Record shop that was always a hit with music lovers Former customers share their fond memories
RESIDENTS have shared their fond memories of a popular record shop, from buying their first singles to listening to the latest hits in the music store in the 70s and 80s.
The youth of the day would often listen listen to the hits on the radio and then visit Bradley’s Record Shop to pick up their favourite popular tunes.
Austin Mcbride, 75, lived in Syke, in 1980 and would pop into the store on Drake Street whenever he was in the town centre.
He said: “The shop was always clean and immaculate and had a nice atmosphere.
“It was unique at the time when I was around 20-years-old and very popular.
“John Bradley was a true gentleman and Rochdale’s Derek Nimmo doppelganger.
“There is something nice about putting an LP on the record player and most people treasure their LPS.
“Me and my wife have had them for years and we won’t part with them.”
Austin bought his first jazz LP, Sidney Bechet which cost 12s 6Pence and has kept his records for 50 years.
Rochdalian business owner of Bradley’s Record
Shop, John Bradley, had the ground floor of a building shared with BM rainware and Williamson School of Dancing which was upstairs on Lord Street (the corner of Yorkshire Street) and a bigger store on Drake Street which sold musical instruments such as electric organs, drum kits and guitars.
When the Lord Street premises was demolished he moved to a store at the corner of The Walk and Yorkshire Street.
Paul Hanson, 67, lived two doors down from Bradley’s family who lived on Falinge Road during his childhood.
He was best friends with John’s son Howard and they attended Spotland Primary School together until Howard was sent to a private school in Scotland.
Howard’s father would take him to the store and Paul would join them.
On Saturdays between the ages of 15 and 16 he worked at a market stall located at the bottom of what was known as ‘The Arcade’ which was run by the shop and sold Bradley’s loose records.
The music enthusiast bought top hits from the store such as Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones and King Crimson on a weekly basis.
His first record, Procol Harum’s debut single A Whiter Shade of Pale, was from Bradley’s shop.
He said: “They had every record and I don’t remember asking for something they never had and they even had ex juke box records. It was a happy place to be.
“I remember Howard being a keen musician and he used to sit in there and bang the drums.
“If you weren’t old enough to go night clubs and discos you could just go to Bradley’s shop and he would have all the music the venues were playing.
“There wasn’t really anywhere else to buy modern music.”
On his way home from school in the town centre he would visit the Lord Street branch with friends two to three times a week.
The walls were covered with popular singers of the day and shelves had racks of records running across them.
A room to the right of the store had LPS all lined up alphabetically, and two to three listening booths where customers could listen to records before they bought them.
Patricia Kelly Higgins would visit the same store as Paul as a young girl around 1974.
She would spend her earnings she made as a market Saturday girl on records like The Supremes.
Her mother was good friends with John and she would often see him at the Rochdale Catholic Club which has a function room named after him in recognition of his contributions to the club.
Patricia, 65, said: “Bradley was a well known lovely man in Rochdale and he was very kind and generous. It was a fabulous shop and Saturday afternoon was chockablock. “It was the first of its time. “The atmosphere was great and the orchard cafe was there.
“Shopping for music isn’t the same experience now because we have the internet and have lost that community in shops.”
Richard James used to get the bus into the town centre from his home in Bamford at the age of around nine to visit Bradley’s Record Shop once a week.
The 57-year-old national sales manager said: “It was the go to place to get our music.
“Music was important to people’s lives and it was where all the youngsters used to go.
“It was a smart and tidy shop and well set out and was the place to go to on a Saturday.
“It was amazing because it had lots of variety.”
The former casual Norden Cricket Club member bought music he would listen to on the radio of artists such as David Bowie and Rolling Stones.
Mr Bradley also opened shops in other locations including Sheffield, Doncaster, Halifax and Manchester Arndale.