UK Dealers

Barry Attwood had worked for CEC and brought it out when Gary Watson decided to leave the 8mm market.  Along with Michael Attwood, they formed a small company ‘Independent 8’  and this additional stock enabled them to begin trading in earnest. They operated from home, in a purpose built shed, which was fitted out and…

Nigel Parkinson doesn’t  know exactly when Denis, his Dad, started the business, but recollects that it began as a hobby and as it got busier he went into it full time. The name Elizabethan was derived Denis’s wife, Elizabeth.  Nigel also recalls that as children he and his sister earned pocket money watching the second…

Run by Conchita Doust, this small company issued the ‘adult’ cartoons from Bob Godfrey, including ‘Dream Doll’ and ‘The Kama Sutra Rides Again’. It also boasted the TV adverts for Hovis bread, Pepsi, Country Life butter (featuring the Buttermen) and the PG Chimps.    

Run by Harry Nadler and based in Manchester, although looking at his adverts I can see he moved at least once, even occupying ‘The Savoy Cinema’ in Salford . He dealt in both 8 and 16mm, sales and a library. He was one of a few U.K. dealers that placed adverts in the U.S. publication…

Ray Watson  operated sales and a film library, which stocked all formats, both sound and silent. Based in Coventry it was one of the largest film libraries in the UK, and was run from the Watsofilms address, in Charles Street. Later he split the sales and library, with their sales known as Debonair Film Distributors…

Sales and hire from Newquay, Cornwall, and handled I’m told by a gent with the name of ‘Ron’. This is another entry in this series were information was not forthcoming….so their adverts must do the talking and in looking you will immediately notice that Highgate Films have the same telephone number and address! Was there…

Gary Watson’s first venture into the 8mm market was in the guise of ‘Nostaw’ Film Services which was his surname written backwards, where he started selling films from his parents home, in Chingford London. Later he began trading as Cinema Entertainment Company, soon shortened to just CEC. He struck a deal with D.C.R. to re-release…

Based in Kent, here was a unique 8mm library of sponsored films, from the likes of the BBC Enterprises, BTA, ICI, Vauxhall Motors, Castrol, Barclays Bank, RSPCA, The Post Office and British Transport Films, with many available on free loan.  There was also an entertaiment section available to hire at the usual rates.    

This company was established as Arrowtabs for a number of years before it secured the WB cartoons from Techno Films and soon Arrow became a familiar name to the super 8

Business based in Northampton who had been selling and hiring equipment for some time, although the Super 8 library didn’t appear until  1975. I haven’t been able to gather any further information…so once more their adverts must do the talking.