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You are here: Home / About Waterlooville / Focus Sounds Waterlooville Closing Down

Focus Sounds Waterlooville Closing Down

Friday 20th December 2013 by Steve Mayne

Focus Sounds in Waterlooville, established 40 years ago, has announced they are closing down.

Stock is half-price during their closing down sale – please do pop in and support owner Steve and his staff one last time during their stock clearance sale.

I have fond memories of this store – and purchasing many 12″ singles during the late 1980’s early 1990’s. Not forgetting that Focus was the place to go in Waterlooville for video film rentals.

What are your memories of this store?

My thanks to Naomi for the photographs.

Focus Sounds Waterlooville

Focus Sounds Waterlooville

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Comments

  1. Mike Taylor says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    :-( a shame

  2. Spencer Roberts says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    That’s sad, we were only talking about focus at work last week. Used to be a good place to get some rare stuff! I think I got all of my Iron Maiden picture discs in there.

  3. Shaun Lockhart says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    Great shame. Used to frequent regularly after school on a Friday searching out the latest tunes. Times have indeed changed.

  4. Anne Tiller says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    one of your favourite shops mark . so sad x

  5. Mark A Sawkins says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    It’s a real shame… Waterlooville needs something like that! I remember being the competition when I ended up as the entertainment manager at Woolies!!

  6. Amanda Mayne says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    Worked here while at Uni/college. Met my husband Steve and made life-long friends here. Had a blast and now it’s going. Sad for me and sad for Waterlooville

  7. Mark A Sawkins says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    Wow, no way! I have soooo many great memories of Focus. Especially when it was in the little shop on the corner!

  8. Amanda Mayne says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    Times have changed so much haven’t they Mark? :-(

  9. Nikki Walters says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 20:13

    Man that sucks not enough shops like this now adays I remember when it used to be a movie rental place :-(

  10. Steve Mayne says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 21:10

    I always remember how busy the shop was in the 1980’s on a Saturday to get a VHS rental …

  11. Bryony Rose de Vries says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 21:39

    Oh, this is sad. How I loved this shop, and bought from it fairly regularly, but always remember being slightly disappointed when I went to ask for The Cardigans’ second album back in the early 90s and the man at the counter said, ‘Who? ‘ – I think from that moment on they weren’t as cool as the Manchester Indie record shops I was frequenting at the same time. Still, loved the bargain CD section in recent times.

  12. Shaun Lockhart says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 22:40

    Oh yes lots of CDs in the loft from there. I even used to get the guys to ship CDs out to Guernsey and Jersey when I lived in the islands. And yes Steve it was The Mafia as I have those somewhere as well.

  13. Mark A Sawkins says

    Friday 20th December 2013 at 23:39

    I have both of those tracks on 12″ single!

  14. Helen Le May says

    Thursday 26th December 2013 at 09:40

    Brought some DVDs from the owner last week, gave him a big hug and he was trying not to cry. Bless him, is a shame. Xx

  15. John burton says

    Tuesday 31st December 2013 at 19:45

    Sad to hear that focus sounds is closing, spent loads of time over the years picking up the latest and more obscure sounds if they didn’t, have Steve or his brother could always get it for you, sad to see you go Steve good luck to you and your family for 2014

  16. Steve Butler says

    Friday 3rd January 2014 at 08:11

    Thank you very much for all the kind words. I don’t want to close but sadly have no choice. Final day is Saturday Jan 4th. Thanks again. Steve.

    • Steve Mayne says

      Monday 6th January 2014 at 10:49

      Good luck for the future – Steve Mayne

  17. Jeremy Singer says

    Monday 6th January 2014 at 01:09

    So sad. I spent all my money in my teenage years at Focus, starting in the old location when it was tiny but then soon expanded into the adjacent space. Every Monday straight from school to get the new releases! Good luck with everything, Steve.

  18. Andrew Turner says

    Monday 6th January 2014 at 12:52

    Haven’t been there for years, But I too have fond memories of going there straight from school with Jeremy. And Saturday morning. And probably Saturday afternoon as well. Remember getting home with pink hands from the old paper bags! Good luck, Steve, hope everything works out for you and the other staff.

