JULY 1987, Rocks Off was rocking on again after a ten-week closure due to a fire which had gutted the next-door premises. The premier sounds and sci-fi shop on Bradford’s Westgate, had been busy behind the scenes preparing a back log of orders that had been bought before the fire.
Thankfully, the shop’s stocks of second-hand books, comics and magazines were wrapped in sealed plastic bags and so escaped damage by smoke. But all new material was badly soiled and had to be completely replaced.
That did not mean there wasn’t a bargain to be had. Since the reopening, T-shirts were being sold off at £2, less than half the original price.
The new “fantasy shop” selling pop, rock and new wave goods opened its doors in December 1984. Rocks Off aimed to fill a gap selling material which could not be found anywhere else in the city. From music memorabilia to records, magazines, comics, games, clothes, tapes, and sheet music. One of its specialist sections was sci-fi material, with books on everything from Dr Who to Star Wars.
Based just outside the city centre, the shop was the perfect place to purchase tickets for events at Bradford University. It even gave wall space to bands to publicise gigs with posters.
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