Theresa

** Wed 28 Apr 10**
WALDRENS OF HOUNSLOW

Dear Brian,

My son in law sent me a copy of your Soapbox Aug 2009, in which you pay tribute to Les Paul.

My reason for writing to you is because my name is Ernie Waldren and I worked in the family business in the 50’s and 60’s and until 1972 when the shop was closed down. The business had been started in 1899 by my grandmother selling penny toys from the cottage next door.

The shop you knew was developed in the 20’s and 30’s by my grandfather and his four sons. In the 1930’s they sold a huge amount of bicycles and were the first business in Hounslow to have television on the premises when it was first broadcast from the ‘Ally Pally’.

I believe I am the last Waldren still alive (born in 1936) who worked in the business. You might remember the shop was divided into two halves and you could walk down the arcade in the middle. I worked in the bicycle side of the shop with my father. His brother and my cousin ran the electrical side which progressed into records in the late 50’s. People packed into the booths on a Saturday to listen to records before buying them. I collected records (didn’t we all then!) and I believe I had a Les Paul / Mary Ford record “Some where there is Music” ??

We are pleased that you remembered and mentioned us and hope we were some help at the start of your career.

All the best,

Ernie & Sylvia Waldren
---

Brian replied:

This is a letter I never expected to receive, Ernie ! And very welcome it is.

Thanks so much. My memories of Waldrens are indeed very warm.

So many dreams ! A golden age when music was reborn. Records - still 78's ... big and brittle -from Caruso to Elvis. But 45's were the new thing. Elvis on those too ... but new new new things all on the 45's ... Everley Brothers, Buddy Holly and the Crickets ... The Mudlarks .. Lonnie Donegan, the Big Four ... Paul Anka .... I can still smell the perfume of the Vinyl, and hear the crackle of those pressings. Well, for us kids you were a big part of it all !

Thank You, all you Waldrens. Those were the days ! Record Shops Rocked - and yours kicked ass !!

Cheers

Brian

Preee-statyn, lol   Thanks Mark x

I've taken advice from Carol (Isis), she who knows all, and apparently for pure grime, baby wipes or glass wipes are about the most effective, done quickly and followed with a dry cloth to get the residue off immediately. I'll get her in the lab tomorrow to do a proper study x

Rich I've got one of those magic sponge erasers under my sink. They're very soft and very mildly abrasive. In the interests of science, I'll go find a grubby inconsequential record and see what happens, and report back, lol

Top tune Billy love, I've got an original stone minter, unplayed, if you're in the market for one. 50 nicker. I don't usually sell records as you know, but three small children whose father pays no child support are forcing some sales lately Drop me a line pet x

Cautions now sold to Carl D. What a nice man, bought me coffee too

I've a minter if you're still looking Carl. Could let it go for £900 + special delivery.

Dunno what part of London you're in, but I'm in Surrey if you want a butchers.

Manship and his staff can use whatever words they want for their overblown descriptions as long as the descriptions are at least near grammatical correctness. I still get horrible headaches whenever I have to read "... song was wrote by ..."

Aww, I rather look forward to the cornucopia of errata that are Manny's descriptions - it wouldn't be the same without them

Perhaps if he'd concentrated more on his grammar and spelling at school and less on the arse of the geography mistress, then he might have become a real force in UK record dealing

Hi Stacey's Dad,

Didn't see this before, but coincidentally have made contact with Chi Chi (Carole) Devine from our Facebook group Beat Ballad Heaven, and she's going to pop along tonight to answer any questions from our members. Is there anything specific you'd like to know? Or just a potted history? And yeah, we've already asked if she's got any records, lol

Tee

how did they get the "latin" if 2 numbers are required?

It will be a vintage plate from pre-1982 when a 7-digit format was introduced here. I'm sure a helpful anorak will come on and tell us exactly when LAT 1N was registered

A couple I've seen locally recently that made me smile...

Hey up Russ boy, conferred with the lasses, and here's my really honest opinion. I don't DJ, I don't want to DJ, and I'm not knocking off a DJ (well, not at this very second anyway, lol), so this comes from an unbiased punter standpoint with your best interests at heart...

• Given the proliferation of events over the last decade, not to mention the fact that you're mainly working in downtown Baghdad, and I can no longer have my secretary mail out your flyers, ha ha, we'd suggest you just did an annual or twice-yearly do. Be sure to avoid the dates of popular southern oldies nights like Bisley (and my favourite nights out like Rugby & Just Soul )
  
• One room venue, for 200-250 punters max, on until 3am.
  
• Preferably a hotel venue where we could stop over,   la Just Soul, or at least somewhere reasonably comfortable. Proper permanent dancefloor.
  
• We'd travel anywhere, but recommend no further south than Dorset. Not Brighton & Hove - we think that's saturated with some good events already like Steve McMahon's. Town centre clubs tend to get problems with security & locals, so out of town suits us better for travel, parking, and because we're girls & we don't want any hassle ;o)
  
• Across the board northern, crossover & modern, really open-minded stuff, range of tempos but aimed at the dancers not the chinstrokers. And we don't want any other sort of music than soul, or any other sort of crowd ta.
  
