From: Jeff@invalid.invalid   
      
   On 30/11/2025 22:14, Cursitor Doom wrote:   
   > On Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:56:09 +0000, Jeff Layman    
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 30/11/2025 18:28, Cursitor Doom wrote:   
   >>> On Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:15:34 +0000, Jeff Layman    
   >>> wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>>    
   >>>   
   >>> IIRC it was called Tandy in the UK. When I lived in Germany, there was   
   >>> Conrad. They were very good stockists of components and certainly a   
   >>> lot better in that regard than Maplin in Britain. I wonder if Maplin   
   >>> are still going? I can't be bothered to look.and care still less.   
   >>   
   >> Still around, but nowadays found in some Jessops and London Camera   
   >> Exchange shops, as well as online.   
   >>   
   >> More years ago than I care to remember, my main source of components was   
   >> Tiny's (in Dalston, North London). As it happens, it's where Alan Sugar   
   >> used to get his electronic stuff according to his autobiography.   
   >> Occasionally, I used the surplus shops in Tottenham Court Road and Lisle   
   >> Street.   
   >   
   > There used to be some fantastic electronic/radio shops in TCR way back   
   > 50-60 years ago.   
      
   That's the sort of time I'm referring to (my first visit to TCR would   
   have been in '60 or '61). Of course, there was still quite a lot of WW2   
   surplus around then at pretty low prices. There were some good   
   communications receivers IIRC, but many required some work. Proops and   
   Z&I Aero were the main sources of surplus in TCR; I can't remember the   
   names of those in Lisle St (there were other "services" offered in Lisle   
   St...). I was told once that Z&I Aero was a front for certain Russian   
   activities. I've no idea if it was true or not, but it couldn't have   
   been supplying much money if it was. It did sell Russian-made valves.   
      
   --   
   Jeff   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)