Waltonian Tackle, Observatory street, Oxford - 1960s and 70s

[DaceAce]

This one is long gone but as a kid visiting my Grans who lived in the next street in the mid to late 60s it seemed like heaven. Initial purchases were single hooks to nylon and line and shot. It was very small but crammed with gear. The proprietor, Albert Elsmore, was a keen match angler and got his bait from Billy Lane. I continued to visit the shop when in Oxford through the 70s and early 80s which is when it closed on the death of Albert. I believe it was one of the first shops to stock Drennan floats - I still have one or two bought back then from this shop, and he also stocked Ultra floats. This shop is mentioned in disguised form in Colin Dexter's Morse book 'The Dead of Jericho' although Dexter can't quite make up his mind what to call the shop as the name changes in different references in the book with names like Walton Tackle etc. (Walton Street is nearby). It had cased fish as did all true tackle shops of that era.

Few tackle shops still exist in Oxford but 40 years ago there were several: apart from Waltonian Tackle, there was Arthur Smith, Fred Taylor who played on the resemblance of his name to Fred J. Taylor, and Venables, plus one or two hardware shops etc. selling some gear. I'm only aware of one shop left in the city now.

[Mark]

Sounds a lovely shop DaceAce, welcome to the forum by the way.

[DaceAce]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the welcome. Just Googled the shop and despite it being nearly 30 years since it closed found an address at 30A. I went onto Google earth Street View and found the shop, and it is truly tiny being half the size of the adjacent houses which are narrow as it is. I miss the smells from the old shops - linseed oil on the nets, the bready smell of groundbait and the niff of maggots.

[GarryProcter]

Welcome to the forum DaceAce. I was at Oxford from 1971–1979 (with 1977-78 off for good behaviour :D ) and fished a little, when I had the time. Wish I'd known about the Observatory Street tackle shop. I used Fred Taylor's shop when I needed to, and bought a couple of local club tickets from there if I remember correctly. I also once, to the horror of my then girlfriend (now Mrs GP) dropped two pints of just-purchased maggots on his shop floor. My girlfriend turned white (she has a phobia about maggots), and I was horrified. Mr Taylor was quite unmoved, and emerged from behind the counter with a dustpan and brush, saving most of my maggots!

[DaceAce]

I only went to Fred Taylor's shop about once as it was the wrong side of town. I believe it continued as Isis Tackle when Fred retired - was that in James Street? About the time Waltonian Tackle closed North Oxford Tackle started. There was also a Dells at Cowley for a time which I used though by that time I was staying at Wolvercote. I did bump into Peter Stone in North Oxford Tackle once or twice and saw him fish at Wolvercote in the late 60s/early 70s.

[GarryProcter]

I'm sure Fred Taylor's shop was in James Street. I fished the Thames a little, and also occasionally made a long bike ride out to the River Ray somewhere near Islip (if I remember correctly).

[Davyr]

I'm sure Fred Taylor's shop was in James Street.

It was, Garry. At Number 39a, according to the Oxford Phone Books from 1962 to 1972!

Interestingly, under "Fishing Tackle Manufacturers", there is listed a "D J Drennan" at 11 St Mary's Road, Oxford. Any relation to Peter?

[Nobby]

Interesting...right county, too and not exactly a common name.

[DaceAce]

I thought that Peter Drennan started making floats in his mother's garage, for the first couple of years maybe, circa 1967, so possibly the address is his mother's?

[DaceAce]

Peter Drennan's address at the time he won the Fishing float making contest is Cowley Road.