Remember when there was that big one on the corner of Piccadilly Circus, squatting like Elvis on the bog, barely interested in the threats posed by Virgin and HMV on the other side of the traffic? Well that particular Tower Records left the building a while ago, but now they all have - Tower has gone out of business, and disappeared for good. The Davis branch closed down last week, after a couple of months of desperate sales. Faced with Tower's debts, their suppliers had refused to stock them, and so they went belly up. The small independent record store across the street (Armadillo's) was I'm sure delighted that the big chain had been vanquished before they had. However it is not entirely without some sadness, because technically Tower Records was a local business that 'done good'; it started in Sacramento, its offices are in West Sacramento (Yolo county, same as Davis), and the 'tower' refers to the old Tower theatre which is a Sac landmark. So there you go. Hey, the first Tesco store was located in my native Burnt Oak, and look at them now, but what do I want, a medal? Actually yes I do, but that's beside the point. God it's freezing here in California now. Colder than London (but probably sunnier).
tower to the people
2.12.06 20:37
|
strandman / Website (4.12.06 08:00)  PAat on back and Medal. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen, who served with the Royal Air Force during the First World War. After returning in 1919, 21 year old Jack invested 30 pounds of his reward for military service to buy surplus food stockpiles and he opened a little stall in East London. On the first day he had a four pound turnover and one pound profit. Little by little, his business started to boom and Jack expanded to other markets all over London. He also began wholesale trade.
The first line of Cohen brand goods placed on the market was Tesco tea. In 1924, the name which the company later took on as its corporate name emerged. The name Tesco contains the initials of the owner of the firm, Mr. T. E. Stockwell, who supplied the firm with tea and of the initials of Jack’s surname – Cohen. Towards the end of the twenties, instead of stall trade Jack focused on window shop trade taking place on the main street. In 1929, the name Tesco first flared above a shop provided with a lock in North London (Burnt Oak, Edgware)- so technically you are correct. AICMFP |
|
petescully / Website (4.12.06 08:31) And when it opened at 8am that very first day, there were the local watling park drunks waiting to buy their tennents special brew. I don't know what AICMFP means, or technically. I do know that when i was a kid there were two Tescos in burnt oak, about twenty seconds' walk from each other. One closed and became Superdrugs. There's plenty of superdrug-addicts in burnt oak. |
|
Red Queen / Website (4.12.06 09:43) I remember yon Tower Records, 'twas the first music shop I visited (and almost got lost in) in London ten years ago. "Elvis on the bog" is a cool if slightly disturbing metaphor (now I can see a giant Elvis on a giant seat of gleaming white porcelain [or should that be pink china?] just where the store used to be). |
powered by
20six.co.uk
