Lisle Street and beyond.

[Nick]

Billingshurst is odd - a tiny nondescript town in West Sussex seems to have all the remaining major valve suppliers in the UK. Billington Export, Langrex and Colomor.

Spooky...

[Raditechman]

.......but does anyone remember The Metro Cafe? This was in the entrance to the Met line tube station and was run by a Greek family.....
I remember that cafe, but used to go to another one nearby the Cafe Rest" run by Greek Cypriot family. Open all day until 10pm, always the same menu!. They retired a few years ago.
The Circle and Hammersmith and City lines trains run above and alongside the market now.
I remember the second hand TV shop, they also had a house in Gayford Road, (off Askew Road) which was full of old TV.s. Got many a set from there.
Later the bigger ex rental TV warehouses started to open. I think around Park Royal.

John

[Nick]

When I was at school, a mate's uncle worked for HL Smiths. Wonderful place. Purchased my first valves from there and all my other bits from them, Henry's or Technomatic. Proops in TCR was always interesting as they had the weirdest stuff, as did J (?) Bull & Son.. Bull Electrical (or some such!)

[Brianc]

.......but does anyone remember the Metro Cafe?

See my post, two posts before yours! I used the Metro Cafe for many years! I've just noticed that you're quoting my post!! Without the box round it, I didn't reailse - sorry John.

[Doodlebug]

Doodlebug,
I seem to remember that John Gilberts shop was not very big. Not so much a surplus shop but components and amplifier gear.
To update you on the area.
The market is still there but has changed a lot and if you remember the  pie and mash shop on the Goldhark Road (near the market entrance) that closed last year. There had been a pie shop there since 1891. Cookes were the last owners.
The two small watch/clock spares and repair shops at the market entrance (Goldhawk Road end) I think are still there.
Shepherds Bush Empire still open but part of the ceiling fell down last year and it closed temporarily for repairs. It was for many years the BBC TV theatre.
The small cinema next door became a pub. but has since closed and is threatened with demolition.

The large Odeon next door to that has been gutted and is now an expensive hotel.
The area is going upmarket since Westfields Mall opened (that is being made even bigger) and the White City TV centre is being converted into luxury flats. I understand a couple of the studios will be brought back into use.
Along the Goldhawk Road there used to be a valve shop, I think it was Colomor valves.  I often went there for valves as they were a cheap brand. I wonder if you remember them.
I guess the internet had taken over, but it was nice when we had all these little special shops.
John

Thanks for all that John, all very interesting. 
No, as you say, Gilberts shop was very small.  He gave me 2 bob for helping him serve
 the  customers every Saturday.  Immediately spent it with him on components !

 We used to play as kids on the Odeon site when it was hit
by a V1 in the war.  One end was all exposed and we went in there.  Never thought at the time
that it would become an expensive hotel !  Laid on for big wigs visiting the Beeb in Wood Lane no doubt.

My parents always took me to the Bush Empire every week (2/6d seats) to see the variety acts of the time.

Colomor valves, yes remember them too. 

I had many a happy meal in the old pie shop. Just along the road where we lived at
Pennard Mansions.

Thanks again John for your interesting Bush update.

[AlanBeckett]

Just along the road where we lived at Pennard Mansions.

Is that near to Whitehaven Mansions?


Alan

[ppppenguin]

Used to go to Tottenham Court Road as a kid. Prrops was always a real treasure trove. There was also Laskys, Stern-Clyne and Z&I Aero. Probably more that I've forgotten. Sometimes went down to Lisle St where there were also Chinese restaurants and strange adult things I didn't understand at all.

[Doodlebug]

Proops , once in TCR are still in business on the internet.
Now in Leicestershire.

http://www.proopsbrothers.com/

Click on 'about us' for details of their history.

[ppppenguin]

At one point (late 1980s?, early 1990s?) Proops were trading from a dingy basement under a block of flats in Camden Town or thereabouts.

[AlanBeckett]

They still turn up at the Model Engineering Shows with all sorts of (Mechanical) Nick-naks.

Alan