Comment: We lived in Forest Drive West and our tellies, radios, record players and records were bought by my dad from Stanwoods. My dad knew the 'Boss' and would call in after work on a Saturday for a chat and, if we were lucky, he would bring home a record!
Name: Chris Jones
Comment: I bought my first records at Stanwoods in West Street, Rochford in 1961/2.
At the back of the electrical store was a small record department with two standing listening booths. At that time we borrowed a record player before buying a Defiant model at the Co-op store in Southend.
Those first records were precious as I had to save hard-earned pocket money. I still have a Stanwoods record paper bag.
The record department was short-lived and soon disappeared and as mentioned the store was taken over by Rumbleows before finally closing.
Name: David Brocken
Comment: My then 13-year-old brother took me there to get my first ever single which he bought for my ninth Birthday (Excert From A Teenage Opera)
Name: Kathy Smith
Comment: Used to buy my records there; I remember the booths, you could listen to them first, first one was Tommy Steele's Little White Bull, must have been about 1959\60.
Name: Peter Grafton
Comment: Great to see their storefront. In 1958, they had listening booths for hearing 45s: that’s where I listened to Jerry Lee, Little Richard, Lord Rockingham’s 11, The Champs, Buddy Holly, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, Jack Scott. And I’m still listening to music.
Name: Ian Rough
Comment: I bought my first album, The Eagles - not The Eagles you may know!
Name: Keith Ramsey
Comment: To answer my own question, after a bit of Googling, it seems that one of the directors of the company was indeed Stan Wood.
I was surprised to learn that Stanwoods was a chain with over 60 branches across the east of England. I can’t remember ever seeing another branch, and I’d always assumed that it was a local company.
