Shops etc on Goldsmith Street

[radfordred 6,284]

I too can remember it being on King St & also on Clumber Street .

[bamber 128]

Does anyone remember the name of the gas appliance shop that was on the corner of Goldsmith Street and Talbot Street? It's now a bar (not the Spread Eagle).

And going back even further what was that building the home of until the early 60s?

Crap! i can see it in my minds eye! did it have a 2 part name, you know, like Griffin and Spalding had? I seem to recall a mate worked there.............hmm......now ive said about its name....im not sure about the 2 part bit..................oh Boll*x!!! I used to walk by it when i had to park my car down the road where the grave yard was/is.

Was it Reynolds?

The gas showroom on Goldsmith Street was called Ridgards.

[Craig Strongman 13]

See!....i almost had it.well it did begin with R!! joking apart, the mate i mentioned did in fact work for Ridgards, but did they have premises elsewhere? Or it might have been i was only aware of its location when i started to work in that vicinity..........which was a few years after i knew him..................

[radfordred 6,284]

Virgin Megastore on Wheeler Gate is now called ZAVVI

[Craig Strongman 13]

I wondered what was going on when i was in there last week, lots of empty shelves etc, and a notice saying about "improvements"

PS. Red, whats that got to do with Goldsmith street?

[radfordred 6,284]

In the 70s wasn't Virgin at the bottom of King's Street just up from Gauntley's?

Virgin were never there, they were always where they are now, not opening a retail store in Nottingham until the 80's i actually did an outside broadcast from the shop when it first opened, fronted by my then colleague Erica Hughes, and his highness Richard Branson was in attendance

As for a record shop in that area, i actually managed what was my former workplace Dixons, as a shop that sold off all the old records,cassettes, and 8 tracks that the other Dixons couldnt move, could that have been it?

Well its in this thread ?? where you told us you did the "outside broadcast from the shop" .

[.... 23]

The original Virgin store on King Street was on the same premises as what became 'Pen Sense, I believe. The store was open in the late seventies. It had two floors. I was a regular custome.

Re Goldsmith Street, how about Mortimers Tavern (Cavern?) and Isabella's nighclub behind it. Also in the vicinity, The Hand Inn, at the foot of Wollaton Street.

On Wollaton Street also were The Ruddington Arms? which was something of an Irish pub and had wooden floorboards and rebel songs on the jukebox! There was also a Shippo's pub on the opposite side which I always knew as 'The White House' plus a chippy nearby I think. This is all about mid/late seventies.

[Beefsteak 305]

[you mean this one ?

I was the manager here for a while in the 90's ,We used to have a (Real) Vampire jet (Minus the engine) hanging from the ceiling

Yes it was the Playhouse if you went upstairs to the function room it became quite apparent ,the builders had just put a new floor in half way up what was auditorium and left all the ornate fittings above and still in place running in a diagonal line down to the new floor.

The Tivoli was owned by the Mir brothers who also owned the Mogul-E-Azam further up the road,round the corner was Rock City and that sports bar (can't remember the name,Radio City, or something like ) the other side was the Spread Eagle and Mortimers, all owned by George Aitkin (The bookie) and he was so desperate to get his hands on the Tivoli to link the lot up that he resorted to some real under hand tricks.

He kept objecting to their application for a full licence and we had to have a restaurant licence i.e. no customer was allowed at the bar so to get round it we had waitresses to come to the bar for people (on busy nights there was a stage area in front of the bar where the punters came up to order drinks from the girls who then turned to pass the order to the bar staff who then pulled the drinks and passed them back to the girs who in turn passed them to the punters) I had to pay two people to pour one bloody drink.

On another occasion I had a 'Punk revival' night on upstairs and I purposly worked the bar myself to keep an eye on things, absolutely no problems whatsoever, yet I recieved a summons from the police to answer to allegations of lewd behavior on the stage, supposedly a couple were seen having sex (Honest nothing happened) the charges were eventualy dissmissed when no evidence was offered by the accusers.

I could go on but you are probably bored to death (Surfice to say Aitkins now owns the lot)

[Craig Strongman 13]

In the 70s wasn't Virgin at the bottom of King's Street just up from Gauntley's?

