Kellys of Southport

[John M0GLN]

I don't know if this is the right place to put it or not, Kellys in Southport is closing after 66 years, a few forum members including at least one not living locally have mentioned him in the past.
John

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/southport/n...g-55064225.htm

[livewireless123]

Originally Posted by John M0GLN

I don't know if this is the right place to put it or not, Kellys in Southport is closing after 66 years, a few forum members including at least one not living locally have mentioned him in the past.
John

https://www.qlocal.co.uk/southport/n...g-55064225.htm

It says 1957 in the paper, Well he only had the shop in London Rd Manchester until the mid 1960s. He was associated with mazel radio. I worked for Maz until the mid 70s then I 'jumped ship' and moved to Southport to work for Jak.
So that date is a bit out. Still a long time though.

[Reelman]

How sad, I first visited that shop in 1969 when we first moved to Formby and have been back many times over the years. When we lived there a visit was compulsory every Saturday afternoon (school in the mornings) along with one to the shop in Nelson street. I do feel sad that youngsters today don’t have the local shops that we had to generate the enthusiasm for our hobby.

Peter

[Cruisin Marine]

I had never been there, but so saddened to hear it is going.

[fetteler]

Originally Posted by livewireless123

He was associated with mazel radio. I worked for Maz until the mid 70s..

Wow! I remember Mazel Radio, I got loads of stuff from there between about 1970 and '73 so I'm guessing there's every chance we could have crossed paths during that time. I was very very young back then of course!

Steve.

[whiskas]

It's a shame that often these 'hidden' treasure shops are only learned about when they are closing, which is a shame. I have been to Southport, but didn't know of this shop's existence...
My best wishes to the family all the same.

[Reelman]

Originally Posted by whiskas

It's a shame that often these 'hidden' treasure shops are only learned about when they are closing, which is a shame….

When there were plenty of shops one would recommend another if they could not supply it themselves. I discovered Kelly’s because it was near where we used to park. One day I went in and started to ask for some resistors for a project, Mr Kelly stopped me and said (much to my surprise) that they didn’t sell them. But he did tell me to go to the shop in Nelson Street about 10 minutes walk away. Up to then I didn’t know it existed, mighty glad he told me, spent many happy hours in there. Only wish I had bought the 18 set that was £2 in 1970!

Peter

[jez_145]

This is certainly the end of an era for me and many other Southport locals I would imagine.

My first ever multimeter came from Kelly's, a little 1000 ohms/volt TTC analogue one, which I'm sure is one of the factors that got me interested in electronics in the first place. Some years later I noticed they had a proper AVO 8 in the window (probably a mark IV) - which was unusual because that was a rather top end instrument for the type of shop it was. I used to drool over that AVO but it was well out of my pocket money range.

As Peter (Reelman) suggests, Kelly's was never really an "electronics" shop per se in that they didn't sell individual components such as resistors, capacitors etc. For those (in the 60's and 70's at least) you needed to go to D.M. Rogers in Nelson Street (behind the ABC Cinema). That was Jack Bigland's shop but his son, Dave, did most of the selling in the later years. In there you could purchase all sorts of ex-military gear, components, valves speakers etc. - Southport's answer to Lisle Street in London I would imagine. On Saturdays you'd have to join a large queue to be served - such was the interest in those days.

Anyway, Kelly's window always used to be rammed full but mainly with far east import electrical novelties such as Altai branded stuff - clocks, karaoki microphones, mobile PA amps for cars, cheap radios, fancy lamps - that sort of thing. Some of those items seemed to stay in that window for years, complete with faded boxes! However, occasionally, you'd stumble across a hidden gem - such as the AVO or a nice camera. Also, they used to have boxes outside the main window with various oddments - maybe old wall wart power supplies, audio cables, mains connectors etc. etc.

When Jack Kelly retired a few years ago, the shop changed radically. Much of the existing stock was thinned down; there was a lot less clutter and more "toys" appeared. The other thing was that the opening hours changed and you could never be sure that the shop would be open when you got there. Sometimes you'd turn up and find the place closed for the week for a holiday. Only recently someone asked me about this and in the end went elsewhere as they weren't sure they'd be open. Before he retired, Jack used to be there every day and you could rely on him being open. I don't think he ever had a holiday!

I got the impression that the new owners/management hadn't really put their hearts into the business and that, coupled with changing retail conditions and buying habits, has lead to the inevitable I'm afraid.

Jerry