rallybug Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Sad to see any local business go under, but to add to other comments I had a 2D bulb blow in my bathroom a couple years ago and bought two more from Aldridge's - they only sold the Philips ones at £20+ each/ I then found non-brand ones at Screwfix for just under £4 each. I'm not arguing on the price charged as presumably that was Philips RRP, but to keep my custom they could've stocked a few of a cheaper brand too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dooahhdoo Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I miss seeing Paul in JimmyB's with one of his loud waistcoats and a battery powered fan round his neck. Also, will miss the shop. Have bought many a thing from there in my time including my first PC, various stereos, speakers, subwoofers. Pauls shop will be missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Yup, blame it on Tesco's again, yet we all know Aldrige's to be on par with Colbourne's for having a mark up above and beyond the call of commerce. I was doing some cabling in my last job and ran out of connectors and had to buy some from there and they were charging 75pence per connector, normal online retail being less than ten-pence. Greed served them well for long enough, and all the talk of shop local, why when most local shops are in the fleecing game. Make Tesco's bigger and make my shopping needs cheaper and screw the money-hungry shop-keeps that think it's their right to not have competition and charge daft prices. Bambster does have a point. I am all for "shop local", but when you are getting totally ripped off , why would you pay 40% more when you can buy online (and get free delivery from various sites as well) Oh yes, of course you were willing to wait a day or two to complete the job and pass that charge onto your customer then? Get real and wake up to the economics of small business. It really is unbelievable how some people tend to think that people like Paul who offered convenience and service are profiteering!!! You need to look around and see how difficult it has become to complete a car repair yourself or find that awkward component these days because nobody stocks anything anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busby Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Yup, blame it on Tesco's again, yet we all know Aldrige's to be on par with Colbourne's for having a mark up above and beyond the call of commerce. I was doing some cabling in my last job and ran out of connectors and had to buy some from there and they were charging 75pence per connector, normal online retail being less than ten-pence. Greed served them well for long enough, and all the talk of shop local, why when most local shops are in the fleecing game. Make Tesco's bigger and make my shopping needs cheaper and screw the money-hungry shop-keeps that think it's their right to not have competition and charge daft prices. Bambster does have a point. I am all for "shop local", but when you are getting totally ripped off , why would you pay 40% more when you can buy online (and get free delivery from various sites as well) Oh yes, of course you were willing to wait a day or two to complete the job and pass that charge onto your customer then? Get real and wake up to the economics of small business. It really is unbelievable how some people tend to think that people like Paul who offered convenience and service are profiteering!!! You need to look around and see how difficult it has become to complete a car repair yourself or find that awkward component these days because nobody stocks anything anymore! Yes, I'm still here.. I have been overwealmed by the kind comments I've been getting since the article in the paper... To the many people I have had the pleasure to serve over the last 40 odd years, I say a big 'thank you'. I have genuinly tried my best to treat my customers as friends, and not just customers.. One day, when I can find the time, I will tell you some amusing tails from the other side of the counter.. Take care.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modey Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Aye, sad times. Certainly a lot of folks around our age group will be reminiscing over those glass cabinets that held those 16k/32k/48k/128k/16bit/32bit games in. I mut have been in there every saturday playing on the games in there, great shop in it's time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ermo Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 CBM 64, Firebird's Elite, Mastertronic, US Gold, Epyx Amiga, Lucasfilms, Star Glider 2, Carrier Command Lets be honest here and pay tribute where tribute is due... How many IT careers did Aldrige's help to launch? back in tha day... brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it Cheers Paul for having the vision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busby Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 CBM 64, Firebird's Elite, Mastertronic, US Gold, Epyx Amiga, Lucasfilms, Star Glider 2, Carrier Command Lets be honest here and pay tribute where tribute is due... How many IT careers did Aldrige's help to launch? back in tha day... brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it Cheers Paul for having the vision Thanks 'Ermo' that's very kind.. I have one more day to go and I shall have a big box of hankies to hand - believe me.. I stood in the middle of the shop this afternoon, with the shelves almost bare asking myself have I done the right thing.. The answer is yes, time to move on - start a new chapter.. Thank you all, once again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thriller Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I use to spend my saturdays in there trying out C64 games, Aldrige Audio reminds me of E HUGHES SOCCER , bloody brill game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambster Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Let's put it this way, Aldriges were the purveyor of the Spectrum 48k I got for chrimbo (still got it but no longer have to ask me mum to go