Rothery's Radio shop, Ashton

I'm sure this has been discussed on here before, but does anyone remember Rothery's music shop on Gerard St in Ashton?. My dad bought a reel-to-reel tape recorder from there in 1960. He often used to record music from the radio of the well-known singers of the time, and also used to use it to record sound from the TV. He still has many of these recordings, some are from Sunday Night at the London Palladium, including an appearance from Pat Boone (who apparently had appeared on the show about 5 times), and Wagon Train actor Robert Horton.

The recorder he had was one of the cheaper models. There was a red light which would flicker to let you know that it wasn't recording correctly, so you had to keep your beady eye on it to make sure it stayed still. At one time the recorder broke and he had to take to be repaired at their workshop in St Helens, which took six weeks to repair (no throwing away and getting a new one back then). These machines were cumbersome and quite heavy to carry around. He no longer has the original recorder as it wouldn't work anymore, later bought a different model from a relation, but thankfully still has the tapes.

i,m sure we got 1 in 1966 & i still have it somewhere in the house.

I have had several reel to reel recorders, the first was a Philips, a Christmas present in 1960, my dad got it from somewhere in Manchester. It was one of the first 4 track machines and had a 'Magic Eye' which lit up green to indicate the recording level. After about 3 years the lugs on both spool carriers broke so I ordered replacements from Rotherys. They said it would take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive, in the end it took 3 months. You reminded me of making recordings from the radio and TV using a microphone, everybody had to be quiet. The recordings were punctuated with background noise and shushes.

Worked in Rothery radio St Helens and Prescott as a reliefe manager for a larger company. I had reel to reel tape recorders too I liked then had a few of then from Grundig to sony to Ferrograph to Akai.

Worked in Rothery radio St Helens and Prescott as a reliefe manager for a larger company. I had reel to reel tape recorders too I liked then had a few of then from Grundig to sony to Ferrograph to Akai.

If any one remembers HELLERS corner of King St East opposite where taxi rank used to be, i bought my first tape to tape back in 1963 ish it was a belting machine ,later on got a transistor radio off them about the time of another great
show RADIO CAROLINE oh my god what a grand station that
was , because the younger generation loved the gov tried all
ways to rid it in the end they got it but not without a fight the pop songs on there were nonstop and brilliant good old days ,HELLER'S WAS a good shop i dont know what happened to it later does anybody know ?

Do you recall BEFORE the pirates? Only 'pop' music was 'Radio Luxembourg' (The Great 208) (Your Station of the Stars.)

And even then you had to wait until 8-00pm (or was it 8-30?) for the English Language broadcasting to begin.

"Horace Batchelor........ That's Keynshan, spelled 'K'. 'E', 'Y', ......................Bristol!"

I think Caroline was broadcasting off the South East Coast before it moved to Liverpool Bay.

And the Dutch Broadcaster which sunk after being fire-bombed from a passing high-speed launch, (I think circa 1972). I wonder which nation's spooks pulled that one off?

^^^^^^^^^^^^ Sorry, did not actually sink. details here.