Bygone radio traders

[jamesperrett]

Originally Posted by telstar

Hi. Does anyone remember R & TV Components (Acton) of London W3?

I bought a few things from their Edgeware Road shop including a 10+10W amplifier kit and the BSR turntables for my first DJ console in the early 80's. I seem to remember them being there until at least the mid 80's.

A friend also had a Viscount amplifier which seemed to withstand all kinds of abuse.

[dave walsh]

Mazel Radio on London Road Manchester was mentioned very early on but what was the place on Oldham Road near the Daily Express Building on Swan Street [ie round the corner]. There were also a few radio dealers in Shudehill.

Recently. while watching a CH4 Doc [13/12/01]on the collapse of the Twin Towers I was surprised to see that they had been built on the site of a New York Surplus Radio type area similar to, say, Lisle Street/Leicester Square in London and known as "Tube Town " [or something like that].

Dave W

[Gillian]

Growing up in Hampshire, well somebody had to! I used to Visit Technotrade in Fareham and Fraser Electronics in Elm Grove Southsea. We also used to have a branch of Ambit, later Cirkit in Burrfields Road, Northend, Portsmouth as well.

Gill

[Restoration73]

At a recent radio rally, I acquired a Fidelity Fulmar radio for a mere 50p. Easily restored, but I couldn't help notice the printed yellow tape attached which states :
Sales & Service C.V. Stevens Television Rental 202 Copnor Rd Portsmouth RTRA
perhaps someone may know of this firm - the radio is from 1964

[elanman99]

Originally Posted by dave walsh

Mazel Radio on London Road Manchester was mentioned very early on but what was the place on Oldham Road near the Daily Express Building on Swan Street

'New Cross Radio' was the name of the shop on Oldham Road very close to the Daily Express building. I still have some of the components and surplus gear I bought from there.

One of the things is a 'Dalo' acid resist pen for manually drawing tracks on copper. I never made any boards with the pen BUT IT STILL WORKS not bad for 40 plus years or so!

Ian

[antenna441]

I've managed to miss this thread until today. A couple of the shops mentioned in Gloucester and Cheltenham were well known by me in the 50s/60s. Brought back many happy memories. Thank you.......
I have a Ferguson Flair Attache case radio which I bought from a seller in Somerset, so imagine my surprise when I found a label inside saying "RANDALL Northampton" (local to me), but I can't find anyone who remembers where RANDALL's shop was. I thought it would be nice to put a picture of the shop inside the set. So if anyone knows of RANDALL's I'd love to hear from you.

[Brian R Pateman]

Originally Posted by antenna441

So if anyone knows of RANDALL's I'd love to hear from you.

From memory (not always reliable!) Randalls were a firm of electrical wholesalers. I'm pretty sure that when I worked for Hunts Electrical in St. Neot's they were one of the wholesalers that we used. They had a depot in Bedford so maybe they also had a depot with a retail outlet in Northampton.

[Mike Phelan]

Mancunian radio places.

New Cross Radio was run by Ted Birt (sp?) who always enjoyed a chat.
It ran for quite a while when others closed down.

There was also a place on Stockport Road, Levenshulme, from where I got a TV22 for about twenty quid. They sold and produced PCB transfers, as the 7400 TTL chips had just appeared.

In Bath, there was a place on Claverton Street nead the Avon footbridge who sold ex-WD equipment; I got a few 19 sets for less than £1. If only ...

Another ex-WD shop I frequented was in Latchford, Warrigton; cannot remember on what street - could have been Knutsford Road.

[David Simpson]

Does anyone remember the late Bill Smith from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire?
He ran the Radio & TV Servicing Dept. at WD Allan's for many years, and also wrote "The Bill Smith Chronicles" for the Vintage Radio community, I understand.
My wee footprint, radio wise, is minute compared to his. However, when Allans closed about three years ago, I was lucky & privileged to acquire his old toolbox along with a heap of old test equipment and spares.

