornby and that you get a good ex staff discount. Frank Hornby must be looking down and proud of what you've achieved.
All the best Simon you’ve been a face in the hobby that has given inspiration to the masses. Good luck for the future. I wish Hornby all the success for the future with a key piece of the team gone I’m sure the past influences and inspiration from Simon the rest of the team will help Hornby grow. Andy
Thanks Mike, greatly appreciated but can I make it clear please, I have not retired I have just left Hornby. As of last week I restarted my consultancy business, KOHLER coms that I mothballed when I returned to Hornby 5 years ago. I still have plenty of fuel in my tank and relishing my new challenges. Thanks again Mike, working with you has been an absolute pleasure. Good luck and best wishes. Simon
Simon, all the best to you. Hornby will miss your experience. Lets hope they don't go backwards again now that you have left. You made countless of 'good calls' in your time, releasing some iconic product and while you cant control what the factory sometimes churns out, you were always open to constructive feedback from me and personally went out of your way to find the solutions to problems. Now that is someone who goes the extra mile for the customer. Bravo.
Maybe see you up in Scotland sometime. Perth model rail show is always a good one! ;-)
Cheers
Dave
So they fired you again? WTF?!?!😮
👍
Ngl it’s weird to hear the actual company he worked for say “whatever you may think of him” when talking about a former member of staff 😂
Not necessarily unusual as not everyone is liked by everyone else. It's just how it goes.
Yes was a strange thing to say
Simon is a one-off. I was impressed by his consistent willingness to interact with enthusiasts , make his e-mail address known and respond to comments and suggestions. Enjoy your retirement, Simon (not that I see you putting your feet up!).
I'm absolutely gutted, all we can say as a community is thanks for all your years you have have to the hobby and Hornby, you will be massively missed and good luck in the future
Wholeheartedly agree. Many thanks Simon
Well said
He's done Hornby proud, but it's sad to see him go after all these years. Well done Simon! ❤
Happy Retirement Simon. From us all at South East Essex Railway society. Which you gave us a fantastic evening about 5 years ago at our base at Leigh on Sea. As you know Paul Barnard and friends are some of our members. Look forward to seeing you at Warley in November.
@@jamesmatthews8332 Did you mean to put that as a comment?
Hi Simon have a happy retirement watch all Hornby railway 🚃 thank you 🙏
@@ingridthurston-polkey653 Did you mean to put that as a comment?
Good luck Mr Kohler, have a happy and productive, relaxing retirement and thank you for all that you have done.
Thank you for everything Simon, to bring the best model trains ever made. Happy retirement Simon. We love you.
Thanks, Simon, for all you’ve done and especially for enabling Hornby to keep on doing better and better.
I sincerely hope that you get one of the many honours that the government can bestow on you. You’ve done MIRACLES for Hornby and railway modelling!!
thanks for all the hard work you have done Hornby proud
Sorry to see you go Simon good luck with your retirement enjoy it .
So pleased to have met you in February. I'm glad I got to the visitor centre before you retired and that I was able to talk to you. Your passion for Hornby and model railways in general really shows and you interact so well with Hornby fans and your fans. Enjoy your retirement.
A Great British institution ...well done Simon and all that work there.
He was the face of what hornby has become and it's survival, he was the best at his job. He was a true inspiration in the railway modelling community.
Congratulations on a fantastic career at Hornby and thank you everything you've done and I'm sure you will continue to do for our hobby.
Thankyou Simon. Thankyou for your passion for the hobby.
Enjoy your retirement.😊
Only met Simon once at the Great Dorset Steam Fair - he was selling Hornby models and he sold me a class 71 loco at a knock-down price. I hope he has a long and happy retirement.
Simon, thank You for all You have done for this hobby. TT120 is excellent. Your chat at last years Warley was Great and enthused both the Wife and Me. Happy retirement, but You will be missed. All the Best.
Simon what brilliant ambassador you are to Hornby and it's brands, you are a credit to the company.
Many thanks for the TV series "Hornby a model world" a brilliant insight to the world scale modeling. As a viewer may we wish you a very long and happy retirement.
Rgds, Peter.
Happy Retirement Simon. Thank you for all your work in the industry!
Its such a shame to see you go Simon. You've done yourself and Hornby proud in your long service for the company and on the hand full of times I've managed to chat to you, you've always taken on my feedback for future projects I'd like to see Hornby produce, answering questions on projects you've had on the stands at exhibitions, and you have always come across as passionate for your job and your love for Hornby, and that passion has driven me to make me even more confident and passionate for this wonderful hobby we have.
I wish you all the very best for the future and hopefully one day we may cross paths again
James
Sad to see Simon go I watch the tv series and he seems a very nice gentleman, happy retirement Simon well deserved, Hornby will miss you!