  19. neale Francis says

    Monday 6th January 2014 at 23:57

    Real shame hours spent waiting for various albums particularly remember pestering for any old iron maiden adverts and other stuff always gracious and kind. Good luck and all the best for the future.

  20. Tony Richardson says

    Tuesday 7th January 2014 at 11:23

    I was gutted when I found this out …popped in there on Saturday just to wish Steve luck and it was clear it was an emotional day for him.
    I too spent many hours of my childhood in this shop and always thought the owners were cool guys with the best job ever! …anyone remember them doing band practice in the shop …I think they called themselves the Assassins? …Happy days!!

    Good luck Steve and a big thank you for unknowingly providing the sound track to my youth! :0)

    • Lindsay shaw says

      Monday 25th May 2015 at 20:45

      Yes I remember the punk band The Assassins……Steve, Tony,Nigel and Sam used to practice in the little shop when they were located next to the Peach Gardens every Friday night me and my mates would go up the village and watch them practice through the window they were really good Def the highlight of our Friday nights lol they eventually actually let us in the shop to watch whilst they practiced every week great bunch of guys really talented, think it was actually round about 1977 ish as I was only about 13 at the time, great memories ☺

      • Tony Richardson says

        Tuesday 26th May 2015 at 08:58

        I’m glad I’m not the only one to remember them …I must have been about the same age as you? …we used to stop and watch them when we were on our way to the Waterlooville Community centre or the CC as we called it back then. Happy days!!
        I was genuinely sad when the shop closed, it was as if a part of my childhood had gone …that said, great memories and great guys! :0)

  21. About Waterlooville says

    Thursday 9th January 2014 at 07:42

    Closure has been reported in The Evening News

  22. Marilyn Dixon says

    Thursday 9th January 2014 at 18:04

    I am very upset that Focus sound will close !! It has for years been a very good shop to go to. Steve & staff have been very helpful not just by selling good CDs , DVDs of all kinds of music also speaking with & giving advise with obtaining what one would like to have from other shops. There has always been good feeling being in a very well organised shop. People have been able to be relaxed in shop, looked around of everything available to buy, never feeling obliged to buy something.
    It has been good place to buy something for oneself also buying gifts for friends & relations.
    I am very sorry that it will close ! ! ! When will that be ?
    Doesn’t everyone else ?
    Sincerely, Mandi

  23. Gary McCawley says

    Thursday 9th January 2014 at 23:10

    This is sad news. Focus Sounds was my first port of call for vinyl records in the 80’s and early 90’s. Thanks to Steve I now have some rare O.M.D records and white labels, as he always had something special under the counter. Always knowledagble and was able to offer good recomendations no matter what your musical taste. All the best for the future.

  24. Si C says

    Saturday 1st February 2014 at 17:02

    Gutted that Focus is no more. I have very fond memories of cycling to the shop almost every weekend to pick up a new 12″ during the 80s.

    Best wishes for the future to all the folk at Focus Sounds.

  25. Steve Mayne says

    Thursday 27th March 2014 at 12:47

    Focus Sounds is re-opening tomorrow for two days only – for more details click now: Focus Sounds Re-Opens

  26. trev jones says

    Sunday 30th March 2014 at 16:22

    Focus was always the place I’d buy my stone’s vinyl from on the first issue date. Steve could get you anything. He knew everything. … best of luck guys

  27. Carl says

    Saturday 19th July 2014 at 13:48

    So sad. Spent nearly every weekend in there during 70s buying punk rock vinyl ( no CDs then). Was the old dewhurst shop then

  28. dave tommo says

    Monday 5th January 2015 at 09:00

    Had to walk in from Leigh Park.Focus was nearest shop selling punk records at time. One saturday bought London Calling 12 inch single in 1979 and the shop keeper was writing out lyrics at the counter for his band (can’t remember what they were called?) I told him I was starting a band and he let us support them at the Community Centre in Wecock Farm by The Hide pub. That was in 1979 and I remember things getting a bit punchy with the locals! Ahh fond memories.

    But Focus records was a very important place for music lovers around that area.

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