Virgin were never there, they were always where they are now, not opening a retail store in Nottingham until the 80's i actually did an outside broadcast from the shop when it first opened, fronted by my then colleague Erica Hughes, and his highness Richard Branson was in attendance

As for a record shop in that area, i actually managed what was my former workplace Dixons, as a shop that sold off all the old records,cassettes, and 8 tracks that the other Dixons couldnt move, could that have been it?

Well its in this thread ?? where you told us you did the "outside broadcast from the shop" .

So it is! But its so far back in the year, id forgotten. Anyway, its still nothing to do with Goldsmith street is it? Anyhoos, i still cannot genuinely recall Virgin being on King St, apart from anything else, surely the shop space was too small? It certainly was when i was there when it was Dixons.

Can anyone else confirm/deny this was used by Virgin.........?

[Craig Strongman 13]

Beefy, the name of the sports bar was RKO, where i also worked, at the same time i did Love Shack. It was always ram packed on a Saturday night, and it was at this time i was also doing pitch announcing at Forest, and would get some light hearted heckling from some of the supporters who would use the place after the game.

[.... 23]

Anyhoos, i still cannot genuinely recall Virgin being on King St, apart from anything else, surely the shop space was too small? It certainly was when i was there when it was Dixons.

Can anyone else confirm/deny this was used by Virgin.........?

Confirmed above in the thread, Craig. There most certainly was a Virgin record store on Kings Street. I used to visit it a couple of times weekly

It's the premises that became the 'Pen Sense' shop.

I don't recall there being such a thing as a 'Virgin Megastore' at that time of day. It was a small shop with a basement I and can definitely tell you it was there.

[Craig Strongman 13]

Anyhoos, i still cannot genuinely recall Virgin being on King St, apart from anything else, surely the shop space was too small? It certainly was when i was there when it was Dixons.

Can anyone else confirm/deny this was used by Virgin.........?

Confirmed above in the thread, Craig. There most certainly was a Virgin record store on Kings Street. I used to visit it a couple of times weekly

It's the premises that became the 'Pen Sense' shop.

I don't recall there being such a thing as a 'Virgin Megastore' at that time of day. It was a small shop with a basement I and can definitely tell you it was there.

Stu, i was looking for someone else to confirm it, not the guy im disagreeing with! And just to be Mr Pedantic, its King St, without an "S"

Come on other Nottstalgians, someone must know the shops on the street! A photo would lay this to rest, and if im wrong, i will humbly apologise!

What i have just realised is, that the Dixons i was at was actually next door to Pen Sense, but were more or less identical in layout.

[.... 23]

Anyhoos, i still cannot genuinely recall Virgin being on King St, apart from anything else, surely the shop space was too small? It certainly was when i was there when it was Dixons.

Can anyone else confirm/deny this was used by Virgin.........?

Confirmed above in the thread, Craig. There most certainly was a Virgin record store on Kings Street. I used to visit it a couple of times weekly

It's the premises that became the 'Pen Sense' shop.

I don't recall there being such a thing as a 'Virgin Megastore' at that time of day. It was a small shop with a basement I and can definitely tell you it was there.

Stu, i was looking for someone else to confirm it, not the guy im disagreeing with! And just to be Mr Pedantic, its King St, without an "S"

Come on other Nottstalgians, someone must know the shops on the street! A photo would lay this to rest, and if im wrong, i will humbly apologise!

What i have just realised is, that the Dixons i was at was actually next door to Pen Sense, but were more or less identical in layout.

Ah now I see.

I had believed you were disagreeing with the four comments by three different posters who also have memories of the Kings Street store. ;-)

pjmccree

"actually i could be wrong about that, it might have been virgin records when it was on clumber street? (memory's fading a bit)."

bamber

"In the 70s wasn't Virgin at the bottom of King's Street just up from Gauntley's?"

bamber

"Sorry Craig but Virgin were at No 7 King St from about 73 onwards. The shop closed in 78-79. They reopened on Clumber Street in the early 80s."

radfordred

"I too can remember it being on King St & also on Clumber Street ."

The 'Kings' Street was a typing error.

Let's agree to differ.

