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George Clay - Music Centre

Mayfield

Mayfield

Burbury Brummie
Does anyone have any information of a music company called George Clay, Music Centre, Broad Street, Birmingham? Mabz
 
Hi mazb
i can only recall there name from early years i know they was well established for years
if i remember correctly they was on the postion of what was the all night coffee bar yards from the old register
birth and deaths office they was there for years in fact as it springs to mind the excact spot was next to the old bbc studios on broad street so in fact it would havbe been about 150 yards from the reg office and not on the corner
as i have just stated later on in time i think it was the late seventys they moved to the bottom of snow hill more to the end of the old summer lane en i just cannot think of te named rd of the corner they was on
i think george walker and woods company was only yards from them on the corner it looked like a smaller shop to me
but thats where they moved to they had great instruments and the drummers was always in there shop testing them
infact my oldest brother ron bought is first drum kit from them on broad street when we lived in ladywood the old man and the woman went barmy he bought it becacause he could play the drums like sandy nelson singlie
and he was lead drummer in the 1 st company of the boys brigade at park rd aston undrer captain roberts from albert rd aston and they went into the bbc to record the tunes for the bb brigade on the old 78 records in those days
and that was in the fortys early fifties
incidently cranes was another music shop of brum i came across them in worcester on friday in a back stret and it was then i also thought of clays
im fraid thats all i can tell you about clays best wishes astonion
 
Keith I am not sure if there is a connection but this is from my Key Hill Cemetery folder. The photo and information was handed to the Pen Room about 5years ago by I believe Marjorie's grandsons who worked in the JQ at the time. The music connection caught my eye

Here is the inscription from the grave since my photo was taken the 'friends' have had the memorial refurbished.

Erected by his wife and daughter in loving memory of Alfred Francis Astbury who passed on February 7th 1933. There is no death. Also Marjorie L. Clay beloved wife of Leslie and only daughter of the above who passed on June 26th 1942 aged 37.

Marjorie_Clay.jpg
 
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Thanks Astonian/Wendy for your help, some really interesting information.

A friend of mine had a very old clarinet given to her as a Christmas present and this companies name was on the inside of the case. Out of historical intreague I tried unsuccessfully searching for the company on the internet and hoped that someone on the forum could shed some light on the company; dates, locations and when they stopped trading (if ever they did), etc? Mabz
 
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hi keith, i can see them in the kellys directories for the 1960`s at 285/286 Broad st. up to 1973

also George Clay Accordion School 253 Broad st. in 1956
 
George Clay was a well known accordionist and an adjudicator at the National Accordion Champiosnhips. The shop was managed by a trumpet player and I bought my first set of vibes (Boosey & Hawkes) from there in 1960. His name escapes me for a moment, but it will no doubt come to me the minute after I hit the <RETURN> key! :redface:

And here's a picture of me playing the said vibes at Poole Harbour Yacht Club a few years later. As I left Birmingham in January 1961, I don't know how long the shop survived for.

EDIT: Several mentions on Google for George Clay. Someone alleges he went bankrupt, but this is not borne out by the London Gazette, but he's certainly no longer alive.

Maurice :cool:
 
What a facinating thread Keith. I am sure the Clay family were very involved in music and must all be connected. If Marjory Clay was head of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra there must be more information about. I wonder if Les and George were brothers or cousins? Maurice what a great picture of you! I am keeping fingers crossed someone will find a gem!
 
I had my music lessons at George Clays Accordion school in Broad Street in the late 50's... I still have sheet music with George Clay's photo on it. I met him quite a few times. I believe his sister taught at the school too. I still have my accordion. I can remember the shop with all the musical instruments. My lessons were over a shop further up the road - it was on the same side as Lee Longlands furniture shop. Georgie
 
hello all, i bought my drum kit from George clay's on broad st in about 1970, and only stopped playing about 10 years ago, it was my second kit, ibought my first one from a shop in Staition st in the early 60's called Mansells it was ran by a sax player called Trevor Emeny i think.

shardeen
 
Trevor Emeny is still about and still playing, though I haven't seen him for 50 years! :)

I can't remember Mansells, but it is possible that it started up after I left Birmingham.

Maurice :cool:
 
Georgie - is there any chance of you posting a copy of George Clay's photograph?

