Stereo Shop, England 1974 (from the movie Craze)

Recently I watched the film Craze (1974) directed by Freddie Francis. In the second act the film’s star, Jack Palance, walks past a stereo shop. The shop sells Akai, Rotel, Leak, Thorens, Rogers, and many other brands.

4 Likes

Are you asking where it might be? Almost certainly Tottenham Court Road, especially if the film is set in London. Can you decipher the sign at the right?

1 Like

Looks like Lasky’s in Tottenham Court Road.

1 Like

I agree, I think it’s Tottenham Court Road. In the late 60s and early 70s it was a real Mecca for electronics/‘hifi’ gear.

I bought my first system there (Garrard deck, Wharfedale Denton speakers and a cheap Japanese amp). A couple of years later, probably about 1970, when I had scraped together more cash, I bought an Akai 4000D reel-to-reel deck from Lasky’s. I used that for years, but the record deck was soon replaced by a Thorens TD150. Then new speakers, then an amp and I have been hooked by HiFi ever since!

2 Likes

Or G. W. Smith’s

Ah, yes. I’ve still got the Sansui headphones I bought in Smiths.

Some pics here of the shops mentioned from that era.

3 Likes

Having worked for Lasky’s in the 1970’s on Saturdays and during school holidays, (my addiction started early), I can, with a high degree of confidence, say that this is not a photograph of Lasky’s in Tottenham Court Road. The firm had three branches in that street, No 10, No 33 and the ‘superstore’ at 42-45, all of which I worked in over the years. So, it could possibly be a different branch of Lasky’s, as they also had one or, I think, two branches in Edgeware Road, a different brand of hi-fi store in TCR, or a different shop in a different area. Sorry! The biggest clue, I think is the name of the entrance to the bar next door. Incidentally, is that a nice old Humber parked in front? I’m sure that someone on this forum will be able to identify it.

4 Likes

The internet rarely disappoints if one persists.

Captures 19/20

Soho.

Best picture of area I can find is here

The distinctively patterned and shaped doorways on each side of the Hibernia bar (now Bar Soho) are a dead giveaway - you can see the left hand door in the OPs screenshot.

Looks like that hifi shop was closed by the date of the picture, 1975.

This is the only image I can dig up

F Cave Hi-Fi Centre.

Bingo!

7 Likes

Nicely done. The answer to a question that, for some reason, wasn’t asked.

1 Like

I remember Laskys.

Bought some headphones in the late 70’s. Sounded great but after about a week started to notice how uncomfortable they were (they were closed back and felt like a vice).
Gave them away and my friend lasted a bit longer than me and then passed them on.

Later (a few years later) I got PWB electrostatic headphones. They had to be plugged into the speaker output of your amp (quad 303 in my case).. Much more comfortable, sounded great (except they picked up every scratch on the record) and a pain to have to change the speaker connections. They claimed something like 10Hz to 50KHz.frequency response.
I knew nothing about who built them but later he because controversial for various suggestions for improving sound by putting (specially treated) bits of silver paper on your speakers.
I still have the headphones (somewhere) but don’t want to start messing around at the back of my poweramp.

1 Like

Aren’t those the best answers, to the best questions?

Peter Belt.

Please let’s not go there.

I did my post grad professional qualification at Paddington College early 1980’s which involved a drive in to London on a stippled concrete A40 dual carriageway (pre M40!), trying to find somewhere free to park then getting enough time at lunch to get up to Tottenham Court Road - a compendium of electronics dealers desperate to give u the best deal! I lugged my new wharfedale ?705 speakers back to college one fine day, dying to get home to try them out. Edgeware Road was packed with sounds of deep deep reggae eminating from the various shops and flats! First track I sampled tge speakers with was ‘Dial a Hitman’, BAD! There’s a memory or two HH didn’t ask for to share

1 Like

Just looked him up on Wikipedia
About to stick some CD’s in the freezer :rofl:

2 Likes

Now this is a rabbit hole!!
Hunting the Snark: More On The Strange Audio World Of Peter W. Belt - September 2005 MusicWeb-International

1 Like

of course we have all moved on and no longer give creedence to this sort of pseudo-scientific nonsense… (i could point a finger at certain threads but will forbear) :rofl: :rofl:

Indeed, I’m not too certain about the “all” bit :sweat_smile:

2 Likes

Personally, I think that the Naim magic relies upon fairy dust gathered from Stonehenge at Solstice midnight by nubile naked fairies…..but WTF do I know, I’m just an old has been elec. eng. :laughing:

2 Likes

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.