[radfordred 6,284]

So anyone remember later being on Clumber Street (now Superdrug)

[Craig Strongman 13]

AH! That confirms it! Bamber says about Virgin being at 7 King St from 73 onwards, i know 100% that that is definitely not true, as i managed the store that Dixons owned at number 7 in 1974!

Apart from that PJ states " I could be wrong............"

And Bamber asks " Wasnt Virgin at the bottom of King St......?" He wasnt saying they were...he was asking!

The shop i managed at number 7 in 1974, sold tapes, lp's and indeed 8 tracks, could it be you are mistaking it for a Virgin shop? After all, it wasnt called Dixons....?

Btw, i was pulling your leg about the spelling. Didnt you see that with the big grinning smilie?

[.... 23]

Yes I saw that, Craig. No problem mate.

Like I say, let's agree to differ.

[.... 23]

In the 70s wasn't Virgin at the bottom of King's Street just up from Gauntley's?

Virgin were never there, they were always where they are now, not opening a retail store in Nottingham until the 80's i actually did an outside broadcast from the shop when it first opened, fronted by my then colleague Erica Hughes, and his highness Richard Branson was in attendance

As for a record shop in that area, i actually managed what was my former workplace Dixons, as a shop that sold off all the old records,cassettes, and 8 tracks that the other Dixons couldnt move, could that have been it?

So where was this store then? Diary from 1977.

5th November

The manager of Virgin Records shop in Nottingham is arrested for displaying a large promo poster of the 'Bollocks' album cover in the window. Panic sets in after Police enforce an 1898 Indecent Advertising Act.

24th November

Christopher Seale, manager of Virgin's Nottingham shop is in court. Defending council, John Mortimer, brings in a Professor of English to explain the history and useage of the word 'bollocks'. The case is dismissed and the cover ruled to be 'decent'.

http://www.rockmine.com/Pistols/SexDate2.html

[Beefsteak 305]

Im'e pretty sure this store was on Clumber street ,It could have been where McDonalds is now.

[Limey 242]

I remember a record store on Clumber Street too - almost opposite Lincoln Street, so yes, more or less where the McDonalds is.

I thought it was Dixon's in my time, but I could well be wrong!

[Craig Strongman 13]

After a fair bit of research, mainly from one of the longest standing Virgin employees that i know at the Nottm store, i still cannot get any confirmation of the original "disagreement" that Virgin ever had a shop on King st, however, there was one on Clumber st, so i was wrong there!

As for Dixons,when they moved from King st, they went to Broad Marsh Centre, where the Works? shop is now, never detouring onto Clumber st, i worked for them at that time, so am certain of that. It was the time that Dixons closed King st as a camera/audio shop, but i was installed as the manager at number 7 shortly afterwards, to flog off the "crap" that the other branches couldnt shift! (old 8 tracks, cassettes, and mainly MFP albums.remember them?

[Limey 242]

So, what was the record shop on Clumber Street before it was Virgin? I know it was pretty well established and had a good "Folk" section, which was pretty rare.

[bamber 128]

I've got a strong feeling that the shop we're thinking of was a tv rental outlet - Granada/Rediffusion/Radio Rentals - before being converted.

[Beefsteak 305]

Nah; Redifusion was on the opposite side of the road to Yates ,around where the Wimpey is now (If thats still there)

[.... 23]

Bit more info.

"1977

Nottingham becomes the centre of the music world, sort of, when the manager of the Virgin Records shop in Clumber Street (it’s now a Superdrug) is arrested for covering his shop window in Never Mind The Bollocks posters and charged under the Indecent Advertising Act (passed in 1898!). Weeks later, Nottingham Crown Court is besieged by the media, as the word ‘Bollocks’ is fought over. John Mortimer, for the defence (yep, the bloke who wrote Rumpole Of The Bailey), calls upon an English professor from Nottingham Uni to explain the origins of the word. Before too long, the Judge decides the charge is, well, bollocks – and acquits the manager. Next day, the shop is absolutely plastered in posters and record covers with ‘Bollocks’ on them…"

http://www.leftlion.co.uk/articles.cfm/id/613

[lynmee 38]

The record shop on Clumber St was Hindleys