Author Topic: Musical Instrument Shops.  (Read 16299 times)

FireflyMuse

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2014, 10:53:52 PM »
Oh yes …  I remember the one in Colmore Row, mainly acoustic instruments I seem to recall. Must come up and see what's around now, I guess the Guitar Guitar megastore is the new mecca, but surely mostly shiny and new. Looking at the quality of a new 'first' guitar nowadays, it's a world away from a thirty quid plywood Kay !


Thanks for the details Phil, '74 was early enough, '62 was before I was even born :)

Jim Hobbs

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #23 on: August 07, 2014, 06:17:38 PM »
Re. Yardley's Music Shop:
My Grandfather (Clement Edward Hobbs) used to own/rent this shop just before and I think during WWll. I still have a postcard size flyer for it, with a pen and ink cartoon of him drawn on it.  My Dad (Clement Henry Hobbs known as Harry, his eldest son) started work there behind the counter.  He also learned the accordion, and reached a high level of expertise that led him to form quite a large accordion band.  I remember seeing an A5 size photo of the fairly large ensemble. He also played the double bass.  He suffered from PTSD after Dunkirk in 1940, and was hospitalised twice.  After the war he trained as an agriculturalist. 

My Grandfather then sold Yardley's in 1947/8 and moved to a White Eagle Farm near Ashburton in Devon, taking all the unsold instruments with him! He installed Dad as the farm manager.
Dad had another breakdown, which led to the farm being sold. I remember him playing a small borrowed accordion for a country dancing group in our village at Landscove in Devon.  He then trained to be a Psychiatric Social Worker and reached the pinnacle of the profession at a hospital near Ivybridge, also in Devon.  He died in July 1982.  He and my Mother (Alice Betty Watkins) in Bulford Church on Salisbury Plain Christmas Eve, 1940.  She died ten years ago.     

Clement Edward was married to Doris Trobe.  She died some years ago.  We found that my Grandfather married again and bought a Jewellers shop in Wellington, Somerset.  But he still amassed musical instruments.  He bought up all the instruments of Paignton Silver Band, and kept them in the bathroom, from which apparently there would be impromptu recitals!

Good to read the memories.  Can anyone add anything to this, though it is now quite a time ago!  8)

Jim Hobbs :)


Phil

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #24 on: August 07, 2014, 07:34:03 PM »
Hi Jim

Welcome to the forum, nice memories thanks for sharing them.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

planetmalc

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #25 on: August 08, 2014, 04:15:52 PM »
Do you know anything about the people who started the business (presumably the Yardley family)?
There's no B/S on Planet Malc.

Jim Hobbs

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #26 on: August 14, 2014, 05:43:30 PM »
Sorry, I don't know who started Yardley's.  Perhaps a Trades Street Directory would be a help.
Best wishes,
Jim Hobbs

planetmalc

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #27 on: August 15, 2014, 02:48:05 PM »
Sorry, I don't know who started Yardley's.  Perhaps a Trades Street Directory would be a help.
Best wishes,
Jim Hobbs
 
OK, thanks anyway.
There's no B/S on Planet Malc.

Jim Hobbs

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #28 on: August 24, 2014, 05:05:54 PM »
Re: Yardley's Music Shop in Snow Hill.
Hi - thanks Phil, Planetmalc and Firefly muse.  My aunt now aged 90 was married to Clement Hobbs' younger son Albert Edward, and remembers Yardley's.  The shop was owned by Mr. Yardley, with my Grandad (Clement Hobbs) and another chap as directors. The trio split up over a disagreement. The reason for this may be that my Grandad, who, I discovered had a Diploma in Pawn Broking (How much did they offer him for that????) whose interest was in taking in instruments and selling unredeemed ones.  Hazarding a guess, and knowing something of how Grandad operated in later life, it was maybe this that caused the disruption.  I gather there is a descendant of Mr. Yardley who lives in Malvern.   Hope this helps.  If my Aunt can give any more information, I'll post it up in the forum.

Good wishes to all,

Jim Hobbs

maltablue

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #29 on: August 25, 2014, 12:40:56 PM »
Did'nt they sell musical instruments, at the record shop in Ladypool Rd., In the 50's and 60's ?.
Born and Bred in Sparkbrook.

RichardW

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #30 on: December 23, 2017, 05:58:07 PM »
Hi,
Yes I know what happened. I worked at MX in the 80s. The guitar got a bit singed in the broad street fire and ended up in a stack of damaged guitar bits in the basement of snow hill. I bought it for 10 pounds without pickups but with scratch plate in 1986.
Fast forward to 2010. I now live in seattle and finally have the money to restore the guitar.
The tech doing the work reached out to Framus in germany for information ( original super Yob was made by John Birch, two copies were made for Dave Hill by Framus, the one I had was one of those, I have been told Adam and the Ants guitarist has the other.)
Anyway the owner of Framus asked me if he could acquire the guitar to restore for their museum in Germany. I agreed and the guitar is now being restored for display.
So now you know:) it found it’s way home.

countrylad

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #31 on: December 24, 2017, 05:06:42 PM »
I can't really add a lot to this threat but I remember my brother buying a bass guitar from a shop on the corner of Hurst Street, this must have been very early 60's. Took him ages to pay for it.

ironside

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #32 on: December 25, 2017, 12:42:16 PM »
Nobody has mentioned the only two I know, one large one on Curzon Circus and a piano shop in Digbeth opposite the coach station (Sparky's??).


 

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