Does Anyone Remember Frank Mozer Ltd and Crescent Radio in North London?

[camtechman]

One of the best jobs I ever had was working for an Electronics Component shop called: Frank Mozer Ltd (on the corner of the Angel Road and Fore Street, Edmonton, London).

This was the time before Maplin and Tandy stores appeared and when Practical Wireless, Practical Electronics, Practical Television, Radio Constructor and Everyday Electronics were top sellers and Electronics Today International (ETI) and Elektor were recently new magazines.

Our nearest 'competitor' was Crescent Radio with which we had a reciprocal dislike.

One of the greatest memories was the queue that ran from the shop onto the pavement and past three neighbouring shops on Saturdays, especially when a new constructor project appeared in one of the mags.

When I were but knee high to a grasshopper, my late Dad would take me into Frank's on a Saturday morning to get valves tested (he was a TV/Radio repair man in the mid 50's-60's) and Frank used to sit me on the valve tester's chair and told me what he was doing.

From about the age of 15-20 I visited Frank's shop on a regular basis to get parts, spares and components as I got into electronics, and as I took over from my Dad who handed the baton on to me, as he disliked transistors (the work of the Devil).

Later on, when on a visit to Frank's emporium to get a few caps and just before closing time, Frank asked me if I wanted to work for him......Work For Him ?!- I Would Have Paid Him To Work There!

He locked the shop door and then asked me if I would do him a favour whilst he popped out the back to have wee.

He then handed me a broom and a sack of moist, disinfectant saw-dust and asked me to scatter it on the shop's wooden floorboards and sweep up all the day's dust, dirt and debris.

I did so willingly and after a few minutes, he popped back and said: "You've got the job" and when I asked if he wanted to ask me details about by technical knowledge he replied: "No need, you've been coming in here for years and I've had my eye on you and know what your ability is, the final test was to see if you would refuse to clean the shop floor" !!!

Such a shame that these types of shops have all but gone but the enthusiasm for constructing projects went into a rapid decline in the late 70's-80's and Frank finally retired.

Does anyone remember Frank’s shop, or even (sound of spitting), Crescent Radio?

[techiesteve]

Crescent Radio, Mayes Road, Wood Green? If so I used to live in Wood Green until I was 2, left in 1953. For years I used to visit relations in Wood Green. In the 1960's I used to buy components from Crescent Radio whenever visiting Wood Green. Leaving there I used to pass a sickly smelling sweet factory on my way to Park Avenue where I used to stay at my grandmothers. Searching the web I see there is a Crescent Radio still in the area, no idea if it's the same business but moved. I never visited Frank Mozer, would have been interesting.

[camtechman]

Hi Steve,

At the time I was working at Frank Mozer's there were two branches of Crescent Radio.

Their main shop was indeed at Wood Green but they also had a shop at Edmonton Green, N9.

One incident, which 'involved' Crescent Radio, was when a pedantic type came into our shop who wanted the full technical details of a very basic and the cheapest test meter (at that time: £3/10/0).

When I pointed out to the potential customer that there wasn't any "full technical details", other than the very limited instruction sheet that came with it, he persisted in annoying me with more questions about it.

In order to avoid his demands, I let him read the instruction leaflet and went to serve another customer and, when I returned to him some minutes later, he still demanded I provided him with the data or: "He would go to Crescent Radio to buy it from them".

I then repacked the meter and put it back on the shelf and moved on to the next customer and, as I did so, he protested: "Excuse me, I wanted to buy that meter!" I replied: "Then I suggest you go to Crescent Radio". His face went red and he said: "But Crescent Radio haven't got any", to which I retorted: "And now, neither have you - goodbye!".........in those days, you could get away with doing that!

[Sideband]

Originally Posted by camtechman

.........in those days, you could get away with doing that!

Brilliant!Could almost have been John Cleese saying that!

Rich

[Horris]

Living and growing up in Tottenham in the 1950's and 60's Frank Mozers was a place that I spent quite a considerable amount of my pocket money. I also remember Crescent Radio in Mayes Road Wood Green.

I also worked for Frank in the early 60's for about 3 years. It certainly was a very interesting place, with lots of characters.

Frank had two brothers, Sam and Bob. Sam had an electrical wholesale business in Fox Lane, Palmers Green. Bob worked for J & F Stone radio and television retailers.

