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R.Tilney Gunshop in Beccles


Old Boggy
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I believe that this was raised on PW about 3 years ago, so I apologise for any repetition.

We were in Beccles on Wednesday having hired a boat out from the Waveney River Centre and had a lovely trip via Oulton Broad along the River Waveney and moored up in Beccles. 

Wandering through the town, we came across the above gunshop. Admittedly there were a few O/Us in the window but predominantly and unusually these days, mainly side by sides and a few singles. Sadly the shop was closed, but peering through the window it was an Aladdin's cave of old gun cases, all sorts of guns and shooting ephemera randomly stacked in every conceivable space. 

It looked the type of gunshop of old, where one could browse and discover all sorts of interesting shooting related artefacts. If only it was open, it would have kept myself and my two young Grandsons and even my non shooting S.I.L amused for an hour or so and no doubt I would have come out with a bargain. Not sure that the wife and daughter would have been so enamoured though.

No doubt some on here visit, or have visited this shop and can give some indication on what it's like inside. Full of hidden gems I would think. 

OB

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I've just googled R.Tilney and realised that he's one of the gun 'experts' along with Bill Harriman on the Antiques Road Show. I think that he also attends Game Fairs shooting muzzle loaders on the BASC stand. No wonder the shop seems always to be closed, he's kept busy elsewhere. Still love to have a nose around in the shop sometime, when next in the area.

OB

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Tilney has always been closed a couple of days a week...........he does a lot of work for TV and he is seriously into muzzleloaders....he does stay open late in the evening as when we used to come back from shooting and picking up ...we would go past there and the lights would still be on..........you cant miss tilney on tv as he has a bloody great tash..........

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1 hour ago, Old Boggy said:

Apparently they were first established in 1860 so clearly not a fly by night company !!

Looks like some of the original stock is still unsold !

Love to have a look inside

 

he has all the gas lamps still installed............his workshop is part of the front counter.............you have 2 people in there and its crowded out..:lol:

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The front of the shop have just had a new coat of paint and now look as if it occupied , whereas before it was in a time warp , I used to deal with his father who was a very good gun dog handler, in fact some people used to say he was better handling dogs than he was guns . 

If you do go when the shop is open Robert have always got time for a yarn and he wont sell you anything you don't want , my brother have just bought a tidy A Y A side by side ( number 3 I believe ) from Tilneys for less than £100 and he gave him a gun case to go with it.

If you had gone a few miles inland to Halesworth , you would have come across Richardson's gun shop , if you thought Tilneys looked quaint then Richardson's would have looked like a museum , two brothers run it who are two of the nicest blokes you will come across , one word of warning , don't go in there if you are in a hurry , I was in there once to get a load of cartridges , he was running on for half an hour without asking me what I wanted and then to cap it all his son asked me if I wanted a cup a tea as he was then going to make a brew . an old fashioned gun shop at its best.

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1 hour ago, marsh man said:

The front of the shop have just had a new coat of paint and now look as if it occupied , whereas before it was in a time warp , I used to deal with his father who was a very good gun dog handler, in fact some people used to say he was better handling dogs than he was guns . 

If you do go when the shop is open Robert have always got time for a yarn and he wont sell you anything you don't want , my brother have just bought a tidy A Y A side by side ( number 3 I believe ) from Tilneys for less than £100 and he gave him a gun case to go with it.

If you had gone a few miles inland to Halesworth , you would have come across Richardson's gun shop , if you thought Tilneys looked quaint then Richardson's would have looked like a museum , two brothers run it who are two of the nicest blokes you will come across , one word of warning , don't go in there if you are in a hurry , I was in there once to get a load of cartridges , he was running on for half an hour without asking me what I wanted and then to cap it all his son asked me if I wanted a cup a tea as he was then going to make a brew . an old fashioned gun shop at its best.

known leon for a very long time............i always drop in and have a chat with him...........never go away empty handed....his son deals with all the intrernet sales....always open late friday night after tea............

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1 hour ago, marsh man said:

The front of the shop have just had a new coat of paint and now look as if it occupied , whereas before it was in a time warp , I used to deal with his father who was a very good gun dog handler, in fact some people used to say he was better handling dogs than he was guns . 

If you do go when the shop is open Robert have always got time for a yarn and he wont sell you anything you don't want , my brother have just bought a tidy A Y A side by side ( number 3 I believe ) from Tilneys for less than £100 and he gave him a gun case to go with it.

If you had gone a few miles inland to Halesworth , you would have come across Richardson's gun shop , if you thought Tilneys looked quaint then Richardson's would have looked like a museum , two brothers run it who are two of the nicest blokes you will come across , one word of warning , don't go in there if you are in a hurry , I was in there once to get a load of cartridges , he was running on for half an hour without asking me what I wanted and then to cap it all his son asked me if I wanted a cup a tea as he was then going to make a brew . an old fashioned gun shop at its best.

