A trip down memory lane

[staffslad]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I seem to remember that Woolworth's entered the video rentals business in the late 80s/early 90s, or at least our local store did. I don't think it lasted that long. I wasn't a member as we already had a few good shops far closer to home at the time. But that was the thing with video shops...there were lots around, but many didn't last long.

I also regularly bought two magazines, Video World and Video Today. Video World had a centre page Page 3 style pin-up, which was an added bonus. Both mags also had pages and pages of ads for adult videos companies at the back. They would have reviews on the latest video film releases and reviews of video equipment. I used to have a pile of those mags, but I am not sure if my wife threw them out when we got married.

At first many shops had sections for both VHS and Betamax, but gradually it became obvious that the Betamax section was getting smaller and the latest releases weren't always put out on Betamax. It was that realisation that made me buy a VHS VCR to supplement my old Betamax machine in 1985, and it allowed me so much more choice when renting films. I still have 3 VHS machines, but sadly my old Sanyo Betamax went to the scrapyard years ago.

Does anyone remember a chain of shops called Colourvision in the 80s/90s? I know they had a shop in Walsall and I bought at least one VCR from them. As well as well known brands there would also be brands that I had never heard of. As well as VCRs, they also sold TVs and Sky equipment.

[Richard1978]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Colourvision also rented out TVs, but as that market was contracting in the 1980s & guess they started to sell electronic goods as well.

[tex]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I seem to remember that Woolworth's entered the video rentals business in the late 80s/early 90s, or at least our local store did. I don't think it lasted that long. I wasn't a member as we already had a few good shops far closer to home at the time. But that was the thing with video shops...there were lots around, but many didn't last long.

I also regularly bought two magazines, Video World and Video Today. Video World had a centre page Page 3 style pin-up, which was an added bonus. Both mags also had pages and pages of ads for adult videos companies at the back. They would have reviews on the latest video film releases and reviews of video equipment. I used to have a pile of those mags, but I am not sure if my wife threw them out when we got married.

At first many shops had sections for both VHS and Betamax, but gradually it became obvious that the Betamax section was getting smaller and the latest releases weren't always put out on Betamax. It was that realisation that made me buy a VHS VCR to supplement my old Betamax machine in 1985, and it allowed me so much more choice when renting films. I still have 3 VHS machines, but sadly my old Sanyo Betamax went to the scrapyard years ago.

Does anyone remember a chain of shops called Colourvision in the 80s/90s? I know they had a shop in Walsall and I bought at least one VCR from them. As well as well known brands there would also be brands that I had never heard of. As well as VCRs, they also sold TVs and Sky equipment.

Yes i had a pile of mags that my wife threw out aswell.

[staffslad]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Colourvision also rented out TVs, but as that market was contracting in the 1980s & guess they started to sell electronic goods as well.

I didn't know that they rented as well. I remember a lot of stuff they sold was cheap from obscure brands. They used to have a big advert in the Express & Star newspaper that I would like to check out. I bought an Orion VCR from them around 1990. I think it cost me £209 or so and had a talking remote control i.e. when you wanted to program it, it would guide you through what to press via voice prompts. I suppose it was a bit of a gimmick.

[staffslad]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Yes i had a pile of mags that my wife threw out aswell.

I'm hoping they got put up into our loft, but I am not confident. I would love to skim through them again. Same with all my old computer mags and hundreds of comics--hopefully they are in a dark corner somewhere, but every search has turned up nothing. Mind you, our loft is chaotic and so I might find them one day.

[tex]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I'm hoping they got put up into our loft, but I am not confident. I would love to skim through them again. Same with all my old computer mags and hundreds of comics--hopefully they are in a dark corner somewhere, but every search has turned up nothing. Mind you, our loft is chaotic and so I might find them one day.

Erm yeah but all the "computers" had staples through there stomachs

[Arran]

Re: A trip down memory lane

I seem to remember that Woolworth's entered the video rentals business in the late 80s/early 90s, or at least our local store did. I don't think it lasted that long. I wasn't a member as we already had a few good shops far closer to home at the time. But that was the thing with video shops...there were lots around, but many didn't last long.

There were also many ethnic video shops that lasted well into the 1990s. I remember an Indian video shop and a Pakistani / Islamic video shop. They had some interesting stuff if you cared to look.

[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

There were also many ethnic video shops that lasted well into the 1990s. I remember an Indian video shop and a Pakistani / Islamic video shop. They had some interesting stuff if you cared to look.

Good to see you contributing to TDML Arran.

[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Who played marbles as a kid? They were all the rage when I was at boarding school. Those and jacks.

[staffslad]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Yes, I played marbles, but mainly at school. Also playing conkers was very popular, and we would put our conkers in the oven to make them harder--stop tittering at the back there. Both marbles and conkers would have "seasons" where they would be most popular. I've not seen kids playing marbles or conkers for so many years now. I doubt if most would even know what they were.

[tex]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Yeah you wont see kids playing marbles again, simple fun we had steel ones we called DOBBERS !..Conkers were banned in schools for being dangerous..flying parts,bruised wrists, we would varnish them to make them hard and then we would also varnish the conkers.

[zabadak]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Erm yeah but all the "computers" had staples through there stomachs

Yeah, those fad diets, eh?

[staffslad]

Re: A trip down memory lane

We called the metal marbles steelies or ironies. Shame modern kids don't have the simple pleasure of playing marbles and conkers. Never mind, perhaps there's a phone app for virtual marbles or conkers.

[Zincubus]

Re: A trip down memory lane

We called the metal marbles steelies or ironies. Shame modern kids don't have the simple pleasure of playing marbles and conkers. Never mind, perhaps there's a phone app for virtual marbles or conkers.

Na .. just a load of games where they can maim or kill someone .. and chat online whilst they do it ..



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Donald the Great]

Re: A trip down memory lane

Never heard of conkers. I was a champion marble player. Had to do something to wile away the monotony. Spent hours playing the two main games. One with two players outside a circle aiming to smash the two marbles inside the circle outside the circle. The other game I recall was flicking your marble into a hole in the centre of a dirt circle.

Jacks were fun.. A good test of hand/eye co-ordination. As we never ate chicken at the school except as a Easter treat we so had no access to the chicken carcass for the bones .. I had to ask mum to keep the bones for when she visited every month. You could also buy them but I preferred the real thing.

Another game I recall to stop us all going up the wall.. was tossing bottle caps literally against a wall. The winner was the one closest to the wall.