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Old 19th Feb 2013, 10:28 pm   #101
Sean Williams
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Default Re: Bygone radio traders

Ah, ok, yes, that does ring a bell. Will check with the locals!
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Old 20th Feb 2013, 1:41 am   #102
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Junk box Nick..

Amateur Electronics was G3FIK. Alum rock Road, Alum Rock Birmingham

I bought an AVO CT38 from him in the 1960s by mail order and postal-order, from an advert in the back of short wave mag.

David
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Old 20th Feb 2013, 3:24 am   #103
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Jumk Box Nick,

Where was Lasky's in Hurst Street? I can only remember 2 dedicated radio shops in Hurst Street, Norman Field's, and the RadioCentre, which was
also on the left side going our of town, just before the Australian Bar on the corner of Bromsgrove Street. I've never heard of a lLasky's in Brum!

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Old 20th Feb 2013, 8:51 am   #104
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I'm sure there was a Lasky's in Brum sometime in the mid 70's as I bought a pair of headphones there. It may not have been in Hurst Street but could have been in Corporation Street.

I remember Chas Youngs in Corporation Street and Norman Fields but only have a vague recollection of the Radio Centre which if I remember was further down Hurst Street than Fields.

There was a small shop in Cotteridge which I used to pass every day on my way to school. That closed down in the early 70s and is now an Indian restaurant. I got quite a few bits of "junk" when it closed.

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Old 20th Feb 2013, 4:36 pm   #105
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Hi DaveW. Good to hear from someone else from Suffolk that remembers the radio components shops in Ipswich. My family moved from Cross Gates (East Leeds) in 1962 to live at Sweffling, near Saxmundham. My father managed to get a job as a t.v and radio engineer at G.A Hubbard in Saxmundham (they also had a shop in Woodbridge).Hubbards did sell some audio spares, cartridges, records, but no component spares for the public as far as I know. I remember buying some records in their Market Place (Sax) shop in 1964. My uncle worked as an electrician (foreman) for Hubbards. The only section of the company left is the Refrigeration Dept at Otley (so I have been told).
Dad bought me a Regentone Handygram record player from Hubbards in 1963 (a collector's item now). Hubbard's shop in Saxmundham is now a fast food shop (surprise!). Sometimes, I like to visit the area and see it all again.
Other memories included a Dorset transistor radio (similar to Dansette radios), but he bought this kit from somewhere in Acton, London. I had the time of my life with this listening to Veronica & Big L
Cheers
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Old 20th Feb 2013, 5:07 pm   #106
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There were a number of shops where I could get radio spares here in Nottingham when I was younger but one of the best was A1 Factors. They used to advertise in WW and made pcb's and kits of the Linsley Hood class AB amplifier and other popular projects of the time. It was run by a lovely man, Douglas DeHavilland. He started as a salesman for Frys solder but branched out to mail order and eventually had a shop on North Sherwood Street Nottingham in the 1960's before moving to Radford Boulevard Nottingham I became great friends with him and had dinner at his house frequently. Sadly he passed away a couple of years ago and I stay in touch with his widow. I still have some of his pcb's. Happy days.
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Old 20th Feb 2013, 8:22 pm   #107
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Hubbards did sell some audio spares, cartridges, records,
It's a small world Mike ,you have a PM.
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Old 21st Feb 2013, 11:33 pm   #108
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Where was Lasky's in Hurst Street? I can only remember 2 dedicated radio shops in Hurst Street, Norman Field's, and the RadioCentre, which was
also on the left side going our of town, just before the Australian Bar on the corner of Bromsgrove Street. I've never heard of a lLasky's in Brum!
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. I might be wrong about the location of Laskey's. I remember a Tandy store on the Corporation Street in the 1970s - I bought a Micronta Range Doubler 50000 ohms per volt multimeter (Model 22-204B) from there. It is still doing good work and lives in its original box. I have it on the desk as I write. Unfortunately it looks like I attempted to peel off the price sticker otherwise I could tell you the price.

Anyone remember JR Hartley of Bridgnorth? I used to buy a lot of components from him by mail order. I only ever visited the 'shop' once which I seem to remember was up some stairs in a building on the High Street. (I never did ask if he was into Fly Fishing...)
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 12:22 am   #109
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Anyone remember JR Hartley of Bridgnorth?
I never visited the shop or met John Hartley, who is sadly no longer with us, but a mutual friend introduced me to his widow a few years ago and I was able to buy a few sets, items of test gear and components from her.

