'At the Hop' in the Fulham rd was a great little shop, I got loads my my Punk/New wave demo's in there from 1978-82.It was knocked down in the 1990's for a little slip road 'Cafe Nero' is now the closest to where the shop was. At The Hop was not replaced by a Costa Coffee...that fate befell The Fulham Record & Tape Exchange. Apart from Rob Finnis, Canadian John also worked there (a well known Portobello/ladbroke Grove character. Comment:
Robin Wills
At The Hop was a great shop for vinyl bootlegs too. I used to call in there every couple of Fridays on the way home from work and blow my wages on the latest live Buzzcocks, Pistols or Clash record he may have had in (all under the counter and only sold to regulars). There was another shop further down Fulham Road opposite the hospital run by a hippy looking bloke, we were regulars in there going in most evenings when one day he whispered to us he had five copies of a Pistols boot called 'Indecent Exposure' and he had to get rid of them quickly as he'd get killed if someone found out he was selling them. £5 each, I had to shoot home and raid my savings I just had to have it, first boot I ever bought to and smuggling it home (the cover had a picture of a cock with a ring and chain through it). Being caught in possession of a bootleg in those days was akin to being caught in possession of a class A drug today.
(Jan 13, 2014) Colin said:Only saw rob get ratty once ,when someone put parcel of greasy chips on top of the rack of cardboard sleeved 45s and gave them a coating of chip grease. Great shop ,now a dry cleaners outlet. flag like
(Nov 26, 2013) Clive Webb said:I found my copy of 'Jet Black' by The Drifters (before they were the Shadows) there for £10 in 1981. I'd been looking for it for years... I spent many happy afternoons there...thanks Rob.
(Nov 26, 2013) Clive Webb said:I found my copy of 'Jet Black' by The Drifters (before they were the Shadows) there for £10 in 1981. I'd been looking for it for years... I spent many happy afternoons there...thanks Rob.
(Jan 3, 2013) Marc Griffiths said:It was run by Rob Finnis, who I believe did indeed administer a reissue label and also produced Mandrake Paddle Steamer, a late `60s UK band. At The Hop, which I'd frequently visit on Saturday afternoons, specialised in `50s R&R and R&B and was always packed out with teds, jivers and rockabilly types. When Rob's peppercorn rent arrangement came to an end in the late `80s, he got huffy and moved a bit further up the Fulham Road to share premises with another oldies shop. I don't think that lasted long as Rob had a bit of an abrasive personality and wasn't liked by everyone. On one of my few visits there, he got seriously cheesed off with me as I didn't buy the 45s I'd asked him to play!
It's sad to hear that the premises are gone, though no great surprise in an area like this. There was also an excellent vegetarian cafe just along from it, in the days when veggie food was a scarcity.
(June 20, 2012) Anonymous said:Remember it well, it was the size of a phone box and only opened Friday afternoons and saturdays. I think the owner ran a rock and roll re-issue label the rest of the week.
Comment
I used to buy loads of great Rock'n'Roll records from Rob in there.Fantastic little shop.
Name
Nick Martin
(2022)