Fond memories and happy days.

Dave
M0HBV

[Lucien Nunes]

I made just one purchase from Frank Mozer just before the shop closed - two Motorola piezo-electric tweeters to replace the failed units in a PA loudspeaker. I can't remember anything about the shop really, nor even why I hadn't been there before, except that I had to pass Crescent radio to reach it. Next thing I knew there was a closing-down sign in the window, I resolved to make contact and see what bargains might be had although I never followed it up. Crescent I do remember quite clearly from the early 80's having visited a number of times. They often seemed to have sold out of the very items I had gone in for, which was a little frustrating, especially later on as they appeared to be moving towards car audio etc.

Another reason for not heavily patronising either Mozer's or Crescent Radio was that the Edgware Road and the likes of Henrys and Smiths were easier for me to get to by tube, plus an Edgware Road trip could provide a good half day's entertainment. Also competing with for my custom was Enfield Electronics, a small shop in Baker Street Enfield. Curiously, they always did seem to have what I wanted. The only reason for going there was that one day I got my dad to take me around various places that had been his shops when he was in radio and TV rental, and Enfield Electronics was then occupying one of them. Then there was a shop in Luton that I visited a few times around 1982-84 of which I can't remember the name.

There were enough of these shops around 30 years ago that you could find one or more to suit your interests and location. I am sure that Mozer's was an interesting place, but in its heyday it was one of many such interesting places each with its own circle of knowledgeable bods on either side of the counter. Every visit was a journey of discovery for a youngster.

Lucien

[3nf]

Frank Mozer's was where they sold the Teletron Transistor radios that I helped to make in the early 1960s. They were made in a shed in the back of a record shop in Station Rd. Chingford. I wish I had a photo of one of them. Anybody remember Jobstocks (off Hoe St.)? was a good place to get valves and equipment, mainly surplus military stuff. I remember when the Fire Brigade were called in to shore up the ceiling that was sagging under the weight of all their stock.

[murphyv310]

Hi.
Brilliant story Camtechman, I must admit that living in the London area must have been great for a young lad that was into "electronics", up here in the frozen north very few shops catered for our interests so we relied on old TV shops and the postman!

[camtechman]

Originally Posted by Horris

Living and growing up in Tottenham in the 1950's and 60's Frank Mozers was a place that I spent quite a considerable amount of my pocket money. I also remember Crescent Radio in Mayes Road Wood Green.

I also worked for Frank in the early 60's for about 3 years. It certainly was a very interesting place, with lots of characters.

Frank had two brothers, Sam and Bob. Sam had an electrical wholesale business in Fox Lane, Palmers Green. Bob worked for J & F Stone radio and television retailers.

Fond memories and happy days.

Dave
M0HBV

Hi Dave,

I'm trying to rack my brain to recall if I remember you at Mozer's, mind you, I was probably around 16-18 years old and was more into my own little world at that time.

One person I do remember, before I joined Mozer's was a man (a real crusty character) who worked there and most people called him "Frank", because they thought he was Frank Mozer but he wasn't, somewhat in the way that everyone thought the guy with the eyepatch in the Doctor Hook band was actually Doctor Hook.

There were two others who worked there in the late 60's and 70's, they were a couple called Ben and Ollie (Olive). They both came from Walthamstow and Ben (a tall man) was into "Hot Rod" cars, whilst Olive was a bit of tom boy type lady. They often argued with each other and it quite often it spilled over into the shop.....I think Frank either sacked them or 'Let Them Go'

Later on, besides Bob popping in, Bob's son (Richard) worked there (a sickly, hypochondriac)

Frank was very much into telling wonderful Jewish jokes and we'd quite often get into a joke fest in the shop, he also loved to recite the Saga Of Eskimo Nell! (which I have on tape, as I used to record him on my pocket cassette recorder at every moment)

He also suffered from chronic wind and would let one go at anytime in the shop and would blame it onto one of the other staff.....much to the customer's amusement!

I have just recently transfered the old cassette recording of Frank and Bob (and me) to CD and will upload them to Plunder.com (an audio storage web site) so you can listen to them. Once done, I'll p.m. you with the link.


You know what?....I'm thinking of writing a book about those days !

[techiesteve]

I too used to prefer the Edgware Road, Lisle Street and the Tottenham Court Road, buying from Crescent Radio for convenience when visiting my Grandmother nearby.

