All-orders we placed were inserted into said bag with our name written top corner ready for collection. Nigel
Comment
Lovelock's was in Epsom for many years; tiny little shop front, the inside basically had just a small counter-there was a photo of Vaughan Williams there. There was a decent stock of Classical and Popular but a good business was also in ordering customers' wants; there was, apparently, a large overseas customer base-even from Tonga I recall.
The proprietor was Mr. R. C. Westwood, assisted by a mature, knowledgeable lady in the later years; he lived near Dorking and seemed to know-or be a near neighbour of-Andre Previn when he was based over here. He was very much Old School but a charming, personable gentleman and I remember him telling me-a customer from 1966 when of teenage years-a fund of reminiscences (e.g. he'd heard Rachmaninov in Liverpool!).
He had strong opinions (he once refused to order Bernstein's Berlioz Fantastique Symphony for me!) and e.g. Boult could never do any wrong...I lost touch with the shop in the early '80s before it closed, but bumped into the lady assistant some years later and she told me that Mr. Westwood had wished to continue when of quite advanced age but had not had the support from the two main distributors-EMI and Selecta, I recall. I think he passed on around 1984. I'm sure many locals from that era will remember with fondness Lovelock's...
I can't even remember Lovelock's paper bags, certainly didn't keep any. All I recall is the RVW photo on the counter. I used to ask for records by composer and works only. I let the old guy decide what the best version I should have was. First record I bought from him was Solti doing Mahler's 8th. Cost £5.20 on 28/3/74. I think that was a school day and a friend and I went there after school. My friend bought some other Mahler symphony conducted by Haitink which was 20p cheaper as it was on Phillips and mine was on Decca. I think I bought all my Mahler from him by August of the following year.
Name
Nigel Hawkes
(2022)
Comment
I also downsized my LP collection at Epsom Record Centre, in 1988. I recall the guy gave me a bit extra on my 2nd visit as the Pink Floyd album I'd sold him previously had the lamination flipping over onto the edge of the reverse sleeve, indicating an original pressing. He could have just not mentioned it - I had no idea. The Pink Floyd album was the soundtrack to the film More.
Discogs gives the following on the original pressing: The sleeve is a two-piece flipback construction. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. Patent No. 943,898.
Roger Milne
(2022)
