Lamenting the demise of Tottenham Court Road

[peterh337]

I remember Tottenham Court Road but even more so Edgware Road, from 1969 onwards.

Henry's Radio, GW Smith, and others long pre-dated Maplin.

It all died out as hobbies became unfashionable and the public ridiculed anyone who was "into" something as an anorak or a weirdo. So the electronics magazines died out, with Wireless World hanging on for longer than most.

TCR is still there with a fair number of "electornics" shops but it's all the same junk.

 

[rpb424]

All I can see are a measly couple of the usual chain stores (phone shops). Can’t see a single independent any more.

 

[peterh337]

I am sure half the shops (selling "electronic", not phones) are owned by the same family

 

[Black Hole]

So the electronics magazines died out

Not all of them. Wireless World was more at the professional end. The hobbyist magazines I remember were Everyday Electronics, Practical Electronics, Electronics Today International (ETI) and Elektor. So far as I know, Elektor is still going. Everyday Electronics merged with Practical Electronics to become Everyday Practical Electronics (EPE). Then that merged with ETI to become "EPE with ETI", then "EPE", and recently renamed back to Practical Electronics again.

Life has changed. It used to be the case that if you were skilled with a sewing machine you could knock out your own clothes cheaper than the shops - but that's not the case now, and neither is it the case with electronics.

 

[MikeSh]

Life has changed. It used to be the case that if you were skilled with a sewing machine you could knock out your own clothes cheaper than the shops - but that's not the case now, and neither is it the case with electronics.

Most of the 'practical' or creative hobbies have shrunk dramatically now. Different times, different priorities, different alternative pastimes.
Maybe the current restrictions will revitalise some, at least for a while.