Thanks to everyone for your comments, they are really interesting. Strange what interest a battered old clarinet can unearth.... Mabz
 
Hi Mayfield - when I posted the reply... I thought... someone will want the picture. Funnily enough I found my box of sheet music the other day so I went straight to it this morning. I will have to scan for you. I have never tried to upload pics on to the forum so will have to send to you in an attachment on an email... is that ok? You can then upload on to the BH Forum. Georgie
 
It was opposite Modern Exchanges, same side as the register office.

Bought my first decent ish Bass there in about 1973. Wasnt very impressed with the shop. The salesman had no idea what was what with it, they were supposed to set it up for me but when I collected it they just said I needed to " twiddle the little screws on the bridge"

If I remember right the shop in Snow Hill was Yardleys, then Musical Exchanges, then Reverb, then Sound Control, which closed down a few months ago.
 
I went to George Clay's shop several times in the mid 70's. The trumpet player somebody mentioned earlier might have been Cecil Viles. He sold me a trumpet from a company called Getzen, in USA. They were a Getzen dealer. Kenny Ball (of Jazzmen fame) played on Getzen trumpets and he was a frequent visitor to the shop when he was playing in Pebble Mill at One on the BBC. I can't remember when I last visited the shop, but it was after I had moved away from Birmingham. On one visit, just to see what had become of the place, I was told that Cecil Viles had died and many of the staff had been to his funeral a few days before.
 
Ah, Cecil Viles - that was the name I was trying to think of! :)

Cecil [Herbert] VILES (it's a pretty rare combination of forename & surname so I think this must be he) passed away in March 1993 at Kidderminster. He was born on 25 February 1917, making him almost 20 years older than me, which would be about right. Well done, Alan.

Maurice :cool:
 
Wendy said:
Keith I am not sure if there is a connection but this is from my Key Hill Cemetery folder. The photo and information was handed to the Pen Room about 5years ago by I believe Marjorie's grandsons who worked in the JQ at the time. The music connection caught my eye

Here is the inscription from the grave since my photo was taken the 'friends' have had the memorial refurbished.

Erected by his wife and daughter in loving memory of Alfred Francis Astbury who passed on February 7th 1933. There is no death. Also Marjorie L. Clay beloved wife of Leslie and only daughter of the above who passed on June 26th 1942 aged 37.
Click to expand...

Leslie Clay (My grandad), was not related to George Clay

It was my father - Leslie and Marjorie's son, who had the grave repaired.

Spencer Clay
 
Hello Spencer thank you for clearing up the confusion I didn't realise it was your father who had the grave restored. I have visited the grave many times and I was so upset when health and safety laid it down. It's so nice to see it back as it should be. You must be very proud of your grandparents. Best wishes to your family Wendy.
 
Actually got some clarity from my dad, he did have the grave restored originally but then the grave became unsafe and the stone laid down by health and safety, and then in fact it was restored by the 'friends' most recently.
 
Thank you for the info Spencer lets hope it stays upright for many years to come now. The friends do a brilliant job and are always fundraising to help restore the graves.
 
Spencer how proud you must be that your grandparents were such talented and accomplished musicians, so sad that your grandmother died so young. Can anyone remember the name of the music shop on Alum Rock Road next to Southalls? It would have been opposite Farndon Road, I'm sure it was still there in the 70's.

Macca
 
My brother had sincipation lessons somewhere on Broad street. Could have been there?. Jean. [Excuse the spelling please].
 
Re George Clay.

I took piano accordion lessons at his music school in the early 50s, at that time he had some rooms over a music shop called Yardleys, if my memory is correct this was in Constitution Hill ( the road that ran parallel with Snow Hill,) my teacher was a lovely young lady named Pamela Deakin sadly no longer with us.

She became ranked No 8 in the world and used to appear on radio programmes such as workers playtime,I often was tutored by George himself, I believe he had worked at the Birmid factory prior to this.

After the Yardleys school he took some space in Broad Street I think alongside a Motor dealer but I may be wrong about this, I went to several accordion events with his school some in London and one I remember well was in Coventry where I was fortunate enough to win the under 16 solo section of a competition, I still have the little cup and cherish it fondly.

My first (grown up) accordion was a Goudini italian 120 base, which George demonstrated to my father who was paying for it, I have lots and lots of happy memories of the George Clay musc school, it was after this that I remember him opening his music shop in Broad Street.

I am now 69 but love the memories, I hope someone finds this of interest.
 