The only 2 shops I remember from Luton were Surplatronics in Leagrave Road, opposite SKF, and DP Hobbs in King Street, in the town cenre. I used to visit both in the mid 1960's to early 1970's when at college taking the C&G R&TV servicing course.

It's a real shame such shops disappeared.

Originally Posted by Lucien Nunes

Another reason for not heavily patronising either Mozer's or Crescent Radio was that the Edgware Road and the likes of Henrys and Smiths were easier for me to get to by tube, plus an Edgware Road trip could provide a good half day's entertainment. Also competing with for my custom was Enfield Electronics, a small shop in Baker Street Enfield. Curiously, they always did seem to have what I wanted. The only reason for going there was that one day I got my dad to take me around various places that had been his shops when he was in radio and TV rental, and Enfield Electronics was then occupying one of them. Then there was a shop in Luton that I visited a few times around 1982-84 of which I can't remember the name.

Lucien

[Lucien Nunes]

DP Hobbs in King Street

Thanks Steve, that was the one. I recall now going to Crescent for some PCB transfers, not getting what I wanted, then hitching a lift with my parents who worked in Luton at the time, going to Hobbs and coming out with more than I bargained for.
Lucien

[Horris]

Jobstocks, St Mary's Road ,Walthamstow.
A great place, absolutly full of Gov Surplus,run by a gent called Bert who knew where everything was located.
Bought a R1155 and power supply from them, took it home on a bus.

Dave
M0HBV

[joe]

Ah! Jobstocks. Memories of school days in Woodford, Essex. What an amazing selection of Govt surplus. If only they were still in existence - but they 'aint.

Joe

[Roger ZS1J]

I remember Frank Mozers very well as just a tad up the road at 5 Weirhall Gardens, a school chum and I went into business making 2 metre converters for the amateur market from the shed at the bottom of his grandparents garden. That would have been around 1961/2. A great era of interesting radio shops.

Roger

[G8HQP Dave]

Originally Posted by 3nf

Anybody remember Jobstocks (off Hoe St.)? was a good place to get valves and equipment, mainly surplus military stuff. I remember when the Fire Brigade were called in to shore up the ceiling that was sagging under the weight of all their stock.

Yes, I grew up in the next street (First Avenue) so a lot of my early electronics stuff came from there. I don't remember the ceiling problem.

Most of the rest came by mail order from Henry's Radio in Edgeware Road or Home Radio in Mitcham.

[BassoonBloke]

Ah !!

I Well remember JobStocks in walthamstow. I still have a T1154 bought from there for me as a birthday present when i was at school (and i'm 50 now !!). Spent lots of pocket money in there on lots of stuff. It was like an Alladin's cave of goodies. I believe the old man died whilst the shop was still open, and the younger bloke then carried on until the place finally shut.
The premises are still there, and i must admit to going to have a look and remember the way it was. Happy days.

Cheers,
Alan.

[camtechman]

Originally Posted by Roger ZS1J

I remember Frank Mozers very well as just a tad up the road at 5 Weirhall Gardens, a school chum and I went into business making 2 metre converters for the amateur market from the shed at the bottom of his grandparents garden. That would have been around 1961/2. A great era of interesting radio shops.

Roger

I used to use the Weirhall Library to look up circuits in the R&TV, although they had limited volumes.

[wd40addict]

I never went to Mozers, but like Lucien I well remember my 1980s days out in Edgware road when the likes of HL Smith were still selling all the same stuff as they had in the 50s. Slowly all the old shops closed and eventually Smiths went too :-( A trip to London has never been the same since! I remember going there on election day in 1983, buying a TV sound tuner kit from RTVC and building it in time to here the results that evening (after finding one of the PSU capacitors was a dead short!)

Regards,

Paul

[camtechman]

I too enjoyed the trips to "the smoke" to visit and browse the surplus electronic shops and my first ever visit was with my Dad when I was about 15 and still very "wet around the ears".

My Dad would always make a b-line for one of GW Smiths (?) shops in Lyle Street, and whilst he was browsing the odds and sods, I wandered off and started to walk up Lyle Street and was greeted by a chorus of calls from the upper windows of the old Georgian houses from ladies with faces caked in copious amounts of make-up, wearing minimal amounts of clothing!

My Dad soon put me right and informed me that they weren't selling surplus electronic parts