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I still remember the excitement of buying my first vinyl aged 11, Duane Eddy’s great 1962 single (Dance With the) Guitar Man, and that bug has been with me ever since. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of digging through the racks and finding that elusive wishlist record. When I retired, I made it my mission to visit as many record shops as I could across the globe, from Amsterdam to Warsaw, via Berlin, Budapest, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna and even as far as Australia and New Zealand. But lately my focus has been on visiting every record shop across the UK – and to buy something at every stop.
Established shops close and new ones open on a regular basis and, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), the number of independent record stores in the UK has reached a 10-year high. Last year there were 461, compared with 339 in 2014.
I’m still working on completing the set, but here are some current highlights of my disc-overies…
Derricks Music, Swansea
“We think we’re the oldest record shop in the UK that remains in the same family,” Christy Stylianou of Swansea’s Derricks Music told me, adding that the shop is named after uncle Derrick Evans, who died in the early 1980s. The shop caters for lovers of all genres, and for all ages (including the grandchildren of original customers). Derricks is a big supporter of buying new vinyl as “this will keep the record companies willing to keep the whole thing going”, says Christy. Swansea Castle, Plantasia Tropical zoo and the National Waterfront Museum are all within walking distance.
Grooves Records, Orkney
A recent Australian visitor I met in the Orkney Islands had no doubt about the highlight of his trip – a visit to Grooves in Kirkwall, on Mainland. One of the most northerly independent UK record shops, it’s an eclectic treasure trove with an emphasis on rock and metal, but it also stocks a wide and regularly updated range of different genres. It has recently moved to a new location on Bridge Street (its ninth location since opening in 1990) and sells plenty of merchandise and gaming equipment too.
Casbah Records, Greenwich, London
Between the Cutty Sark and Greenwich Park, Casbah is one of the best record shops in London, stocking a wide selection of contemporary and vintage records. It specialises in classic 60s and 70s rock, including a good selection of progressive rock and psychedelic music, along with TV and film soundtracks. Boss Tony Davis loves meeting customers and helping them select new music. The shop also has an active Facebook presence promoting new arrivals and events.
Futtle, East Neuk of Fife
Scottish brewery Futtle also runs a record store in its shop/bar in a former stable on a what was a cattle farm. It sells mainly old and rare vinyl, with some new mixed in. “We ran a record label before the brewery (Triassic Tusk Records) and used to host club nights in Edinburgh,” says co-owner Lucy Hine. “We love the feel of real-life record shops and so, when we were setting up the brewery in 2019, we knew we wanted music to be central to what we did.” As well as browsing the records, you can sample the organic beer, natural wines and ciders. Futtle even makes its own fermented soft drinks from plants and seaweeds foraged from the hedgerows, fields and coastline around the brewery.
The Record Café, Bradford
Established in 2014, the Record Café brings together the best local and world beers with new vinyl releases, Spanish charcuterie and cheese, and has been four times named Bradford’s Camra pub of the year. The mezzanine level stocks the latest records, along with classic albums, and the bar downstairs hosts a range of cask and keg ales, plus a carefully curated selection of wine, whisky and gin, as well as traditional cider. It hosts regular events including a music quiz on the last Thursday of the month, DJ sets and live music.
The Record Deck, mobile
This floating record shop pops up at weekends and near festivals, posting on its website where it will be next. The owner, Luke Gifford, whom I met floating in Marlow, launched the Record Deck 10 years ago, giving up his college librarian job to travel around the UK selling vinyl from canals and riversides. “I get most of my stock from the people I meet,” he says. “People like the idea of their records being redistributed around the country on a boat.”
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Vinyl and Vintage, Wolverhampton
“I love what I do,” declares Claire Howell, owner of Vinyl and Vintage. “If you own a record shop you should have some affiliation with collecting, or at least music, to relate to your customers. Youngsters love to rummage in our shop for old records as well as new. Whether it be an 80s’ Led Zeppelin LP or a £1 single, there is still something for everyone – small or large budget.” Claire and I bonded over what the ideal record shop should look and feel like. She’s got it spot on, I think, and we share the same passion. As she puts it: “Going back to old-school shops, for me, is where it’s at, with wonderful picture discs, limited editions and original pressings. Old vinyl junkies like me still like originals.” Howell recently found a ticket to an Oasis gig lodged in an old album – if anyone wants to swap a ticket to their 2025 show for one from 17 June 2009!
The Record Album, Brighton
Most people head to Brighton for a day at the beach and ambling through the Lanes, but I head straight here. One of the owners, Keith Blackmore, is a great fan of Abba’s Waterloo, which gave the shop unprecedented publicity when it was featured in The Apprentice, with the contestants having to acquire a copy as cheaply as possible. The Record Album has been serving the vinyl-buying public of Brighton and beyond for more than 75 years. Selling all kinds of music from pop to classical, it specialises in soundtracks, cinema and theatre. Until his retirement in 2018, aged 88, proprietor George Ginn was Brighton’s longest-established record dealer.
Skeleton Records, Birkenhead
Skeleton Records in Birkenhead is said to have been named in 1971 after the lyrics “Skeleton kissed to the steel rail”, in Syd Barrett’s song If t’s in You. “We’re definitely a shop – store sounds too transatlantic,” says manager Ben Savage. He looks askance at the current prices for new vinyl. “I foresee shops which deal in new vinyl struggling in the not-too-distant future. We fortunately still do most of our business in secondhand vinyl and CDs.” For Savage, the “physical experience of playing vinyl is very immersive – no other format can match the joy of flicking through a pile of LPs, enjoying the cover art, sitting through the crackles, and turning it over halfway through”.
Second Scene, near Watford
Julian Leigh-Smith is not only a record shop owner, he is also a talented musician, drumming with Cranium Pie, who describe themselves as “psychedelic prog from the 11th dimension”. It’s fitting then that Second Scene is believed to be haunted by something from another dimension. Spooky occurrences include hearing loud, prolonged noises, a green glow in a corner of the room, and records inexplicably slipping off a shelf (the previous owner left suddenly, leaving behind a Ouija board). Julian’s stock is enormous for such tiny premises and changes constantly, with something to suit most tastes and wallets. An England cricketer regularly visits. Browsers are regularly offered tea or coffee – often in a Watford FC mug.
On the Records: Notes from the Vinyl Revival by Graham Sharpe is published by Oldcastle Books (£19.99), as is Vinyl Countdown (£24.99). To support the Guardian order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply