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Sweeneys , tv rentals

A

Astonian

gone but not forgotten
does any-body recall sweeneys tv.s rentals from the fiftys
we had our first tele from them but we always had problemswith there
sets and the old man went and rented one from a tv shop on the aston cross yards from the goldencross pub where he worked and a couple of doors
a way from the aston cross libary
best wishes to one and all astonian ;;
 
Do remember sweeneys Astonian as my aunt Nell used to rent from there. We couldn't afford a tv then so I spent loads of time over the road at aunt and uncles. When we did rent one is was from somewhere on the Coventry road and can't think of the name but they were very good. Jean.
 
'the old man went and rented one from a tv shop on the aston cross yards from the goldencross pub where he worked and a couple of doors
a way from the aston cross libary'


That sounds like Boyds of Bond St.
 
Our first telly came from our local Sweeney's it were a Murphy and our dad got it so we could watch the Coronation.
 
Hi Jayell: I was trying to think of the place that my parents rented their first colour TV from and now I remember it was Radio Rentals. Did they have a shop in Town? I think a lot of people rented their colour TV's because the price was very high to buy one and if your set went wrong it cost a lot of money to get them fixed.
 
There used to be lots of tv rental firms in the 60s national as well as local, i cant think of any still trading now.
 
A lot of people used to rent from Jolly's on the Witton. My friend Dianne worked there for years. Jean.
 
hi jean
i remember jollys tv and radio shop at witton
when i8 lived in inkerman house new town row in the 70,s
and went scouring around for a tv it was a sunday night and the UB 40
Was making a video for there records and standing in there door way was the lead singer mimeing and they was recording the shot my old dutches got estatic and she got id autograph and thats how i never for got good old jollys he was quite
reasonable in is prices , col h ; i think you was right at first it was bonds , then it changed to sweeneys of the cross have a nice day every body even thou its gonna be a wet one . best wishes astonian ;;;
 
My dad used to rent a TV from Les Smith, a radio and television shop in Witton Road. Les Smith was an Aston Villa player and I remember him commenting on my thighs saying I would make a good player. If he only knew I was to develop a lifelong loathing of the sport.
I also remember there was no delivery and installation service in those days,I can still picture dad carrying a TV up Trinity Road and how later in the day the frustration of tuning the set. Dad was a man of little patience though fortunately the sash windows were too high to throw it groundwards. Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the flowerbox men...and of course Lunchbox. Happy days!.
 
John how about Luby Lue?. Pete remembers Les Smiths shop as he lived close by and his parents had their first TV from him. Rented I presume. Jean.
 
Astonian said:
does any-body recall sweeneys tv.s rentals from the fiftys
we had our first tele from them but we always had problemswith there
sets ...
Click to expand...

I bought one of their ex-rental Ferguson sets in 1989 from their shop in Acocks Green - it would have been made in 1982 I think.

I am still using it as my main TV set now! Perhaps I was lucky?

I don't want a flat screen - it wouldn't fill the space in the corner properly ;-)

Regards

Paul
 
A neighbour of mine once had a rental telly that was coin operated,she was forever knocking the door for coins.
I can't remember what coin it took.
 
My first job was for a firm called View Well on Dudley Rd ( no. 504 I think ). Almost next to, and partly above Woolworths.

By any chance has anyones got a Photo of that bit of Dudley Rd, or of the Woolworths etc.
 
Alberta our first couple of tv's had coin boxes on the side and I think they were for shillings. Jean.
 
johndavies said:
My dad used to rent a TV from Les Smith, a radio and television shop in Witton Road. Les Smith was an Aston Villa player and I remember him commenting on my thighs saying I would make a good player. If he only knew I was to develop a lifelong loathing of the sport.
I also remember there was no delivery and installation service in those days,I can still picture dad carrying a TV up Trinity Road and how later in the day the frustration of tuning the set. Dad was a man of little patience though fortunately the sash windows were too high to throw it groundwards. Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben the flowerbox men...and of course Lunchbox. Happy days!.
Click to expand...

John nice story about Les Smith, Aston Villa were appearing at Wembley in a League Cup Final. My late Sister knew how much I was a Villa Fan and one weekend near the Final she walked in to Mom's and said here's a present for you, it was a ticket for the Final. How did you do that got it from Les Smith, yes I walked into the shop and told him how you had been a supporter for years and he gave her a couple of Tickets.
I put this story on another thread about Electrical Shops in Witton months ago.
 
Yes Jean and sad, she was my younger Sister and isn't around to read my message
 
Nice one alf
but you didn,t expect that in a million years ,
you must be a lucky person you would not got from those blue noses eh ,
nice reading that story i always say villa players and fans are the salt of the earth
so we are gonna start playing the blues again next year then alf
so there will be more fighting on the pitch whatdo you reckon .?,
have a nice day alf best wishes astonion ;;;;
 
I reckon not much on TV because Wolves are also there, it was usually like that when we had 4 teams in the top flight.
 
hi eric
thanks for that info;;i always thought the family went bankrupt
and that they sold out to colliss,s tv
best wishes astonian;;;;
 
Well according to the London Gazette, Sweeney (TV & Radio Services) Limited was put in the hands of the Official Receiver in May 1967, but this was simply because it was a dormant company, notice to that effect having been posted in the preceding February. So that seems to suggest that it was taken over by another company.

Sorry but I couldn't find anything about a sailing accident!

Maurice
 
Hi sospira
i have to agree with what you have said regarding the dates
or should i say at least the year and i had to think twice about it regarding the family accident i didnt think that was the case
and as i said bankrupt procceeding or as you want to refere it as the receivership i call it bankrupt i am still incline to think it was collisses whom took it on best wishes astonian ;;;
 
When we got married we bought a Philips B&W Tv from Collis, it had a coin meter on the back and I fitted a small switch to it to override the meter when we were broke!
years later we had a early stereo video from Sweeney which was great until the heads went and the "idiot" who repaired it adjusted the stereo audio heads and from then it went back and forth for over 12 monthe, it ended up at the manufactures who sealed the case as they said someone was messing with it but even then when they delivered it back it still didn't work correctly. Sweenys then closed down so we were stuck with it....
 
That was the trouble with rental people - they didn't employ REAL engineers, just a band of board swappers! If swapping a board didn't fix it, the set went back to the "workshop" and you were given a temporary replacement which was often much better than your regular set! Most of them couldn't even use a soldering iron!

When asked if we could keep a temporary set, the answer was generally "yes, but it will cost you more" - an excuse to put the rent up and not have to return a problem set into service!

Maurice
 
I worked for Sweeneys for 12 years . they were good company to wori with. Bob Sweeney was in nominal charge. although James was thr Elder statesman. i was at the Stratford rd shop then Manager at The Yew Tree and finally manager at the Chelmsley wood shop. they sold out finally to Radio Rentals.
 
Hi guys
i seem to recall the bussiness that swenneys had took over
was orinionaly boyeds tv electricals appliances
and well tvs from duley rd was one of the first to do he coin box operating tv on rentals for 6d
best wishes astonian ;;;
 
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