• DJ-wise, have a core of 2 of 3 southerners with some visitors - we love Thorley, Woomble, Arthur, Hampsey, Ady Crowsfeet, Terry Jones, Adam, the Va Va Voom boys, and the usual northern hard-core niter names. Have some European flavour now & again too - eye-candy as well as ear-candy for us girls, lol. Dave Greet played some cracking sets at Abshot. Or even better, dig Ian Clarke out of retirement - you'd sell out in minutes.
  
• You could do a lot worse than take some marketing tips from Neil Self's Soulfusion at Gloucester, he's always used membership, website & email to great advantage and hardly anyone else seems to do it consistently.
  
• If you needed a promotion partner, how about Jason Desmond? Intelligent, universally liked, ran great well-attended dos in Bournemouth, I know he's been very poorly, but maybe he'd be up for a challenge?
  

And as I said before, if you build it, we will come

Tee x

Ha ha! Aww Rusty Knickers, you know you could put a dance on in a pigshed, with only orange squash being served, and we'd still come along because it was your do and we love ya Some of the best nights in the history of the South London Massive were at Abshot & Newbury.

I'll have a little think and give you the feedback from the Massive later today. I've got a man coming to lay my floor in a minute, lol x

I would have said Love Ballad as well. Adam's been playing it out recently. Tune-o-rama

Oh bless! David I'm so glad you've recovered your records and your nightmare weekend is over

Lots of love from all of us in South London xx

What's the deal here Theresa? You get treated better than the majority of my personal concubine and favourite geishas, yet I'm not even sure if we've ever met LOL.

OK, you can choose 2 on the basis of advance promotion via the Price Family Bus OK? If you like 'em, then you're bound to yap about 'em aren'tcha?

You know it makes sense Ian, just think how costly it could be if we were better acquainted! Best just keep me at arms length by tossing me a copy of everything you put out, before I start asking for a monthly clothes allowance, Maserati, and a serviced apartment at Chelsea Harbour, lol.

I'll take the two Hampsey ones please, 027 & 030, thanks honey

Three Pounds Sixty including postage i'll have some of those! the last 2 Sean Hampsey compiled cds have had a battering since i bought them his new 2 looks as though they will get the same treatment. Keep up the good work Ian.

Ditto, the whole series to date has been hammered in the Price Family Bus, particularly the Hampsey ones which are mighty fine.

Really looking forward to these new ones - Ian are there any *ahem* 'review' copies for impoverished Surrey housewives? Hee hee. Promise I'll buy some as well as Chrissy pressies for the Sarf Larndon Massive.

Actually it kills me to say it, but Hampsey is by far the most together out of the lot of us

That's cos he's a Capricorn They make lots of lists.

Sounds great Kev, and I'd love to join you but 'I gavel alone'

You'd have to hold it at Bidds though, surely?

The late great Sam Cooke - Pilgrim Of Sorrow

Enough said

https://www.youtube.c...e&v=8e69gCpD4KA

Hey up Irish, how's you lad?

I'll see your Pilgrim Of Sorrow, and raise you a Jesus Wash Away My Troubles

Pure, soaring, mournful gospel genius.

Some amazingly sad soulful ballads already posted, so I was trying to think of some on a more uplifting and/or danceable soulful tip. I'd have to go for JP Robinson, Our Day Is Here. Sad & happy at the same time, the vocal really tugs at my heartstrings. Or maybe Donny Hathaway, Love Love Love.

Tee

Hiya Russ, have you got this pic with us & Jeff Perry already? It's one of Julie's. Happy days mate xx

Can't believe you didn't ring me!

I DIDNT HAVE NO WINE OR CHOCS TO OFFER YOU SORRY

MOLDIE XX

My goodness, what must you think of me? Wine & chocolates aren't compulsory to make me come to one of your nights Moldie!

I also accept Morgans Spiced & most varieties of cake

I would've been up for half of them Moldie - some of my faves in there as you well know, Intrepids & Four Tracks especially

And did someone say there was cake as well? Can't believe you didn't ring me! Mind you, you probably wanted all the food for yourself as usual

Tee x

theresa , ? 30 mph? my arse in a tin. when you took me to the wilton from merton in south london the speedo never dropped below 105 in that the litle ford you had. i,d just managed to say hello to drew, lit a fag , had a can of beer , and it was time to get out .

Ha ha, only just saw this Andy. Ahh, them were the days & no mistake, lol, Wimbledon to the Griffin in Leeds in 2 hours flat. On the way to the Ritz once we had to stop because Lucy said her head was imploding from the G-force. Nothing to do with the gear obviously

It's not the same now I have to drive the Price Family Bus

Ahh Dave, they were proper happy days for me Lots of the London crew in that fab modern room, with everything from 70s to new releases being played. Met loads of great people and made some really good friends. Did the modern room close an hour before the end? I remember everybody going downstairs to join the oldies crowd for the last few numbers each time.

And I agree, how bloody long did it seem from the M1 to Bretby, at 30mph with speed cameras round every corner? The first hundred miles used to flash by in what seemed like minutes, and the last bit was an eternity