Regards, David

[jonnybear]

I grew up in Exmouth Devon in the 40/50/60s, considering the 19000 population there were quite a few sadly no longer Radio/Television shops.
These are from memory, possibly some I have forgotten.
Roses Radio, Cossor Dealer Exeter Road.
Holes Radio, Salisbury Road.
Fildews Radio, HMV Dealer Chapple St.
Radiodrome (Ulip Tozer) Murphy Dealer Anne St.
Smerdons, Think were PYE dealers Manchester St.
Laws Radio, Bush Dealer, Rolle St.
Norris Radio. Ferguson Dealer, High St
Radio & Records, High St, Dynatron, Decca,and Record Dealer,Where I started my apprenticeship in 1961. Not forgetting Nombrex at Camperdown terrace.
John

[Denis G4DWC]

Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?'

There used to be a shop in Witney, Oxon, called 'Witney Audio', run by a very knowledgeable gentleman, whose name escapes me (Perhaps Chris {Herald 1360 }may remember), and two in Banbury - one was called 'Arrow Audio' and was above a shop in George Street, the other, which closed due to redevelopment maybe 30 years ago now, was, IIRC, called 'Hammonds'. At one time or another I bought components from all of them.

The Chap you're thinking of who owned Witney Audio was Bryan, a very nice guy with whom I've been friendly with since the early 70s and still keep in touch with occasionally. It was a really good place that was originally in Corn street, later moving to the High Street. He sold a good range of components and was always ready with advice.

Another place I remember from the early 60s was a Hardware shop called Paynes just to the left of the market place in Didcot. I recall saucers of Resistors and "condensers" in the window.

Yet another component shop was Westwoods in George Street Oxford pretty much opposite the Government Surplus shop to which someone else referred in this thread. I used to buy quite a few components there.

And yet another was the Government surplus "Shop on the Bridge" in Kings Street Reading near Huntley and Palmers Biscuit factory.

In Wallingford there was a small place called "Gizzards Government surplus". I remember him trying to sell me a Micrometer at 10 shillings and telling me they were cheap enough to use as adjustable spanners.

In Harrogate was another useful old shop. I don't remember the name but it always had an MW6-2 Projection tube in the window. I called in one day as I needed a 35 Ohm speaker for a project I was making for my small Son for Christmas. They only had 8 Ohm types. The Guy said "What's it for?" I said " It's for a Nuclear laser disintegrater ray!"
"Hmmm" He said "Eight Ohms should be fine for one of those!!"

There was also a useful surplus shop in the Analaby road in Hull I used to call in to on my once regular visits to Hull. I bought a number of Oil filled Parmeko Transformers and stainless hardware there.

Happy Days....

Denis

[stevehertz]

Brilliant thread!

In around '66 I was just getting into electronics as a hobby (aged 11) and I used to visit Lings, Fenwicks and Waltons in Wolverhampton. I recall in one of them at that time, the guy running the shop was always dreadfully short of breath, and propping himself up on the counter on his knuckles he'd kinda utter a word between breaths (and puffs on a fag) - I think he was at Lings? My projects were invariably basic water level detectors and stuff out of Practical Electronics. There was also Thackers ex govt store in Cheslyn Hay, but I didn't go there until the 80s when it was near closure. I also used to get parts from the local Radio and TV shop in Hednesford, Webbs. They were always slightly annoyed at me going in there to buy resistors because basically they didn't sell them as such, and it always caused a problem, they'd let me go through 'to the back' into the workshop and repair engineers would be puffing on pipes while fixing old teles.

Later, in the late 70s when I got into vintage TV, I would go to Fenwicks and I could get valves cheaply as they had very little call for them and seemed glad to get rid of them. I bought SP61s and TH41s etc for a 9" EKCO TSC193 console tele - a very dinky set.

[dazzlevision]

Hello,

I remember Witney Audio Centre (as they were originally called) very well. I think they must have opened up around 1970. I first used them whilst in the sixth form at school (1969-71), buying valves, passive components and the odd monochrome CRT. As has already been said, Bryan was a very personable and helpful chap, as was the other Witney Audio stalwart - Dave.

I recall they had a Sony 13" colour TV (KV1320?) on demo in their showroom in the early 1970s for a very long time. I think Test Card F eventually caused a screen burn of the image!

It's a pity they closed down in the 1990s, but they did manage at least 21 years in Witney.

I bought my first cassette deck from them in 1973, a Tandberg TCD300 - and still have it.

Prior to the opening of Witney Audio, I bought components from a local TV, radio and lighting shop - K. Price (originally in Market Square but relocated to the High Street when the area between the High Street and the River Windrush was opened up).

