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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 1:15 am   #121
Dave757
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

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Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick View Post
I remember that the shops were on the right hand side of the road as you went out of town so on the opposite side of the road from the Australian Bar.
I have the vaguest recollections of the shops now but Norman H Field is the 'least vaguest' of the Hurst Street shops as we are talking over 40 years ago.
Hi,

Fields did have a shop on the right hand side of the road as well by the Locarno, but it was a Hi Fi shop. And there was another shop on the right side opposite the Radiocentre whose name I just can't remember (not Lasky's!), and I think this may still be there,It specialised in Amplifiers PA gear, and stage lighting from memory

Kind regards

Dave
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 5:49 pm   #122
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

That there were two Fields shops escapes me. Frankly, the mists of time have got me.

Once I was buying by mail from JR Hartley I stopped visiting the shops. Sometimes I could get only half my shopping list which was a waste of a journey and bus fare. My friend with whom I had gone foraging and I went our separate ways. However, because I remember the year I was in at school, it would be an accurate guess that the last time I went down there was 1970 or 1971.

Like much of Brum, Hurst Street has seen a lot of redevelopment. I rarely go to the town centre these days and I've no idea what's down there now other than a lot of Chinese restaurants and the Arcadian (?) Centre.
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 7:03 pm   #123
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Pitlake radio [Jim], Harris Better Radio both at Pitlake Croydon now buried under the Croydon flyover. Harverson Surplus once on the corner of Pincott Road South Wimbledon, then demolished and moved to the other side of the road where they remained until the 1980's. Dozens of skips piled high with all manner of gear, cleared the three storey building after closure.

Smith Bros in Merton High Street [Mr and Mrs Radio] very early HMV shop. Raynes Park Radio. [fantastic shed at rear filled with first generation part exchanges] where I was allowed to clear their old tot as a kid but not allowed to have an Ekco TSC113 because I might kill myself with it. [12kv mains EHT].

Tele Radio, Wimbledon Broadway. Millbanks, St Georges Road Hanworth. [DC mains] A.P. Electricals, York Road Battersea and Raynes Park. [DC mains at Battersea]

D & B Television, Kingston Road South Wimbledon. [where I worked from age 12..]

Arthurs radio I mentioned earlier. The Triangle, Merton Park. KB dealers with model of the Queen Mary in the window. Remo Radio [R.E. Mogg] GEC and Ultra dealers. Kingston Road, Merton Park. ROBERTS of Balham. [ROBERTS for Ekcovision neon sign above large shop front].

Watts Radio, Apple Market, Kingston-Upon-Thames. [Very well known]
Brathways, Merton Road, Southfields. [an old mate]

Beam Radio. Morden Surrey. [Popular local radio shop] North Wimbledon Electric. In Wimbledon village. [Sold pre war TV to well heeled customers].

Maxwells. A few very posh shops in wealthy areas. Not for the unwashed. [Wimbledon Hill] Originally musical instruments, then gramophones, radio and pre war HMV TV stockists. Clubman Radio. Merton High Street. [Absolute dump! Oh the stories I could recall!]

P.King Electrical. Coombe Road New Malden and Hartfield Crescent Wimbledon. [Typical nice radio shops with good customer base] The list goes on, just memories of Happy days!

John.
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 8:06 pm   #124
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

Don't forget Radioelectric Services in the Village, John!

Where exactly were Maxwells, by the way?

N.
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 8:41 pm   #125
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

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That there were two Fields shops escapes me. Frankly, the mists of time have got me.
Would this jog your memory?

This one in ‘Snow Hill’ according to the Upholsterers Shop on the RHS.


Paul.
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 10:31 pm   #126
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

As I remember the Fields shop was at the bottom of Corporation Street, maybe the one on Snow Hill was the original at an earlier time, as I can't recall anything there.

I also remember a shop in Hurst Street, can't remember the name, but my Dad got a BSR turntable for me there. There was also a place called Electronic Wholesale, or something like that on, on Great Hampton Street.

My memory is a bit hazy though, as there has been a lot of water under the bridge since those times.
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 11:20 pm   #127
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

Roberts Radio in Bedford Hill Balham is now a pizza resturant or an Indian take away. The large Ekcovision neon sign is still above the shop, It was really bright red and blue and could be easily seen from the platform of Balham station. Does any one remember Medhursts , quite a tidy radio/tv shop in Balham High Road. They vanished some time in the early 80s. Another shop I rember as a boy in the early 1970s was Tooting Bec TV centre near the underground station . It sold second hand tvs possibly ex rental. It had that lovely hot tv smell of many sets running together. All long gone now.
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Old 24th Feb 2013, 6:23 pm   #128
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I about 1962 I was repairing radio and TV sets at a shop in north Manchester called 'Rialto Electrics'. There was a smaller sister shop which was also the 'office' which was in the same building as the Rialto cinema. The owner of the two shops was a Mr Benny Kay.

I think I worked there for about 3 or four years but then changed jobs, however Ben Kay later went on to open the Newmart shops. Today I came across a purchase I made in the Shudehill shop and which is still in the brown paper bag I brought it home in almost 40 years ago. It was one of those things I thought would come in handy but obviously not handy enough. The receipt has long gone.