Thank you Simon kohler you are the best I love the work you have done I love all the locos I have gotten form Hornby I will miss you Simon kohler love from Harry Easton
My dad and I are big steam and railway model enthusiasts and have really enjoyed watching all the hard work and dedication that both Simon and his amazing team at Hornby have shared with us inside the wonderful world of model railways on Hornby A Model world series on Yesterdays Channel that still continues to inspire and delight both young and old to this day thanks again Simon we will miss you 😢 and hope you have a fantastic retirement 👍❤️
Enjoy your retirement Simon. Thankyou for all you have done over the years.
Love this guy, his passion, his motivation, his team!
What a great guy to listen to on all the Hornby tv series. Best of luck in your consulting business Simon. I’m sure you’ll make it as good as you did with Hornby. Stuart from Queensland.
Simon certainly got me interested in modeling after watching on TV be it from a sofa point of view. All the best Simon
Good luck in the future Simon wherever your travels take you. You will be missed but certainly not forgotten. Thank you Mr Hornsby 😊😊
Thank you for an excellent video. May I wish Simon a very happy retirement. I really enjoyed the Hornby A Model World television programmes where Simon's enthusiasm shines through so brightly. Those programmes really helped me get back into model railways again.
He's done a great job, Have a nice retirement man, you deserve it
Happy Retirement Simon! You are a legend thank you for giving me so many memories with your trainsets!
Love the enthusiasm of the whole team,
Happy retirement Simon, live in Wellingborough but the model shop in Northampton my local where he worked!
Have a great retirement Simon, your passion always shone through
Simon you will be missed met him twice what source of knowledge and information good luck and happy retirement.
Wishing you all the best for your retirement Simon. Hope it's a long and happy one.
Thank you for all you have done.
Happy retirement & enjoy putting your feet up.
Will be sadly missed all the best for the future thx for the video
Very decent chap, our Simon!
Had the pleasure of discussing the TT120 range at Gaydon last year, and now I've got a lot of Hornby TT120 rolling stock and can't wait for more. Good salesman!
Thank you, Simon. Hornby and the hobby will miss you 👍
Good luck and thanks for your passion for turning it around. I met you at Ally Pally and willing to talk to anyone ( see if you can get those 12 wheeler pullmans back in the range before you go!)
All the best and welcome to the club
I never had the pleasure of meeting you Simon .
I wish you all the best with your retirement.
You will be a huge loss to Hornby and the model railway world .
Thanks for all you done for this great hobby.
Take care
Basil from Ireland.
Just thank you!
It's sad to see him retire
Legend in his own lifetime.
Thanks Simon , enjoy your retirement. 4:23
Dear Simon thank you for saving Hornby
I live in Ireland Dublin and stay in Hearn bay next time will visit the museum thanks for everything
What a joy it was to meet Simon when I brought Bruce Malcolm to the visitor centre on his birthday in January this year. He had supplied Simon with photos of Formula One cars to accurately replicate the team colours on the models and he was delighted to see Simon again and to introduce me to him.
What a place you have built up there, it's fantastic and I wish you well, Simon , in your future and all the Hornby team as they take up the reins.
Best wishes Simon... keep in the picture for us on RUclips and Also at shows 😀👍
Hope you enjoy your retirement as much I have enjoyed making Airfix kits for the last 55years
I'm saddened by Simon leaving, though I hope he's doing this to pursue the goals he has whatever they are. To me, he's been the Mr. Hornby fatherly mentor figure who's witnessed a lot and- with the greatest to respect to the rest of the Hornby team- I think everyone's going to feel a bit lost for a while as that knowledge, experience and recognition within the modelling community isn't easy for a company to replace, especially for a figure like Simon Kohler.
Best of luck for the future Simon, thanks for for all the great ideas, forward thinking and imagination.
Enjoy your well earned retirement, it has been a pleasure knowing you and having our chats at shows. I know if Dad was still here he would wish you the same.
Nice. Happy Retirement.
Thanks for the new APT. worth the wait.
I was very lucky to bump into Simon in a lift at the hotel in Milton Keynes. what i found is that he was kind enough to give up a few moments of his time just to talk to you. Thank you Simon, and all the very best in your retirement. best wishes Tony
Yes Simon @6:52 - I've also got 'Smokey Joe' for which I've also had many years!!! - Good luck for the future!!! 😉🚂🚂🚂
When I've been lucky enough to meet and talk with Simon Kohler, I always found him to be a kind respectful, knowledge chap, I'm sure that he'll be missed at Hornby and elsewhere. I remember talking to him about Triang TT and O gauge etc years back, his passion always shone through. He leaves the hobby and Hornby with a fantastic legacy of his ideas, achievements and successes.
My first train set was a clockwork Triang Dock set, a circle of track, that aged 4, I laid end to end tight reverse curves so as to make the set more linear and railway like. That led to some 55 years of modelling. I always loved getting Hornby and Lima catalogues, day dreaming about the products and layouts within. And I loved H&M products, superb brand. Happier, simpler, times.