I also bought components from Westwoods in George Street, Oxford. A very small little shop. I think it was owned by a Mr Westwood, who also ran Duval, a wholesaler, from the same location. I was an occasional buyer from the war surplus shop opposite Westwoods.

Other than that, I used "Home Radio" of Mitcham for the items I couldn't buy locally (and still have a couple of their catalogues - useful reference sources for old components).

Regards,

Dazzlevision

[jonnybear]

Originally Posted by telstar

Hi. Does anyone remember R & TV Components (Acton) of London W3?

I still have one of their signal generators, and purchased many of their kits in the 50's still have an Elegant 7, back then I had a lucrative market building and selling to friends and neighbours, making vast profits of between 10/- and 12/6d a time not bad for a 12 year old and with my paper round some weeks I could make a pound.

John.

[Simon_V]

I remember Mr Ling on Snow Hill Wolverhampton. Lings

He always reminded me of Rigsby from Rising Damp.

Good when you wanted an audio IC on a Saturday afternoon. Like another poster said, you had to know what you wanted and he smoked so heavily the shop would be considered a health hazard today.

If you wanted a laugh all you had to do was go in and ask for TTL or CMOS I.C. which would be greated by a sharp intake of breath and an in depth explanation of how they were difficult to obtain because the US Military had bought up most of the available supply. Having listened to this and probably contracted lung cancer from the passive smoke he would then produce the I.C. you wanted.

Waltons was another shop I used a lot. Mr Walton (forget his name) actually offered me a job. Not taking up his offer may have been one the biggest mistakes of my life.

Simon

[Simon_V]

Can't remember the name of the big TV spares place that was just around the corner from Waltons in Cleveland St, I am sure someone will tell me.

Used them a lot when I got into TV Servicing and remember it took a long time to become accepted as a customer as they were really trade only. Eventually got to know them really well.

PV Tubes I used a lot although they were not local but really good on the phone and very friendly.

I got known as someone who would repair CB Radios when it was still underground and used a place in Ireland for spares (Dont remember the name) but again they were always super helpfull and good on delivery time.

Simon

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by jonnybear

back then I had a lucrative market building and selling to friends and neighbours, making vast profits of between 10/- and 12/6d a time not bad for a 12 year old and with my paper round some weeks I could make a pound

No wonder you're rich then?

[retroteck]

Originally Posted by Denis G4DWC

In Harrogate was another useful old shop.

This would probably have been Harrogate Radio run by a guy called Rogers.
It was originally on Regent Parade but moved to Sykes Grove.

Rod

[jamesperrett]

Originally Posted by Gillian

Growing up in Hampshire, well somebody had to! I used to Visit Technotrade in Fareham and Fraser Electronics in Elm Grove Southsea. We also used to have a branch of Ambit, later Cirkit in Burrfields Road, Northend, Portsmouth as well.

I was a regular customer of Frasers - I must have bought hundreds of connectors from them for our studio over the years from the late 80's to the early 00's. The couple that ran it must have retired so there's a block of flats where they were now. I think Technotrade may still be around - they were still there when I last went to Fareham a year or two ago.

In the old days, Fratton Road up to Kingston Road was the place for electronics shops in Portsmouth but there are none left now - apart from Maplin in Kingston Road.

[Junk Box Nick]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

There was also Thackers ex govt store in Cheslyn Hay, but I didn't go there until the 80s when it was near closure.

I remember well the AH Thacker yard, emporium, call it what you will, from the early 70s - what a curious rabbit warren of a place that was. In fact what a curious place Cheslyn Hay was - it seemed to be a desolate place that time had forgotten and, apart from Thacker's, seemed to be closed.

Pocket money saved, on one particular Saturday I bought an ex-military aerial mast system that consisted of screw togther sections complete with guy ropes and a tank whip for the top and by Sunday I had a 40 foot vertical that was really going to pull in the DX on 80 and topband. There then followed on the Monday evening gales and a rain storm; the guy ropes stretched in the wet and the whip applied plenty of leverage to the sections below as it flayed about. On Tuesday morning the whole lot was a leaning twisted sagging mess with tank whip at 45 degrees.

I still have the remains of the rope and used some in the garden just the other day.