Proops of Leicester

[steadyeddie]

Just heard a rumour that Proops (who sell lots of goodies) are closing down. If it's true it'll be a real shame. Has anyone else heard anything?

Dave

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I hope this isn't so as Proops are a symbol of a great era of making in Britain. I've sent an email to Nick there to find out more, and only hope this isn't so. They have always sold the sort of products you can't find elsewhere, which has been invaluable for tinkerers like me.

Cheers

Nick

 

[ondablade]

Must say I've fond memories of them too from my model aircraft making times...

 

[Shrubby]

As a youngster used to visit Proops on Tottenham court road in london
I remember a mare's nest of widgets and whatsits
Matt

 

[Nick Gibbs]

My email has bounced back, but please don't let this rumour assume Proops have closed. Their website (www.proopsbrothers.com) still seems to be working. I will call Nick on Monday. He has always been a good friend to us here.

As others have mentioned it would be a very, very sad day if they are closing.

Cheers

Nick

 

[9fingers]

As a youngster used to visit Proops on Tottenham court road in london
I remember a mare's nest of widgets and whatsits
Matt

Ah! the good old days or real Proops. They are but a shadow of their former selves now only good for a rummage stall at exhibitions IMHO. The description (or lack of) on website items is awful.

But some folk like them - everyone to their own

Bob

 

[knappers]

I have been Leicester now for over 20 years, but must admit I had not heard of them before.

Si.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I regularly bought stuff at their Tottenham Road shop in the late 60's and early 70's.

 

[steadyeddie]

I have been Leicester now for over 20 years, but must admit I had not heard of them before.

Si.

Their warehouse is in Fleckney.

Dave

 

[Stoday]

Maybe the current Proops is nothing like the old Proops, it would still be a sad day if they close. I must tell this story that concerns the old Proops when I bought stuff from them, sparking a personal technical interest every bit as much as Meccano did.

In 1948 Aneurin Bevan created the NHS. His proudest achievement was to give the deaf a free hearing aid (in those days you had to be rich to afford a commercial hearing aid). You even got the batteries free. This is still the case in the NHS — you may have to pay for specs and teeth, but not for the beacon appliance of the NHS. Here is a picture of the device:

NB: The leather case is for the batteries, not the aid itself. You had to lug the batteries around with you.

By the mid 1950's the old aid had become obsolete. It used valves, so gobbled batteries like a starving pig. Commercial aids had all replaced valve aids with transistor aids, so eventually the NHS did so too. It had a large stock of the old Medresco aids which it sold off to Proops of Tottenham Court Road. Proops modified the aid and turned it into a radio receiver. It then sold a kit comprising the aid and the circuit components to convert it to a personal radio. There must have been a large stock because Proops kept its advertisements going in Wireless World for several years.

So it's sad to hear of its possible demise...