Kestrel 2017

TINTAGEL - KING ARTHUR COUNTRY

 Flower's Television Ltd Shop

 The Familiar Flower's Television Ltd White Vans

 Tintagel's David Retires from Flower's Electricals after 42 Years Report by Sara Fuller in the 'Camelford & Delabole Post' July 5th 2001                A Well known Tintagel man is to retire from the  electrical shop he has built up over 42 years. David Flower was born in South Lambeth Road,  London. After surviving a direct hit from an aircraft in the second world war, and being bombed out of their home, the family moved to  Tintagel, as it was where David's sisters were sent after being evacuated. David, who still lives in the village with his wife Valerie, tells the 'Post'  about how he came to start Flower's TV and Electrical Services Ltd in Molesworth Street, and of his electrical and many other interests. "I have always, even as a small lad, been interested in electrical stuff. Ray Neilson had an electrical shop here in Tintagel (Ray Neilson Radio) in the 1940s. I remember he had a little shed in Fosters Lane with loads of electronic gear, and a green TV tube, which received pictures from Wales. I worked for my Dad in the his bakery (W.H.Flower and Sons) but there wasn't enough work, so I had to find something else. As I had lways been interested in film. I went to work at the Tower Cinema in Launceston for £1.7s. 6d  (£1.38 in today's money) as a rewind boy, for four to five months. There was an advert in the Camelford and Delabole Post', for a Chief Projectionist at the Regal Cinema at Delabole - I was only 16 at the time - and Derek Sleeman became Chief projectionist in Launceston. I stayed at the Regal for six years & I  was then unemployed for a few weeks, during which time, I met a friend called Mr. Sparks  of Tintagel, who was the father in law of Ray Neilson. He knew I was interested in electrics and suggested I write to Bush Radio in Plymouth, for a job. I was successful after a second application. I did my City & Guilds in Telecommunications in Plymouth College for which I studied in my spare time. It took me a couple of  years to get into it, but I received an award from the Post Office for the best electronics student in the West Country, passing all of my exams. At Bush Radio I worked at first in the soldering bay, going on to be assistant to the chief engineer working in the design development laboratory. I helped in the design of the first push button TV set in the world, the Bush TV80, and I still have a laboratory set.       I then had the urge to repair TV sets on my own in my spare time, and started repairing sets for people in Tintagel. I started this part time in 1959 and by 1961 I had opened up a shop in Tintagel, D.L.Flower, Radio & TV.  From there I built the business up on my own until 1970, when I had  a nervous breakdown. I decided to employ and took on Barry Morgan - who became a director - and the company moved forward rapidly. I also started to play cricket around this time for Delabole.      At one point I had seven staff and in 1973, I purchased a Music & Gift store (Music & Gift Store Ltd) in Camelford and changed the name of the Tintagel business to Flower's Television and Electrical Services Ltd. I ran the two shops until the mid 1980s, when I  closed the Camelford business in order to concentrate on the Tintagel shop. I had the urge to do radio broadcasting, and in 1981 joined  the voluntarily staff at Radio Beacon,  Bodmin's St Lawrence's Hospital. I later became Station Manager and presenters included Matthew Shepherd of Radio Cornwall & Jonathon Morrell, a Sky news presenter. I interviewed guests including Cornish singer   Brenda Wooton, who used to present Sunday Best on Sunday afternoons for Radio Cornwall, the spot latterly occupied by Ray Shaddick. In March 1992, I had a heart attack, and finished my work in the hospital and went part time in the shop where I remain to this day. The staff reduced over the years, and I decided to sell the business as an on going concern, but regrettably, no one purchased it so I had to close down. The rental side of the business will continue. At one time there were half a dozen TV shops around the local area,  but we were the last one. I intend to do some gardening, and I started to play the piano about 18 months ago and I'm loving it. I have also started my own web site www.tintagelweb.co.uk and this is becoming a business in itself. I published the web site last June, and it now gets over 4,000 hits a week.   The whole site is based on Tintagel. I stopped playing cricket at the age of 64. I always loved  it and after my heart attack, I was voted the best batsman in the second eleven of Tintagel Cricket Club,  1993 & in 1994. I played for Delabole  from 1970 to 1980, and was it's secretary for many years. In 1980 I started up Tintagel Cricket Club with Bill Reeves and I am now the Patron. The club is going from strength to  strength with two teams."     When asked of the changes David has seen over the years, especially within the electrical business and the advances in technology, he replied.  "There's been tremendous changes. When I started, there was only one BBC channel,  and it was in black & white, the maximum screen  size was 17". I've seen it go through all of the changes, to today's sizes of 50 to 60". In the early day's, the sets were run on valves, now they are a lot more reliable, which is the reason that staff have been reduced over the years. The  most regrettable change is that supermarkets and the like, are now selling electrical equipment like a tin of beans, and the small retailer is rapidly disappearing. The customer will be the ultimate loser, as he won't be able to get advice and services that he has been used to."     Along with his many achievements, David has also been Chairman of the Plymouth & Cornwall branch of  RETRA (Radio, Electrical &  Television Retailers Association). He was also chairman of Tintagel Parish Council in the 1970s and is involved with the Rotary Club of Camelford, for whom he was President in 2001- 2002. David has three children, Jacqueline who runs a Guesthouse, The Old Coach House at Boscastle with her husband Geoff, Robin, who is a Chef and lives in Portland, Oregon and Timothy.   He also has five grandchildren, Matthew, Martin, Kimberly, Henry and Emily.  "My biggest regret in not being able to sell it as a n on going business, as I feel it will be a big loss in the Tintagel area.   I would also like to thank those who have supported me over the past 42 years."

Delabole Football Team 1950s Top Row: L to R: Tony Richards, Eric Colvell, Frank Pooley, Roy Pascoe, Geoff Page, Jack Arnall, Dave Flower Front Row: Norman Gartrell, Les Avery, Dick Hill, Trevor Wills, George Blake.

Radio Beacon Left to Right: John Goodyear, Brenda Wooton, ?, Brenda's Husband, ?, Matthew Shepherd, ?  At The Microphone: David Flower

Flower's Television Shop

David Commentating at Camelford Carnival 

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