After he closed down the shop, he moved the remaining stock into the loft of his house, set up a tiny workshop and carried on making small batches of (modern) electronic items for various customers. The last time I visited, the loft and garage plus much of the house was still, quite literally, full of stuff, and there were also several very large radiograms and nicely restored radios which Mrs Hartley couldn't bring herself to part with.

He was clearly a skilled man and I have his beautifully home-built multi-purpose HT + LT power supply on my test bench in regular use. He also repaired Avometers. I think he held an amateur radio licence but I don't know the callsign. Apparently he was quite a character. Aren't we all?
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 10:31 am   #110
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I went to John Hartley's only once. One of my schoolteachers who was a radio amateur took me and another lad there. I remember climbing steep and narrow stairs to a couple of rooms. I got my little Gestetnered catalogue and then sent my orders in the post with a postal order - or badger dad to write a cheque for me. There were often amusing comments in the catalogue - especially about stuff he wanted rid of at a knock down price.

And now this brings me to a firm called Telford Electronics which I think operated out of the same building. I seemed to remember this was manufactured amateur gear.

Nick
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 10:44 am   #111
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Anyone remember "Radiomatics" in Norwich. It was run by a knowledgable chap nicknamed Jesus on account of his appearance. The shop was unheated, so in winter he wore an overcoat. I think the shop started in the Oak Street area and then moved to St Benedict's Street. 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.
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 12:22 pm   #112
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Does anyone remember the Watford Radio Co, of Market Street, Watford? The proprietors were Len and Jean Pitt.

My late father, Terry, worked there as a television and radio engineer during the 1960s and 1970s. As I child, I relished any opportunity to visit the shop, having always had a fascination for all things electrical.
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 5:43 pm   #113
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Hi. I also remember dealing with a lot of mail order firms that sold components in the 1970's.
As well as Birketts (Lincoln), and Watford Electronics, there were Bi-Pak, Bi Pre-Pak, and a company in Ely that I forgot the name of. Anyone else remember these?
Cheers
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 7:09 pm   #114
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I wonder if the Bridgnorth "Hartley" was in any way related to the similarly-named electronics operation based nearby in Shrewsbury:

http://www.madeinshrewsbury.co.uk/companies/hartleys

They were in the 1950s also "Hartley Baird" and around the same time also had a tie-in with the "Ambassador" and "Radio Rentals" marques.

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Hartley_Electromotives

Must admit, I find this sort of company-history absolutely fascinating.

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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 7:32 pm   #115
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And now this brings me to a firm called Telford Electronics which I think operated out of the same building. I seemed to remember this was manufactured amateur gear.Nick
A company called "Telford Electronics" still exists - http://www.telford-electronics.co.uk/index.php - operating out of the old Officer's Mess once attached to the Central Ordnance Depot [COD] Donnington. These days they sell test-equipment.
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 7:34 pm   #116
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Anyone remember JR Hartley of Bridgnorth?
Here's an obituary of his: http://www.tdars.org.uk/html/SilentKey.html
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 9:46 pm   #117
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As well as Birketts (Lincoln), and Watford Electronics, there were Bi-Pak, Bi Pre-Pak, and a company in Ely that I forgot the name of. Anyone else remember these?
Birketts are still going with old
Mr Birkett still there. He has tons (I literally mean tons weight) of stuff.
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 10:10 pm   #118
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I remember Watford Electronics from the early days (before they got far too big and then went bust). I think they were in an ordinary house in Cardiff Road, Watford and seemed to operate out of their 'front room'.
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Old 22nd Feb 2013, 10:53 pm   #119
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In the early 1970s I was a regular customer of Electrovalue Ltd of Egham, Surrey, and I still have some of the E12 series 1/2 watt resistors I bought from them! Luckily they don't deteriorate like Hunts capacitors
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Old 23rd Feb 2013, 12:10 am   #120
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... St Benedict's Street. 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.
Don Hobbs (RIP) still had the shop when I used to visit Norwich in the late 80's / early 90's. I bought a few bits and pieces from there, generally after spending an hour or two in the Scientific Anglian (Norman Peake was responsible for a large part of my well-stocked technical library) which was just up the road.
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