My late sister Patricia Ingham (nee Holt) used to work in Middletons Record and television shop. If you wanted any records whether it be jazz, pop, classical, or whatever, Pat would order it for you. This was in the days before cds, mp3, downloads etc, the first ones were 78’s then they went to 45’s and LP’s, Pat had all the record catalogues and would order anything from them, many of the musicians in the area would order from her.
The BBC did not play many records other than Family Favourites on a Sunday and we had to rely on Radio Luxembourg to hear the top twenty hits, usually by Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Guy Mitchell, Doris Day etc. We all had wind up gramophones to play these 78’s. Later electric record players came out which played the newer types of records. Middletons was a meeting place for all and Pat would play all the hits for us. Middletons also sold pianos and musical instruments and Pat would play the piano to test for customers.
When television came out, one of our friends Grenville Godley was the television engineer and installer. Those days are a far cry from the Music of Today. Our favourites was the Jazz and to go on 42nd Street in New York was magic. Frank Sinatra was a favourite too, and of course Tony Bennett who we saw near Carnegie Hall NY.
Hope the oldies in Hyde remember this.
3 comments:
Barry in Oz. I'm a bit confused as to the era/years you are talking about Jaqueline. You say 'When TV came out", My Grandad in Newton had a TV in 1948 with a 6 inch screen and a massive Magnifying glass strapped over it so are you talking about the 40s or 50s ?
I'm not sure what the 'oldies in Hyde' are being asked to remember! As an oldie born and brought up in Hyde we didn't have a tv in the house until 1957, and we were in the minority even then. I remember going into our next door neighbour's house in Kensington Street to watch the coronation, but it was only a 9 inch screen and with half the street present in that tiny front room, I don't think anyone got that good a view!
We had a gramophone (wind up variety) and always bought the tiny tins of needles from Middleton's. When I was about 17 I got a Dansette which stacked the 7" records and played them one after the other. You were the envy of your mates if you had one of these. I wish I still had it!
Who remembers Woolworth's own record label - Embassy? They were the answer to the poor man's way of collecting records - all the top ten hits were available but sung by someone you'd never heard of!
Around 1948 dad found the innards of a gramophone, he nailed some wood around it, used the red hot poker to make a hole for the handle, a neighbor loaned us a record, "Cow Cow Boogie" I hum it yet.
Around 1955 my friend Harry Snelson and I were returning from a day in Blackpool, we came across a crowd gathered at a hotel in Manchester, Johny Ray came to a balcony and sang "Cry"
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