W J Owens in Bray was a massive magnet for photographers, aero modellers, railway modellers, airfix, and dinky/corkie collectors from all over Ireland. IMHO Owens was the single best thing about Bray. In the early years when Bray was still a sea side holiday resort, they used to sell fishing rods, tackle, buckets and spades to sea side visitors during the summer.
But more than anything W J Owens was Ireland's number one RC model aero shop as well as one of the best photography and camera suppliers. On Saturdays you could meet modellers for any county in Ireland on their pilgrimage to W J Owens, 41 main street bray, established by Willie's father in 1941. I used to marvel at the window displays of RC model aircraft in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It was the complete modellers heaven.
I almost felt a sort of grief when Willie retired in 2004 and closed his doors. His shop was an institution. Willie himself was a gentleman, but it was his modelling knowledge and technical ability that attracted customers from far and wide. He was a modeller himself and an active member of SRFC in Wicklow, so he knew what the hobby wanted. Also innovating from a business sense being one of the first retailers in Ireland to source products direct from overseas manufacturers bypassing traditional UK distribution channels, and therefore had some very good pricing. Aside from Airfix as a child, later railway (Dublo, Triang, later Hornby and even some Lima) and RC gear, I also bought my first Nikon film SLR from Willie and used to buy my dark room supplies from him (chemicals, paper, film, etc). I have fond memories of him totalling up the bill on the usual back of a small brown paper bag, pretending to look startled and embarrassed at the total. If WJ Owens had not existed I doubt I would have got RC flying, nor photography.
Pure nostalgia. There are few specialists left in the hobby business. Along with Marks models, John Gunn photography in Wexford street are some of the few golden nugget retailers that still exist.