I first met Peter Loy at Bievres, France during the annual Photographica fair in June of 1999. He and a colleague had crossed the channel in order to see what they could see. We spoke about camprice, and what I was trying to do on the Internet, and exchanged cards. I really didn't think much more of the meeting until I was stuck in London about two weeks later, with a whole day to kill before my return flight to Hong Kong was to depart. I had taken the Chunnel train from Paris that morning, and had originally to visit the British museum, and have lunch with a collector friend. but my friend was called away on business (British Rail needed his services urgently...) and the British museum seemed like a lonely way to spend my last day in London.

As I was thinking of what to do with myself, I remembered Peter's card in my pocket. Having no idea as to where Teddington might be, I phoned Peter at Andrews Cameras. He seemed pleased to hear from me for some unknown reason, and explained how I could take the train from Waterloo directly to Teddington. He had made the decision easy for me, I was calling from Waterloo, and could actually look up from the phone and see the departure board with trains listed headed for Teddington.

In a little less than one hour (I took a slow train....) I was at Teddington station. Thanks to the good directions given to me by Peter, I was able to find Andrews Cameras without any problem, after about a ten minute walk. The shop is located on the main street, just about in the center of the village. The front display windows were filled with new and old equipment. A 500mm lens for Mamiya RB immediately caught my eye. Once inside the store, I could see that Andrews was a thriving shop. There were print customers at the counter, and staff were busy buzzing back and forth, seeing to their needs. Peter arrived from somewhere in the back, and welcomed me to the shop.

After an initial walk through, I invited Peter to lunch. We had Pizza in a small restaurant nearby. We talked about camprice, and the old/used/collectible camera business in general, and about Andrews Cameras in particular. I was surprised to hear that Peter had quite a following with overseas buyers. Now that I think back on it, I should not have been surprised at all. The store was well stocked, and the specialist personnel well versed in their camera facts.

When we returned from lunch, I asked Peter if I could take a few pictures of cameras. He was more than happy to open cases, and allowed me to use a store counter to set up my digital studio. (White card stolen from the secretary's desk, and some typing paper reflectors...) I was able to handle some interesting cameras, among which was a very strange "Muhlstein". The Muhlstein looked well finished, and had a golden varnished patina, much as you might find on old brass candle sticks. It was heavy, and very very angular. Obviously the fruit of creative hands, "Der Muhlstein" may have gotten its name because of its weight, though a real millstone would weigh much more. Or perhaps it started as a simple project, and ended up taking much longer than planned to complete, and became a "millstone" around the maker's neck. I love old cameras like this simply because of the wonder they evoke. I suppose no one will ever know the real story of "Der Muhlstein" but seeing the camera was probably the highlight of my visit to Andrews.

Prices at Andrews Cameras were about what I expected on the whole, with a couple of bargains here and there. There are boxes of assorted bits and pieces which make for interesting browsing. The prices I saw for user equipment (I know, I know, all cameras are "users." but you know what I mean....) were very tempting, especially for the items in which I was interested. I was able to resist temptation, and when I finally left, my only purchases were from the well stocked book racks. I managed to escape without buying a single camera! I doubt that you will be able to do the same.

Peter Loy is a member of the IDCC, and I'm sure he'd love to have any IDCC member who happened to be in the area stop by for a chat. Andrews Cameras

Teddington is just a short train ride from London's Waterloo station.(Peter Loy adds..."It takes 30 minutes to travel from Waterloo to Teddington by train unless you take the stopping train which seems to stop at more sations than can possibly really exist.") Opening hours are 9AM until 5:30PM except Friday opening is at 9:30 in order to allow the staff to have some inhouse training while the boss pays. Be sure to call ahead for directions from Teddington station to Andrews Cameras if you have never been there before.

(Articles and reviews about speciality camera shops are always welcomed)

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