Croydon Cine Exchange

Name: Dave Harwood
Comment: There was a camera shop in South End, right near the Blue Anchor pub, that had a record section at the back of the shop. I can’t remember what it was called, but I discovered it after spotting a carousel rack of records outside whilst passing by on the top deck of a bus. I got off at the next stop and bought the first Electric Light Orchestra album plus The Band’s Cahoots so that dates it to 1971 or later. Oh, and Accolade 2 with Don Partridge, also 1971. The guy who ran the shop was very helpful and ordered a lot of obscure British jazz albums on Deram for me. He had a nice selection of reduced price classical LPs which pretty much kick-started my classical collection. I think he sold some hi-fi stuff as well – Quad electrostatic speakers that looked like radiators!

Name: Gary Cooper
Comment: I always bought my records from a shop in South Croydon opposite Whitgift Galleries by the Blue Anchor next to that old antique shop. It was a photography shop with records out the back and the guy who ran it smoked a pipe and was very laid back and into classical music - couldn`t understand why I listened to all this King Crimson, Led Zep, David Bowie etc. So much so that he gave me Vaughan Williams' London Symphony which got me into classical music too.
(12 May 2013)

Name: Philip Gamble
Comment: Croydon Cine Exchange was a business started by my grandfather (Wilfred Penrose Gamble) who was son of the founder partner of Hunter Penrose, a printing supply firm which still exists to this day. The photographic and printing industries were intermingled in those days and Croydon Cine Exchange was ultimately taken over by my father Peter Gamble who is the chap with the pipe referred to by Gary Cooper. Oddly, I still use a pair of the speakers made by Quad which look like radiators sold to Dave Harwood. I have many pictures of the shop, the staff and surrounding areas if there is an interest.