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Sweeneys , tv rentals

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 ;;;
 
The first TV we ever had was a coin meter 6d,for 4hrs viewing,normally you had more than enough in the box to cover your payments,which were collected every month,i loved it, i used to save any 6ds i got and would have a few shillings to buy something nice each month, most places stopped the meter method of paying when customers started breaking the meters,
 
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

Cant agree with that !

a good, trained TV engineer, especially during the 60s had to be multi skilled, unlike most service engineers working in industry or say telephone engineers. They spent longer in training than doctors.

There were of course numpties, there are in any trade. but most TV engineers could turn their hand to just about anything. Had to, the wages were so poor they couldnt afford to pay to get anything done !

Then came the 70s, when Colour TV caught on, and when the bigger rental companies, like Granada & Visionhire, etc, could afford to employ the best, pay really good money, and supply better cars. Althiugh one or two of the Rental firms like Reddifusion, did employ 'repairmen' that wasnt the same thing.

Sweeneys had pretty high standards if I remember right.
 
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 ;;;

No I think your getting confused there, Boyds of Bond St, later Boyds Rentals sold out in the 70s, to Visionhire I think.
 
My husband was a television engineer and there wasn't much he didn't know about the inside of a TV
 
I worked for sweeney radio inthe 60s, at there head office in ludow road alum rock as a trainee tv engineer. It was a father and son independently run business, and a great company to work for I was allowed day release for college for many years untill I was qualified. and have stayed in the trade ever since
terry jukes
 
we had one with a box on the back.to pay for it.
when i was on nights,sitting in my patrol van (quiet nights) i would look at the tvs through the shop window,wish i could have read lips. lol
 
Bought our first colour tv in 1972 from MEB spent more time in the workshops being repaired than any tv since. We also rented our first VCR from Granada when the tapes cost £14 each (1976) they can't give then away nowadays.
 
Hi, i just joined this forum.i used to work for rf sweeney radio.. Started as a van assistant in 1983 then as a tv engineer a year later. Not much on the web about the firm.. I left in 1989 as i was a union rep and was always at loggerheads with the md ! He wouldnt expand training for staff in new tech that was coming through.. Laserdiscs.. Satelite tv etcetc... Infact he was still trying to service black and white tvs for rental ! .. Stuck in a time warp unfortunetely.. Radio rentals bought them out in 1991 i think....the md said goodnite to staff on a friday as normal.. The next monday 'radio rentals' managent turned up and announced they were in charge now!!! ... It was a nadty shock for my ex colleagues x
 
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