Its a 7" square, double sided piece of Veroboard with the front and back tracks running at 90 degrees to each other so ideal for a diode matrix.

Over the years I have built hundreds of circuits on normal veroboard, this piece has survived intact because its more or less unusable for any normal project

The picture of the bag shows the address of the three shops.
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 12:05 am   #129
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As I remember the Fields shop was at the bottom of Corporation Street, maybe the one on Snow Hill was the original at an earlier time, as I can't recall anything there.
I definitely don't remember anything in Snow Hill but this is well before my time! By the look of the photo I would say it's 1950s, assuming the cars are newish. Left to right they are a Ford Prefect, Austin A40 Somerset and an Austin A30.

I don't think I fancy a night at the Welcome Hotel...

Where would you say the 'bottom' of Corporation Street to be? Law Courts end or the New St Station end? Chas Young's was the Law Courts end of Corporation Street - on the right as you were going away from New Street. I seem to remember that the shop had two semicircular topped windows.

Last edited by Junk Box Nick; 25th Feb 2013 at 12:10 am. Reason: More info
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 12:50 am   #130
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

Nick, make that 1956 onwards for the snow hill photo.

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Old 25th Feb 2013, 8:39 am   #131
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There used to be a useful place on the corner of Stokes Croft and City road in Bristol, I can't remember the name. I used to buy parts to repair TV's and record players there - to supplement my student grant in the 1970's.
There were two - Pitts (Picton Street) and Target Electronics (Cherry Lane). Neither business is still running
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 1:30 pm   #132
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Nick, make that 1956 onwards for the Snow Hill photo
Anyway definitely before I was visiting radio shops and I have no recollection of Snow Hill, other than the station at all. I can just remember going with my mother to Brum on the train to Snow Hill. Steam trains on those lines are just within my memory.
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 1:44 pm   #133
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Speaking of Snow Hill there was the Great Western Arcade opposite with an RSC shop. I used to get some parts from there or get my mother to get them as she worked not too far from them. (There was also Barnabys toy shop on the corner where I used to get meccano parts from before I discovered electronics). I think the last thing I bought from RSC was a mains transformer for a radio I rebuilt around 1971.

Keith
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 7:50 pm   #134
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I remember that RSC shop now you mention it. Were they more hi-fi orientated? I bought a few things from there including a replacement cartridge for a Philips portable record player. Again would be very early 70s.
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 8:28 pm   #135
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

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Originally Posted by Dave G0ELJ
Anyone remember JR Hartley of Bridgnorth?
Yes I remember him well although I never visited in person. I placed mail orders from a typed paper catologue with my pocket money in the early 80's.
Very quick service from a postal turnabout. Mainly things like BFY51 and BC108 transistors.

Rob
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Old 25th Feb 2013, 8:31 pm   #136
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I have an idea it was taken over by D P Hobbs who had a shop in Luton and it moved to the other side of the street. This was all 40-45 years ago.
Which became IIRC Hobtronics. I bought Velleman kits there and Antex soldering irons whilst at City College.

Rob
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Old 26th Feb 2013, 2:04 pm   #137
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Hi. I remember that there was an Alpha radio component store in Leeds, not far from the city centre (not that I got to shop in there).
Something else that I remember about Teleservicentre in Headingley, is that they had their own adverts on the local buses, illustrating a diode symbol pointing the direction for customers to go to if they wanted to buy components. Can not remember the words that illustrated the advert, but I will ask my brother who may remember the advert better as he was also a customer there in the 1970's. It is a shame that they had to close, as they were really useful!
I suppose that we (in Leeds) have done better than many places for present day component shops, Maplin, Farnell (Trade Counter, open to public), and R.S (Trade Counter, but not open to public).
Cheers
Mike
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Old 26th Feb 2013, 2:23 pm   #138
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

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Ben Kay later went on to open the Newmart shops.
Yes I remember Newmart
I used to get a fair amount of stuff from them from my early forays into audio and electronics. There was a lad working there who was building his own colour tv around 1972 I guess.... that wasn't you by any chance was it?

Not long after that I discovered the delights of Electrovalue (main office Egham down south) and they had good quality components and a huge stock, much better suited to my needs at the time.

Cheers,
Steve.

PS is that your baby Elan in the pic? Nice. I have a Europa special...
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Old 26th Feb 2013, 3:14 pm   #139
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Hi. Teleservicecenter... Can not remember the words that illustrated the advert, but I will ask my brother who may remember the advert better as he was also a customer there in the 1970's. Mike
"out of stock is a dirty word at Teleservicecenter" the ads proclaimed. The place was a strange mish-mash of gospel singers L.P.s components and 'disco' stuff. Nonetheless an interesting place and another sad loss; I'm glad you reminded me.

Incidentally, for the pedants; 1) "out of stock" is, I know, 3 dirty words.
2) I use the 'center' spelling deliberately because that's the one the owner used (and it bugged me at the time)

And lastly, if you went in for an item they hadn't got they used to say "we don't sell them" so, as it said, they were never "out of stock"
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Old 26th Feb 2013, 3:36 pm   #140
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Hi Nick. They had a back room at Teleservicenter, full of valves, magic eye t.i's, perspex knobs for Bush TR82''s and many other items. A real Aladdin's cave!
Cheers
Mike
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