People with hobbies like building model railways or collecting figurines are much happier

PEOPLE with geeky hobbies such as building model railways or collecting figurines are much happier, a survey found. Gentle pastimes were linked to better mental health , with an overall greater life satisfaction. 1 Singer Rod Stewart has must be a happy man as he has a large model railway collection Four in ten Brits have at least one current hobby, with people dabbling in an average of five.

Model maker Hornby found 42 per cent of all hobbyists had good life satisfaction, compared to 34 per cent without a regular pastime. Satisfaction increased to 46 per cent for those who got mates involved and 53 per cent if their partner had the same hobby. Researchers reckon enthusiasts, like musicians Jools Holland and Rod Stewart, are 85 per cent happier than those without hobbies.

READ MORE ON HOBBIES FIRST CLASS Businessman spent 8yrs and £250k to build Britain's biggest model railway The celebrities, aged 66 and 79 respectively, have an interest in model trains. Other pastimes in Hornby’s poll included being outdoors and playing sports. These were the most popular, with 30 to 40 per cent of Brits spending their free time on them.

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