London’s last radio shop has closed its doors in Ealing after just shy of a century in business.
City Radio Stores on Bond Street first opened in 1929, a year before the discovery of Pluto and the same year sliced bread was debuting supermarkets.
Selling all manner of electrical goods, the shop withstood the Great Depression it was born into and was bought by Tim Riley in 2014 when it faced the threat of closure, but he has now called time on his tenure.
Riley said: “It is tough doing this on your own, I have not a had a proper holiday for the last decade.
“It was never financially feasible to take somebody else on, but it meant that whenever I was gone the store would close.”
According to Riley, who has kept the City Radio Stores going single-handedly over the past 10 years, the shop was the last of its kind.
Sporting an original art deco frontage, the store has added character to a street where many years ago it would have blended in.
However, City Radio Stores and others like it have fallen victim to a familiar fate as people look to save a money online.
Riley said: “It’s difficult to survive.
“Smaller items sell all right, but the mark-up on bigger items makes them difficult to sell.”
News of City Radio Stores’ closure saddened the regular customers, many of whom had been frequenting the shop for decades.
They relied on Riley and the owners before him for their knowledge and repairing skills to find the specific solution to whatever quirky appliance they needed restoring.
Ealing resident Victor said: “I’m interested in keeping old things going and Tim always finds the matching part to repair them.
“I came to Ealing in 1961 and have been coming to the store for decades, it’s a terrible shame.”
Both Riley, and the owner he succeeded, Peter Burford, felt the interactions with regular customers was the most fulfilling part of the job.
Riley said: “It’s a unique job.
“No two days are the same.”
Former electrical wholesaler Burford took over the store in 1982 at the age of 38.
At the time, the BBC building was just around the corner and famous faces would often come into the store.
Burford said: “There used to be a recording studio across the road so band members were regulars.
“Pete Townshend of The Who and his brother Simon would often stop by for electrical equipment.”
Other familiar faces included former Labour party leader Neil Kinnock, former BBC political correspondent John Sergeant, and the late TV scientist Professor Heinz Wolff.
For Burford, the colourful personalities of his customers, and the quirky products they sold were what gave the store its long-lasting charm.
This feeling was reciprocated by both Tim and Peter’s predecessor Ray Wilson, who also ran the shop for over a decade.
Burford said: “I was really hoping the store would make it to 100 years old.”
With longstanding owners and loyal customers, the mark the shop has left on the local community is palpable.
While speaking with Riley, customers were flowing in and out wishing him well and murmuring to each other what a great shame it was as they left.
Riley was also in no doubt about what he will miss most about owning the store.
He said: “It’s the gates at the shop entrance.
“Opening them up at the start of each day to receive customers, and locking them out when I leave.”
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