Richardson's is by far my favourite gun shop of all time, and having travelled the country I have been in a few. 

You are dead right, it's not the sort of place you dash in and out of though. 

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2 hours ago, ClemFandango said:

Richardson's is by far my favourite gun shop of all time, and having travelled the country I have been in a few. 

You are dead right, it's not the sort of place you dash in and out of though. 

a while ago leon had a heamoridge in his brain...went into a coma and was not expected to live............his wife phoned around saying they were going to close the gunshop and were there any guns we would like to bid on.....(there was a sxs 410 combo with 22 underneath that i wanted) so i and a few other mates were ready to go up there...so we went..got into the shop...and who was there...leon.....apparently work up suddenly and asked if the shop was open and went back to work 5 days later..................******:lol:

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21 minutes ago, ditchman said:

a while ago leon had a heamoridge in his brain...went into a coma and was not expected to live............his wife phoned around saying they were going to close the gunshop and were there any guns we would like to bid on.....(there was a sxs 410 combo with 22 underneath that i wanted) so i and a few other mates were ready to go up there...so we went..got into the shop...and who was there...leon.....apparently work up suddenly and asked if the shop was open and went back to work 5 days later..................******:lol:

Christ. I can imagine it too. 

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45 minutes ago, ditchman said:

a while ago leon had a heamoridge in his brain...went into a coma and was not expected to live............his wife phoned around saying they were going to close the gunshop and were there any guns we would like to bid on.....(there was a sxs 410 combo with 22 underneath that i wanted) so i and a few other mates were ready to go up there...so we went..got into the shop...and who was there...leon.....apparently work up suddenly and asked if the shop was open and went back to work 5 days later..................******:lol:

Sorry to hear Leon haven't been very well , one of the good ole bois , to the outsider the shop bench look completely disorganised but if they tidied it up it would then be disorganised to them , they know where everything is even though it might be scattered about the shop .

I once took a nice English side lock to have some work done , after three weeks it was time to pick it up , after the normal 20 minute chat it was then time to ask me what I wanted , when I told them I have come to pick my gun up it turned out it was in three pieces around the shop , when he put it back together I told him I will have to bring it back one day to have the safety catch filed as it was slipping on my thumb , no more to do , he took the stock off the barrels , put it in the vice , filed it while still talking and done it free of charge , service second to none :good:

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1 hour ago, marsh man said:

Sorry to hear Leon haven't been very well , one of the good ole bois , to the outsider the shop bench look completely disorganised but if they tidied it up it would then be disorganised to them , they know where everything is even though it might be scattered about the shop .

I once took a nice English side lock to have some work done , after three weeks it was time to pick it up , after the normal 20 minute chat it was then time to ask me what I wanted , when I told them I have come to pick my gun up it turned out it was in three pieces around the shop , when he put it back together I told him I will have to bring it back one day to have the safety catch filed as it was slipping on my thumb , no more to do , he took the stock off the barrels , put it in the vice , filed it while still talking and done it free of charge , service second to none :good:

yup thats leon.....................he heamoridge must be 8/9 years ago now...time flies quickly................

 

the confusing thing about richardsons.........is i always felt mind numbed when i came out of the shop as i would always end up having 3 different conversations  at the same time ...with leon his brother and son..and all would be different and continuous...

most strange....other people i know have said the same thing............

Edited by ditchman
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48 minutes ago, ditchman said:

yup thats leon.....................he heamoridge must be 8/9 years ago now...time flies quickly................

 

the confusing thing about richardsons.........is i always felt mind numbed when i came out of the shop as i would always end up having 3 different conversations  at the same time ...with leon his brother and son..and all would be different and continuous...

most strange....other people i know have said the same thing............

Did you ever know the boys dad ? he used to make and fit a stock from start to finish , at the time they supplied cartridges and clays to the Somerleyton gun club , I would ring them up and ask if they would bring me a slab of there Style cartridges when they came down to the gun club , they used to be £12.50p for 250 , and he would bring them in his White Jensen interceptor , a class delivery service.

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1 hour ago, marsh man said:

Did you ever know the boys dad ? he used to make and fit a stock from start to finish , at the time they supplied cartridges and clays to the Somerleyton gun club , I would ring them up and ask if they would bring me a slab of there Style cartridges when they came down to the gun club , they used to be £12.50p for 250 , and he would bring them in his White Jensen interceptor , a class delivery service.

no i didnt............

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  • 3 years later...
3 minutes ago, TOPGUN749 said:

I used to buy Richardson’s Style cartridges from Halesworth as a 15 year old in 1972,could only afford 25 at a time,but cost £1 then,when Eley Grand Prix were £1.15.

i used to use Gallyons "Hi-Shot"......got them from the Kings Lynn shop......near woolworths in lynn........bought a cartridge bag there as well which i still have...

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  • 2 months later...

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