Vallances

I worked at Vallance & Davison in Mansfield when I left school as office junior (Tea maker) 1959 ish. Year I can't remember but the Davison name was dropped. I remember Martyn Vallance and his father. They opened the record dept which was organised by a chap from Leeds called Lyons, I think they called him Lennie. I moved from the office and ran the record dept. Mark Wynter opened the dept. I went to Leeds for 2/3 weeks to learn the ropes. Remember going to lunch time dance with the girls and Jimmy Saville was the DJ. It was also the first time I had seen a washing line strung across the street from one house to another. Great times.

Loving the memories shared here.I left school at 15 in 1981, or was rather ejected in rapid fashion by the so called School Careers Officer by getting me on a Youth Opportunities Programme at the Otley branch of Valances. Quickly made to feel very welcome despite being shy and unconfident.The manager, Ray Jones was a gent and a character. After a few months, a very difficult customer was repeatedly having a go at me and I was reminded that the customer was always right and just had to go with the flow. The customer spent an hour pressing illogical questions about a possible sale and after another insult, Ray came up and firmly escorted them out and told them to "Bugger off" and apologised to me.Great colleagues and memorable moments. They sent lots of staff on training 'away days' at a big hotel in York. Ceefax was one session lol. Betamax Vs VHS Vs Phillips 2000 the big burning question that year. Salter Yoghurt Makers, Breville Sandwich Makers, top loader video players, Soda streams,Zanussi, TDK, Ferguson , Morphy Richards and the rest We had to know our product. Fear of God put into us knowing Martin Vallance or another family member could drop in suddenly but they were friendly enough. A few famous people came into the shop too and the local customers were great. My YOP Scheme finished in November and they asked me to work up to Christmas on full wage. Huge snow fall but I still got the bus there. They approached me to start permanently in 82 but I'd committed to another trainee placement. Missed their record shop era sadly but started a long record collecting hobby in 83 and got loads of Vallances cardboard sleeves. A colleague from Vallances was Bob who still runs his record shop, barely a 30 second walk away from the long closed Otley branch. A lovely chap.
Fond memories and can still recall the smell of the methylated spirits they made me use to clean the shop floor goods with every morning.