Record Shops - a misspent youth

Your favourite days out round Leeds
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Gandalf
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue 22 Apr, 2008 9:47 am

Post by Gandalf »

jdncoke wrote: Hi Gandalf it was Ian de Whyttle at crash records i was at st micks in the same class with him . he's still at crash ,talked to him a while back. Yep, I was at St Micks, only for my last year though

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

Oh dear - I'm definitely feeling my age now for I can clearly remember two more very prominent city centre record shops.One was Hartley's (King Edward or Queen Victoria Street, can't say which). This was in the days of 78 rpm discs and even before the assistants put on the records for you to hear in nearby booths. Few will believe me now when I tell you that the "new" records were handed to the customer to take in a booth and play it yourself on, most likely, a Garrard deck. The records had probably been played many times, scratched and thrown about, and so on before anyone eventually bought them. Hartley's also had a branch (sheet music etc also at both shops) in Wells Road, Ilkley.On Boar Lane, about where that hilariously expensive furniture shop is now, was Archibald Ramsdens. Gorgeous pianos were sold in the refined ground floor showroom and the record department was downstairs. In charge there was a most excellent and knowledgeable Scottish lady in black skirt and cardigan - her wonderful brain provided the basic data for the making of computers - she had on the tip of her tongue the make and serial number of every record in the shop, or so it semed.I'll always remember beginning to splutter out that I would like the new record of Mozart's Turkish March (Alla Turka) on a harpsichord and expecting to have to go into much explanation - before I'd said much more than the title she'd turned round to the racks, cheerily calling out "Oh yes, you mean the Wanda Landowska recording, DA 860" and the said red label (top of the range) HMV disc was on the counter in a flash. It was a ten inch disc price 5/9d - the twelve inch red label ones were 8/7.5d    I have it still - there is something magical about the old HMV labels, the red ones especially, which cries out "Quality." Its about half a century ago now and the lady expert could quite easily still be with us - wouldn't it be grand to hear from her if she was.    
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

zip55
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu 15 Nov, 2007 7:17 pm

Post by zip55 »

What was the name of the record shop opposite Rawcliffes on Boar Lane, between Briggate and the Corn Exchange?

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

zip55 wrote: What was the name of the record shop opposite Rawcliffes on Boar Lane, between Briggate and the Corn Exchange? Open to correction of course, but I don't honesty remember a record shop there, and Rawcliffes (closed very recently) was in Duncan Street and not Boar Lane. I really do feel that you may be thinking of Archibald Ramsdens which I referred to above and which was in Boar Lane, between City Square and Mill Hill on the Station side. What do you think zip55 ??
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

Tasa
Posts: 826
Joined: Mon 08 Oct, 2007 11:11 am

Post by Tasa »

Does anyone remember the Classical Record Shop on Albion Street, where Waterstone's is now? It moved to the Merrion Centre in the 80s, in a corner unit just above the subway which is now blocked off. It was a lovely old-fashioned shop, where the owner Graham Bennett very carefully inspected each LP for scratches before you paid for it.Also, not a record shop, but a coin-operated recording booth in Leeds City Station in the 1960s, about where Wetherspoons is now. I still have the record I made at the age of 4 - I sang "All things bright and beautiful" and "The grand old Duke of York" - ahhh!!

BLAKEY
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Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

Yes indeed Tasa, I do remember the Classical Record Shop in the Merrion Centre - that was real service for you.I can't say I recall the recording booth in Leeds station, but I can understand your lasting pride for sure. In October 1954 though, just before Her Majesty dragged me kicking and wailing into the RAF, I made a little 78rom record at the main HMV shop in Oxford Street, London. You had to sit at a desk with a microphone in full view of what seemed like an army of technicians who were behind a glass window - rather like the public gallery at a Yankee electric chair execution. They were all barely able to conceal their mirth as I made a very serious monotone little speech - I haven't stopped blushing yet !!    
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

Tasa
Posts: 826
Joined: Mon 08 Oct, 2007 11:11 am

Post by Tasa »

Here's the only photo I can find on the Web of the booth (long-abandoned by that time).
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BLAKEY
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Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

I feel quite ashamed of myself as I like to think that I can remember all the good old things about Leeds, especially concerning transport premises, so thanks indeed for the picture.
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

zip55
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu 15 Nov, 2007 7:17 pm

Post by zip55 »

BLAKEY wrote: zip55 wrote: What was the name of the record shop opposite Rawcliffes on Boar Lane, between Briggate and the Corn Exchange? Open to correction of course, but I don't honesty remember a record shop there, and Rawcliffes (closed very recently) was in Duncan Street and not Boar Lane. I really do feel that you may be thinking of Archibald Ramsdens which I referred to above and which was in Boar Lane, between City Square and Mill Hill on the Station side. What do you think zip55 ?? You're absolutely right about Rawcliffes being on Duncan St. so the the record shop must have been on Duncan St. directly opposite Rawcliffes. Please someone tell me I'm not senile. It was a small record shop with one or two listening booths. I bought Electric Warrior there in 1971.    

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

ZIP55 WROTE :-"You're absolutely right about Rawcliffes being on Duncan St. so the the record shop must have been on Duncan St. directly opposite Rawcliffes. Please someone tell me I'm not senile. It was a small record shop with one or two listening booths. I bought Electric Warrior there in 1971. "No, I'm sure you're not going senile, but none of us can really remember everything can we ??. I don't recall your shop myself, but Ramsdens was a very big shop indeed, and the record department was downstairs.     Let's hope someone can put us out of our suspense eh ??    
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

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