Norman parts and components...

[Valvepower]

Hello,

This is one of those things I’ve been meaning to ask for a while.

I remember my local component shop the Radio constructor Centre, Southend, Essex stocking Norman parts and components in the 60's and 70's. These were usually pots, switches, resistors, and fuses etc. Of late I’ve also encountered a Norman branded amplifier using TUAC amplifier modules.

I’m curious as I remember the parts and see them crop-up at swapmeets etc.

Does anyone remember this company and know anything about them and their history?

The name Norman Rose comes to mind?

I’ve attached three phots of a pot, switch and the TUAC based amplifier.

Regards
Terry

[Radio Wrangler]

I've not come across them, so were they a regional firm?

David

[ms660]

I remember their components, scroll down for the morse key:

https://www.brundrit.co.uk/british-civilian-keys

Lawrence.

[Valvepower]

Hi,

Wow that's an impressive collection of Morse Keys. It shows Norman Rose (Electrical) Ltd, so my intuitions were right. The address is shown as London, so their 'area' may have been London and the South East?

I also noticed DULCI. I have a pair of their 5-10 amplifiers, this would have been no doubt made when they were taken over by Lee Products.

Ah, ELPICO brand, my Late Dad had an ELPICO tape recorder.

Terry

[ms660]

They were basically distributors to the trade, they had a depot in Manchester when I worked around there.

Lawrence.

[elanman99]

I worked as a radio and TV service engineer in the late 50's and early 60's and one of the suppliers we purchased valves and other spares was Norman Rose in Manchester (I cannot remember the actual address but it was nor far from our other go-to emporium, Holiday & Hemerdinger who were located in Ardwick Green.

I'm sure I still have some bits and pieces of Norman branded parts but none in original packaging.

Ian

[stevehertz]

I remember Normal amplifier adverts.

[Reelman]

Certainly Norman stuff was available in London in the 60s. I remember buying Norman “White Box” magnetic tapes from the shop near the Bell Pub in Walthamstow.
Still have a sealed one here now.

Peter

[Trevor]

I have a Norman pa amplifier in my collection Very basic but very honest Based on Tuac technology!
I would say 40 years old but still works well I have many times stated I like amplifiers with driver transformers
Trev

[Horris]

I remember Norman Rose, they supplied all sorts of components,volume controls,switches ,knobs etc . They also supplied the Radio and TV repair books published by Norman Price. The rep in North London was a gentleman called Harry Blackburn.

Reel man I think that the shop you are referring to in Walthamstow is Radio Unlimited in Hoe Street.

Dave

[thermionic]

I remember that ‘Norman’ emblem on disco equipment on the 80’s. Specifically sound to light units etc!

[Paul_RK]

I've only known Norman Rose from a copy of their publication "Radio Inside Out" that's been with me for decades: a slim volume on repair techniques, issued in updated versions at least from 1940 to '45, which ends with some pages of the valve complements of domestic receivers of the day. World Radio History has a PDF of the '45 version -

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...9X4jdfi0qXZEvQ

Paul

[peterpixel]

Trader year book 1978/9 gives the following addresses,St Chad's Place,London,--Crego Street Birmingham,--Harkness Street, Manchester,--Sackville Street,Bradford. Precise locations are available if anybody wants them. I remember dealing with them at this time but have no idea what happened to the company as I moved into another branch of the industry. Peter.

[Radio Wrangler]

Ah, 78/79 is a few years after I moved Northwards out of Yorkshire so it looks like I shifted ahead of their expansion.

David

[davidw]

Originally Posted by Reelman

I remember buying Norman “White Box” magnetic tapes .Peter

I remember them too. I got mine from a surplus electronics shop in Ipswich. There must be a few still about!

[llama]

A favourite tool at our Uni radio station was "Norman EasiSplice". (sp?)
Graham
PS just uncovered a (not "Norman") EASYSPLICE, Patent number 815333

[ms660]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

Ah, 78/79 is a few years after I moved Northwards out of Yorkshire so it looks like I shifted ahead of their expansion.

David

Norman Rose were in Manchester and Bradford by 1974:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/ID...rman%20rose%22

Lawrence.

[peterpixel]

I should have said in post #13 that I only have the Trader year book for that year so can't say when they expanded however a quick search of Companies House shows that they were formed in 1947 and voluntarily liquidated in 2010 leaving no debts and paying out to shareholders. Quite a good track record I think. Peter.

[Valvepower]

Hi,

Fantastic, many thanks for all the replies, it’s really brought a big smile to my face

From the Radio Inside Out publication to ‘branded’ PA and Disco equipment. Taking a closer look at the TUAC amplifier in the Norman amplifier I noticed it uses Norman branded wire wound resistors. I suppose TUAC also supplied the 'Norman' Disco sound to light units?

I suppose they shared the market with the likes of RS, supplying the shops and the trade with stock and spares respectively. I suppose with the changes in the Radio and TV trade, and industry RS refocused their operation and is still in business today.

I reckon back in the day it was quite a big market supplying the Radio and TV trade, component shops, and small and medium sized manufacturing with parts etc. Norman would have been a wholesaler in between the manufacturers and the retail sector and the trade.

Regards
Terry

[Valvepower]

Hi,

I suppose it would have been a costly exercise to reconfigure the company to keep up with the marketplace, and maybe coupled with the age of the folks that ran the company, they did the gentlemanly thing and paid everyone up and called it day leaving no debt

Regards
Terry

Originally Posted by peterpixel

I should have said in post #13 that I only have the Trader year book for that year so can't say when they expanded however a quick search of Companies House shows that they were formed in 1947 and voluntarily liquidated in 2010 leaving no debts and paying out to shareholders. Quite a good track record I think. Peter.