Sheffield History Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 Anyone remember this little gem of a shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponytail Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 9 hours ago, Sheffield History said: Anyone remember this little gem of a shop? https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s41956&pos=6&action=zoom&id=122568 N. R. Bardwell Ltd., electronic components, No 288 Abbeydale Road 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreg Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 I definitely remember Bardwell’s shop in two locations in and around Abbeydale cinema, initially on one of the side roads. The shop in the late 50s / early 60s had a considerable amount of surplus ex WWII parts. I bought former RAF throat microphones, which had a small 4:1 step up transformer. By disassembling the throat mics resulted in small double pole coils remaining, which when assembled into a shaped Perspex cover could be converted into a guitar pickup, with each individual double pole coli located under each individual guitar string. When they were located and wired up to creat a circuit in this manner, the resultant output when fed into an amplifier created the well known guitar sound. i assembled one set for a home made acoustic guitar and a subsequent solid body Burns “look alike”. This I played in our Youth Club Group (The Diamonds Instrumental Group). Ecclesall Church Youth Club. The. Initial amp was built by our rhythm guitarist from Radio parts, some also from Bardwell’s. Later I bought a genuine Burns Artiste guitar plus a real 30 Watt Linear Concorde amp and cabinet with 2 x 12” speakers. From the subsequent Bardwell shop, which was actually on Abbeydale Road on the other side from and closer to The Locarno Ballroom. (which hosted “ Joe Brown and the Brothers” shortly after their very first MASSIVE hit) I bought a “photo electric cell” to link into powering up my garage outside light. THAT UNIT IS STILL OPERATING after nearly 40 years! Sorry a bit too much info! Simple Answer is Yes, but in two locations! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemmy117 Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 Originally on Sellars Street, then onto Abbeydale Road. I first visited Sellars Street in the early 70's, what an Aladdin's cave, all sorts of surplus stuff. Later I got a couple of nixie tube digital clocks from the Abbeydale Road shop, one working one not, so using the good one as a basis I got the other one going as well. Sold one to a friend, kepf the and it is still going strong, almost 50 years old now! I was gutted when they closed, always knowledgeable and could sort you out alternatives if they hadn't actually got the right bit. Funnily enough I saw Reg in Millhouses Park about a week ago, still going strong! Nigel L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fentonvillain Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 The engineers at BBC Radio Sheffield (Ken Beard, John Walsh and Peter Mason) made great use of Bardwells, it being quicker than sending off to BBC HQ for spares when things went wrong at Westbourne Road. Then when CB Radio came along I bought quite a few bits and bobs myself (Dark Horse10-4). Great place and after the demise of Maplins much missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWills Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 I too remember this shop (at both locations) very well indeed. I spent my youth with no money yet trying to build an electronic organ. So I was a frequent customer, particularly in the early days (Sellars Street) when you could purchase surplus PCB's, and thereby recover good electronic components. I bought one of the first Sinclair amplifier chips from Bardwells, and blew it up the same day as I recall. Great to hear it is still going strong (I left Sheffield many years ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikeman Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 I remember it well too! My dad was a BT engineer in the workshops in Sheffield and he built our radio in the house, possibly with parts from Bardwells or from something called a Heathkit, so I probably got the idea from him to build some rear speakers for my Renault 16. I got the small speaker cones from Bardwells and the wiring, connectors etc and built a 2 small speaker cabinets from wood and filled them with fibre-glass loft insulation (I must have read about sound damping or something like that as I had no hands-on experience). The sound was really good, so I can only thank Bardwells for their expertise and for being there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History dude Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 More information about the shops here bardwells-electronic-shop-has-closed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stenner Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 I can only recall actually visiting maybe a couple of times - but I can recall my dad going there for what seemed like everything. My dad was an engineer and always seemed to be mending things so I guess he found Bardwell's a pure gold mine. BTW - in one of the posts it mentions Bardwells being opposite the Locarno Ballroom - sorry but I know the Locarno was on London Road at the junction of Boston Street at the traffic lights - it became Sainsbury's and is now Budgeons. The lovely old building just up the road from Bardwells has in all my life (I'm over 70 now) - been the Abbeydale Cinema 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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