behind the Grundig and swap over the cable) so I will give them their dues for launching my interest in computers. But seriously, all those harping on about the fact of convenience etc does not outweigh the mark-up. From memory dongles <love that term> to mp3 players, they stocked them all, but at prices where you'd ponder whether or not someone famous had owned the mp3 player first and you were buying kudos. The local shops play on the hand-your-wallet-in-at-the-door-and-your-first-born-too attitude and if a company opens up and sells the items cheaper they want to form a comfirmative action group against them. We all live in the cut-throat world where everyone wants something cheaper, I'm sure it's like most other companies but with employees if they could get the same for cheaper they'd boot out the other and re-hire at a lower wage, shit rolls down hill granted but don't harp on, just get on with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 Lets be honest here and pay tribute where tribute is due... How many IT careers did Aldrige's help to launch? Definitely mine. First new computer came from there (a Dragon 32), a bunch of others, including an MSX whereI spent a lot of time with MS basic, which served me professionally for most of my career. First PC come from there too, an awful Amstrad thing with two 5.25" fdds, but it got me into database programming with a pirate copy of DbaseII and later Foxbase provided by Balla and I've never looked back! One thing that used to rule about Aldriges is that in the early days he never used to close. You got a problem at 9pm on a friday night? No worries, get down there, he'd still be open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyboarder Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 They should have called it Nerdridges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the mo beats experience Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Every year, boxing day, 2pm stood outside in the queue to spend my xmas money. Good luck with what ever you put your hand to next paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Let's put it this way, Aldriges were the purveyor of the Spectrum 48k I got for chrimbo (still got it but no longer have to ask me mum to go behind the Grundig and swap over the cable) so I will give them their dues for launching my interest in computers. But seriously, all those harping on about the fact of convenience etc does not outweigh the mark-up. From memory dongles <love that term> to mp3 players, they stocked them all, but at prices where you'd ponder whether or not someone famous had owned the mp3 player first and you were buying kudos. The local shops play on the hand-your-wallet-in-at-the-door-and-your-first-born-too attitude and if a company opens up and sells the items cheaper they want to form a comfirmative action group against them. We all live in the cut-throat world where everyone wants something cheaper, I'm sure it's like most other companies but with employees if they could get the same for cheaper they'd boot out the other and re-hire at a lower wage, shit rolls down hill granted but don't harp on, just get on with it. Yes, well eventually we'll get what we deserve, no local shopping, just online and we'll all be the poorer for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambster Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Sorry but when you go out shopping you're not popping out to do your bit for charity, unless your shopping at Oxfam, you are going out shopping because you want something, and just because you want something shouldn't mean that the rule of thumb 'Well It's A Buyers Market' should be emblazoned. We are the customer, how many times does the quote 'If you don't like the prices go elsewhere' well the majority have and now shops are closing and where once these shop-keeps saw dollar signs and heard cash-till registers dinging they not see the boards being placed on their windows and the 'To-Let' signs hammered to their now-closed shops. There is no one to blame but the Arkwright's 'Every pounds a prisoner' approach that the majority of shop-keepers took and now they are paying the price. When the tyres on your car need replacing you phone around and find the cheapest purveyor and go with them, which will probably be a franchised mainstream business instead of a Kevin Websteresque garage outfitted with 3 spanners, a kettle and a hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the mo beats experience Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Sorry but when you go out shopping you're not popping out to do your bit for charity, unless your shopping at Oxfam, you are going out shopping because you want something, and just because you want something shouldn't mean that the rule of thumb 'Well It's A Buyers Market' should be emblazoned. We are the customer, how many times does the quote 'If you don't like the prices go elsewhere' well the majority have and now shops are closing and where once these shop-keeps saw dollar signs and heard cash-till registers dinging they not see the boards being placed on their windows and the 'To-Let' signs hammered to their now-closed shops. There is no one to blame but the Arkwright's 'Every pounds a prisoner' approach that the majority of shop-keepers took and now they are paying the price. When the tyres on your car need replacing you phone around and find the cheapest purveyor and go with them, which will probably be a franchised mainstream business instead of a Kevin Websteresque garage outfitted with 3 spanners, a kettle and a hammer. I'm sure i don't need to explain the fact that a UK-wide website with a massive warehouse full of stock is bound to be able to make more money, therefore making stock cheaper to the customer than a local shop selling to passing trade. Its the way things have gone, i buy off the 'net as much as anyone. But still, the local shops are disappearing fast with the chains being the ones that remain, and thats sad imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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