Francois
( Feb24, 2016) I used to visit Francois in my lunch break in the 1980’s. We used to have a record club at the Croydon Advertiser, which was just down the road towards Croydon. Everyone chipped in enough money for one person to buy an LP every month which then got passed around amongst us all. It was a good way to hear music you wouldn’t normally choose! When my turn came to buy an LP I was browsing the racks in Francois when they started playing a song which caught my ear. Asking at the counter it turned out to be Go West’s “We Close Our Eyes” so I bought their first album. The shop was arranged with records on the left side and camera equipment on the right with the counter at the far end. Dave Harwood.
( May 6, 2016) Phone book search results for ‘Francois’ at 4 Purley Parade, High Street, Purley, showed it was open from 1957 to 1977. It then became ‘Purley Cameras’ which continued to sell records at the same address from 1977 to 1992. This would mean that I bought Go West’s first album at Purley Cameras in 1985. I also found a liquidation entry in The London Gazette dated 11 May 1992 for FARMWOOD ELECTRICAL LIMITED (trading as Purley Cameras) Retailer of Cameras and Records at 4 Purley Parade, Purley, Surrey: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52916/page/8118/data.pdf Comment: Dave Harwood
11th March 2015, on a Facebook page relating to a reunion of St. Peter’s School, Coulsdon:
Vanessa Green: “Bridget Maxwell went to school in Purley with me and Marilyn Mitchell, her Dad owned Francois the camera and record shop by Astoria cinema.”
Name Wendy Carter Comment: I worked and ran Francois records which was at the back of the camera department for Alex Falk The Camera Centre (Whitgift Centre) previously Camera Corner Pit Lake Bridge. From early 1970's until 1976 It was an exciting time in music and saw the birth of Queen amongst others we went through decimalisation, the miners strike and 3 day weeks half day closing on a Wednesday and lunch time closing as well as not working Sundays. Happy days. (March 10, 2017)
( May 6, 2016) Phone book search results for ‘Francois’ at 4 Purley Parade, High Street, Purley, showed it was open from 1957 to 1977. It then became ‘Purley Cameras’ which continued to sell records at the same address from 1977 to 1992. This would mean that I bought Go West’s first album at Purley Cameras in 1985. I also found a liquidation entry in The London Gazette dated 11 May 1992 for FARMWOOD ELECTRICAL LIMITED (trading as Purley Cameras) Retailer of Cameras and Records at 4 Purley Parade, Purley, Surrey: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52916/page/8118/data.pdf Comment: Dave Harwood
11th March 2015, on a Facebook page relating to a reunion of St. Peter’s School, Coulsdon:
Vanessa Green: “Bridget Maxwell went to school in Purley with me and Marilyn Mitchell, her Dad owned Francois the camera and record shop by Astoria cinema.”
Name Wendy Carter Comment: I worked and ran Francois records which was at the back of the camera department for Alex Falk The Camera Centre (Whitgift Centre) previously Camera Corner Pit Lake Bridge. From early 1970's until 1976 It was an exciting time in music and saw the birth of Queen amongst others we went through decimalisation, the miners strike and 3 day weeks half day closing on a Wednesday and lunch time closing as well as not working Sundays. Happy days. (March 10, 2017)
sticker 1971
“The 1972 Croydon phone book has ‘Camera Centre’ at 82 Church Street, Croydon and also at 96 Whitgift Centre, Croydon. At least one branch sold records, as the attached price sticker for 99 n.p. (new pence – decimal day was 15/2/71) shows. It was stuck on the front of a copy of the 1971 released Sunset LP ‘Cotton Fields’ by the Johnny Mann Singers. The Whitgift Centre branch was at that location until at least 1983, by which time Alex Falk had opened ‘Mr. Cad’ (Camera Audio Discount) at 1034 Whitgift Centre as well. I have a 1981 ‘Mr. Cad’ receipt that has the registered company name as ‘Francois Photographic Ltd.’ which confirms the link. ‘Camera Centre’ in Church Street had been there since 1966 and there was also a branch at 8 Station Road, West Croydon in 1967 where I bought my first SLR camera. Company details still exist on the internet for ‘Francois (Photographic) Ltd.’ at 294a High Street, Sutton, Surrey with the same company number that is on my 1981 ‘Mr. Cad’ receipt. I remember taking my camera to the Sutton shop for repair in the mid 1970’s. What a tangled web!” Dave Harwood (May 17, 2017)