What lovely memories frankbck I have always wanted to play an instrument but sadly never did. I think my mom had bad memories of piano lessons. My uncle had an accordion and I remember he put it on me once and I could hardly stand up!
 
hi fat fingers;
you are quite correct they left broad street and went to snow hill and openend up stairs for there drums selling and
try and testing and you choose if you want to buy or not ;
whilst on the subject of clays ; i been watching the thread about the un named thearter on broad street ; and i notice lencoop
saying he thought it was part of the BBC studios its quite possible be true for any body remembers clays ;
The BBC studios was directly at the side of claytons at the rear there was a opening and pathe that you walked up to the BBC studios
it was a couple of storyies high and the logo was above it stating the BBC; soif they was doing a weekly series there it could possibly been a studio for them in which they used as well for that programe as it was less than half a mile from them up the broad street on the same side so i would be inclined to go along with len on that and thats what it was as soulman went on ;
claytons was right in front of the beeb and later went to snow hill and it was next to a firm called walker and if i remember corectly they made bike sadles bst wishes astonian
 
frankbck said:
Re George Clay.

I took piano accordion lessons at his music school in the early 50s, at that time he had some rooms over a music shop called Yardleys, if my memory is correct this was in Constitution Hill ( the road that ran parallel with Snow Hill,) my teacher was a lovely young lady named Pamela Deakin sadly no longer with us.

She became ranked No 8 in the world and used to appear on radio programmes such as workers playtime,I often was tutored by George himself, I believe he had worked at the Birmid factory prior to this.

After the Yardleys school he took some space in Broad Street I think alongside a Motor dealer but I may be wrong about this, I went to several accordion events with his school some in London and one I remember well was in Coventry where I was fortunate enough to win the under 16 solo section of a competition, I still have the little cup and cherish it fondly.

My first (grown up) accordion was a Goudini italian 120 base, which George demonstrated to my father who was paying for it, I have lots and lots of happy memories of the George Clay musc school, it was after this that I remember him opening his music shop in Broad Street.

I am now 69 but love the memories, I hope someone finds this of interest.
Click to expand...
In The50s I also took Saxaphone lessons in the same rooms over the Yardleys shop. I remember the noise of all the instruments, Happy days, John Crump OldBrit Parker. Co USA
 
Mayfield said:
Does anyone have any information of a music company called George Clay, Music Centre, Broad Street, Birmingham? Mabz
Click to expand...

Hi Mayfield, I remember George Clay in Broad Street during the early 60's. It used to be part of the 'tour' that me and my mate Chris used to do every Saturday - Jones & Crossland, Woodroffes, Yardleys, Musical Exchange and George Clays. I believe he used to make his own amplifiers 'Rigby Sound' but that may not be true. We used to spend hours just visiting these shops and playing the instruments (guitars mainly) and meeting up with other members of the many budding groups there were in Brum during those days. Happy days.
 
frankbck said:
Re George Clay.

I took piano accordion lessons at his music school in the early 50s, at that time he had some rooms over a music shop called Yardleys, if my memory is correct this was in Constitution Hill ( the road that ran parallel with Snow Hill,) my teacher was a lovely young lady named Pamela Deakin sadly no longer with us.

She became ranked No 8 in the world and used to appear on radio programmes such as workers playtime,I often was tutored by George himself, I believe he had worked at the Birmid factory prior to this.

After the Yardleys school he took some space in Broad Street I think alongside a Motor dealer but I may be wrong about this, I went to several accordion events with his school some in London and one I remember well was in Coventry where I was fortunate enough to win the under 16 solo section of a competition, I still have the little cup and cherish it fondly.

My first (grown up) accordion was a Goudini italian 120 base, which George demonstrated to my father who was paying for it, I have lots and lots of happy memories of the George Clay musc school, it was after this that I remember him opening his music shop in Broad Street.

I am now 69 but love the memories, I hope someone finds this of interest.
Click to expand...

Hiya Frank, my dad bought me an accordion from George Clay's around 1958, it was quite small compared to some, in a beautiful Red marble. I never could master it and later swapped it with a friend for a guitar (with a broken string)
I often wonder how much it would have cost, I could kick myself now!!
 
Hi I have recently joined this forum and noticed this thread about George Clay Music Centre. George Clay was my father and sadly passed away in January 1994. It is correct that the shop moved to Small brook Queensway, when Broad Street was being regenerated. Just to let people know, he did not go bankrupt, but sold the business as he retired due to ill health. I was always told that dad was on the daytime TV programme Lunchbox? It would be great if anyone had any information or memories of this.
 
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