Memories of No 63 High Street from Gary May

As a youngster and living with my parents at 33 Station Road I had a keen interest in old wireless sets, gramophones etc. At the age of twelve or thirteen in about 1959, before my parents and I moved to 12 Queen Street, I often visited 63 High Street for bits and pieces, information etc, enabling repairs to my old wireless sets that various people had given me. G A Hubbard were occupying these premises at that time in 1959. They may have been there slightly earlier than I recall, not certain, although I remember A Noller's tv and radio business but unable to recall exactly when that business sold out to Hubbard.

My interest and relationship with  G A Hubbard's business was such that the manager offered me an after school and Saturday job, which was very exciting because it gave me the opportunity to learn a little about the radio and tv trade. When I left school
in 1961 at the age of fifteen I was offered an apprenticeship in radio and tv servicing and repairs. The Radio and TV engineer who I would train under was a Mr George Smith, incidentally George played piano in the Miami dance band with Jack Farrington.

 Workshop facilities at the rear of 63 was a two story building clad with asbestos sheets, the ground floor used as storage for Lenny Finch's antique business, and up the stairs was the radio, tv and electrical workshop. This building was dusty and dirty, with an old wooden stair case. Looking back, I hate to think of the consequences in the event of fire. Not much Health and Safety back then.

I stayed in the Television and Radio service trade until the late sixties working at various G A Hubbard branches.