Langley Records

A favourite haunt of mine.

I found this advert in the 'Esher News & Mail' dated 13th July 1972: “LANGLEY’S RECORDS: Records - Music Cassettes - Tokens – Needles - 8-Track Cartridges – Tapes. 70 WALTON ROAD, EAST MOLESEY, SURREY.” … and this advert in the 4th October 1973 edition: “LANGLEY’S RECORDS IS NOW AT 466 WALTON ROAD, WEST MOLESEY. Telephone: 01-979 3648. OPENING OFFER: LONG PLAYING RECORDS £2.17 Reduced to £1.99.”

Closed around 2015 after the Royal Mail next door got a court order to evict Geoff Langley (in his 80s by this point), which he ignored - I think he ended up getting locked out of his shop. A sad end to one of the few surviving record shops in the area, which I think had been open for nearly 50 years when it shut. It was clearly long past its heyday and the owner was a garrulous curmudgeon, but in its day I think it was a huge overseas distributor. Someone told me the stock was sold as a job lot to an American record store.

In the late 1950s my sister Sheila was engaged to Geoff Langley. I was 11 years old and idolised him to the extent that I started wearing my wristwatch on the inside of my wrist like he did and still do to this day. He gave me his extensive stamp album which somehow disappeared over the years. Sadly the engagement didn't last and I remember feeling sad that I would never see him again. It wasn't until a few years ago that I found out about his shop in East Molesey. I wish I had visited him to remind him of ancient times!