Record Shops - a misspent youth

[grumpybloke]

People mentioning "Vallances" took me back a long time. My dad used to send me there every so often on a saturday with valves out of the telly when it had broken down. There was a bloke upstairs who would plug them into sockets on some sort of gadget and he would inform me whether or not they were ok. It's funny how you forget things and then a word brings the memories rushing back.

[jim]

Dogduke, you seem to have managed to insert a query into your quote of my post instead of beneath it! It took some spotting.I have an uncertain memory that Barkers took over Austick's shop at the western side of the junction of the Headrow with King Charles Street, and that they had a record department in the basement. I am certain that records were sold down there, my uncertainty is about whether or not it was by Barkers. Perhaps this will jog someones memory who does remember clearly.

[Loiner in Cyprus]

[quotenick="jim"]Since my early record collecting days ( yes, 78s! ) I've spent a fair bit of time in record shops, starting with Barkers ( NE corner of Lands Lane and Albion Place ), and Valances when they had two shops, one on the south side of Queen Victoria Street ( Vicar Lane end ) which sold musical instruments and the other selling records in the same position on King Edward Street.Wasn't the shops you mentioned on Queen Victoria Street and King Edward Street Kitchens, not Vallances?

[FLOJO]

jim wrote: Since my early record collecting days ( yes, 78s! ) I've spent a fair bit of time in record shops, starting with Barkers ( NE corner of Lands Lane and Albion Place ), and Valances when they had two shops, one on the south side of Queen Victoria Street ( Vicar Lane end ) which sold musical instruments and the other selling records in the same position on King Edward Street.Scene and Heard near the Golden Cock on Kirkgate was run by Lenny Lyons, who later had a record shop on Mill Hill. Downstairs at Scene and Heard was run by D. F. a long time acquaintance of mine, who later opened a shop at one time called Melgary Music at Nos 10/11 in the Grand Arcade. He also operated this shop under another name - which I can't for the life of me remember! They sold both new and second hand records. Later the same shop ran under yet another name under new ownership.There was a shop selling second hand records in the alley/yard which preceded Burtons Arcade run by a guy named Peter - surname forgotten.The shop mentioned earlier on the thread opposite Rawcliffes definitely existed, They had a good stock of Island and Sue label records, but I recall the shop as selling new, not second hand, stock. What I can't remember is the name!A shop at 164 Lower Briggate was a second hand operation. At various times it was called Black Vinyl and Vinyl Addiction - and may have had other names as well.I believe I have bought from every one of the shops previously mentioned on this thread, which is probably the reason I've never had much money! Jim that shop down Burtons arcade had a guy who played Sunday soccer with my late husband his name was Alan day, longish hair and a droopy moustache a bit like Peter Starstead.

[jim]

Quite right Loiner in Cyprus, it was Kitchens It's the old forgettory working overtime again! I seem to have conflated the two.A couple more not mentioned here, before the Classical Record Shop was on Albion Street ( and later at the side of the Merrion Centre ) they were on a side street now long gone between Woodhouse lane and Wade Lane now covered by the St Johns Centre. It may have been called Wade Street.There was a shop on Great George Street, more less opposite Oxford Place, that sold pianos, sheet music, other musical instruments, and a particularly eclectic selection of records and CDs. Can't remember that one's name either. Anyone?        

[jim]

Hello Flojo, I remember Alan very well, although I never knew his surname. Your description is unmistakable though. I believe he later worked at a record shop in the Market - another one I can't remember the name of! That one had a "back to the wall". There was later another close by that was freestanding. There was also a record shop on the Market frontage with Vicar lane that seemed to specialise in releases of dubious legality. I remember them having both the Beatles Star Club Hamburg double LP and the Decca "Silver Beatles" album on sale.

[Gandalf]

Getting multiple mail alerts when this thread is updated. How do I unsubscribe from those please.

[tyke bhoy]

Gandalf. at the top of the screen there are 3 buttons the middle of which is a star. The one to the left of it will currently have a red cross through it for you for this thread, if you hover over it it should say something about stopping notifications. If you click on it it will loses the cross and say something about notification when you hover over it. In that state you should stop receiiving emails on new messages. You will probably get two about this message because I tested the theory mesen

[FLOJO]

jim wrote: Hello Flojo, I remember Alan very well, although I never knew his surname. Your description is unmistakable though. I believe he later worked at a record shop in the Market - another one I can't remember the name of! That one had a "back to the wall". There was later another close by that was freestanding. There was also a record shop on the Market frontage with Vicar lane that seemed to specialise in releases of dubious legality. I remember them having both the Beatles Star Club Hamburg double LP and the Decca "Silver Beatles" album on sale. Jim Alan moved to Churwell Hill and I have since heard he died of leuakemia.

[jim]

Thanks for the information Flojo. It must be twenty years or more since I last saw Alan. RIP.