Hi folks,
I stumbled across this site by chance and seeing some of the names posted here felt I was duty bound to add my six penny worth!
Back in the late 1960's my Father (a coin collector) befriended a chap in Palmerston Road in Boscombe, Bournemouth. His name was George Blackwell and he
had a shop called 'The Coin Cabinet'. Well, over the next few years their friendship grew and Dad would join George on Sunday morning trips up to Cutler Street which is off Petticoat Lane in
the east end of London with me in tow! I couldn't believe some of the sites I saw, quite scruffy attired men with pockets crammed with coins and a bunch of notes that they had a job to get
their hands around! George would buy large amounts from all manner of folk to stock his shop until the next visit! Later, George asked my Father if he would like to help him at the coin fairs
which George attended, around 4 - 5 times a year. Dad jumped at this and George said bring your son if you want! I was 14 when we went to our 1st fair at the 'Rougemont Hotel' opposite
Exeter Central railway station which I think was a 2 or 3 day affair. This was 1968 and for a lad of that age who'd never stayed in a hotel it was like another world with all the luxury rooms
and food you could only dream of eating!
After this came the Midland Hotel in Birmingham, the Piccadilly in Manchester, the Cumberland in Marble Arch and the Imperial in Blackpool which George couldn't attend due to
ill health but insisted Dad and I go with the stand and it was a total success. I remember getting into a lift at the Cumberland and Mary Quant the fashion designer was there with I assume,
her husband! At the Cumberland George did some business with a couple of Brothers (millionaires!) whose surname was Hearn, one of them I recall was Bernard but can't remember the
other?!
George's Wife Ada always came to the fairs with us, she was a lovely lady and added attraction to the stand! Sadly George did not enjoy good health in the early 70's and passed
on I think around 1974. I have kept in touch with Ada from all those many years ago until her passing in 2015 aged 90.
I remember talking to Lawrence from R & L coins at one of the fairs, he would be a few years older than me I think?!
Other names that spring to mind:-
Mike Harrison Leeds coin centre
Ava Hardy from London
Fred Jeffries, I remember going to his house in Melksham, Wiltshire, with Dad to collect some coins he'd found for him.
Peter Ireland from Blackpool
Jeff Cook, who I think put George onto the Cutler Street Sunday gatherings! A footnote to Jeff, I remember going to visit him in Winchester prison with my Dad in the early 70's, he was serving I think, 21 months for hitting a Policeman after drowning his sorrows due to marital problems! Nowadays you'd probably get a warning?!! How times have changed!
Hope this may be of interest to some of you and perhaps jog a few memories!?
All the very best
Terry