I wish Simon well in his new endeavours💜👍✌️😊
❤ All the best Simon. Just really got to know him and yes, he has recently given me his full support, toggled with his passionate positivity and, his time, even as he jetted off to Germany. The news has been so swift after launching TT:120 and then, The Centenary Celebrations with Flying Scotsman, Dublo models, NRM, TV episodes & HM7000 as well. Now this news has come and leaves me slightly baffled but, hey ho. My next episode will include my own tribute in the form of a TT layout I’ve been hard at work on and that now sits perfectly between OO and N. The models are superb and run beautifully. Highest Regards Mr. Hornby x
Why do I hear the name George Waller echoing in my thoughts?
i have only been here since 2020 i am sad to see him go. Good luck for the future Simon
And I have an origianal Brittania 7000 from1960s. Still runs and is perfect. How many of hornbys models of today would last . From 50 million in the red to what now in the black. And we the modellers did that by being ripped off
It’s your time now Sir. I hope you have a happy and healthy retirement.
You and your fine company have given millions of hours of pleasure to so many.
Kind regards.
Andrew.
Best wishes Simon! And thanks from Victoria Canada. Model Rail,January 2005 I won Q&A Star Letter and voucher for Hornby goods for my piece on my pet foible “close coupling” mechanism. He took much valuable time with me and much appreciated emails back and forth. A credit to the hobby.
Thank you Simon, Hornby will not be the same without you!
I already sent him a thank you and good luck email. Of course because it is Simon he replied. Great ambassador for the hobby
Thank you, Simon, for what you have done sir it's going to take some very big shoes to fill your place.
Simon always displays such enthusiasm about the model railway hobby and seems to be quite generous with his time to other enthusiasts.
He really is "Mr Hornby" to generations of model rail hobbyists.
I do hope he stays involved in the hobby in some way and we get to see him occasionally.
Thank you Simon Kohler for your great contribution to the hobby, and we all wish you well.
Thanks Simon!👏👏👏👏
All the best Simon!
I remember Simon Very well and saw him come visit Stewarts Lane Depot with the film crew for Hornby A model world series 2 which was the episode starter set it was for him to come and see Clan Line and chat telling him how much I love the hobby and which locos I have but also I met him again at Kings Cross Station when he was showing TT120 I like to say if he is still seeing the comments Thanks Simon it was an Honour in meeting you hope you will come back to Stewarts Lane again to see your favourite loco
He will be so missed and such a nice guy not that i new him personally but from a response I got from him personally when I emailed Hornby about something I taken back by the friendly response I got from him
I have always called him Mr Hornby and told him so when I heard of retirement and emailed him. I'm sure we all wish him the very best in the future. Well done some.
Happy retirement Simon. You will be missed at Hornby and by all railway modellers and rail fans.
I've always got on Simon kohler
He alway had time for me
He will be missed
Thank you Simon kohler
Keep safe ARP
Happy retirement Simon I wish you well in retirement and good health.👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you Simon, enjoy your retirement.
An excellent face of the company - he certainly raised the profile of Hornby !
Have a long and wonderful retirement. I hope who ever takes over is as passionate about Hornby as you are.
Good luck and best wishes from someone who has been buying Hornby products for 40 years. The jump in detail and quality over that time has bene immense and Simon has been a huge part of that. I just hope the team doesn't lose focus and continues to deliver to people like me. Can't help but wonder if he'll be back at some point...
End of a great era for Hornby - hope Simon enjoys his retirement 👍
Lucky enough to meet Simon at Golden Valley Hobbies when he was doing a Hornby promotion several years ago. Great ambassador for the hobby and Hornby. I had just gone over to DCC with a Hornby Select controller. Had an interesting chat plus he gave me a pressie.. a Hornby rerailer, still have it! Great guy. All the best in your retirement from Hornby but as my Dad used to say " you cant keep a good man down". So I dont think we will hear the last from Simon
All the best,
Happy retirement 👍🏼
Congratulations on your retirement Simon well deserved hope you still keep modelling railways! 🚂🚂
Good luck in the future Simon, hope you have a good retirement, we will miss you!
Wishing Simon a very happy retirement
he did honby prod keep up the good work you all do thanks lee
Best of Luck Simon. I am sure you will be missed.
Best wishes Simon!
Best wishes Simon
I always found Simon to be positive and helpful. He understood his market well. Who’s driving the business now?
Simon, a true gent.
Good luck, Simon.
Well done Simon. Have a great retirement
All the best in your retirement Simon
Happy retirement Simon ❤
Thank you, Mr Kohler
Thanks so much for all you have done for the hobby. You might find life a bit empty when you first leave but I'm sure you'll cope and I understand you'll continue working. A bigger model railway at home perhaps as well? Make sure it's Hornby and that you get a good ex staff discount. Frank Hornby must be looking down and proud of what you've achieved.
Happy retirement
Sad to see Simon retire
Retirement is the ideal time to build that dream layout! Enjoy 😊
All the best Simon you’ve been a face in the hobby that has given inspiration to the masses.
Good luck for the future.
I wish Hornby all the success for the future with a key piece of the team gone I’m sure the past influences and inspiration from Simon the rest of the team will help Hornby grow.
Andy
I'd not heard of Simon before watching H:AMW.
Simon will be missed as one of the main "characters" in the show.
Enjoy your retirement!