# demise of shops (particularly record shops)



## hash tag (Jan 21, 2014)

As far as shops go, living near Northcote Road in Clapham, I reckon I am quite lucky. But there are no record shops nearby. I really don't want to traipse up o Oxford Street or Berwick Street for the latest CD. My other choices are HMV's all the way out to Kingston or Guildford as there is no where for new CD's in the likes of Clapham, Putney, Brixton Croydon ETc. 

Am I the only one suffering in this way? Can someone please open a decent CD shop somewhere n Sarf London; I promise to uy a few CD's a month!!


----------



## xes (Jan 21, 2014)

just download it all for free like everyone else.


----------



## Sirena (Jan 21, 2014)

You've got Supertone on Acre Lane and you've got three kiosk shops under the railway bridge in Brixton.  And you've got a stall (belonging to Mr Williams (?) of Jama Music) in Tooting Broadway Market.

So you've got loads of record shops.  Mind you, they're all reggae shops.....

Failing that, you gotta go up Soho and you'll find loads still.....


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jan 21, 2014)

hash tag said:


> As far as shops go, living near Northcote Road in Clapham, I reckon I am quite lucky. But there are no record shops nearby. I really don't want to traipse up o Oxford Street or Berwick Street for the latest CD. My other choices are HMV's all the way out to Kingston or Guildford as there is no where for new CD's in the likes of Clapham, Putney, Brixton Croydon ETc.
> 
> Am I the only one suffering in this way? Can someone please open a decent CD shop somewhere n Sarf London; I promise to uy a few CD's a month!!



The real bastard, my friend, is that in the '80s, and even into the '90s, there were plenty of record shops:

Raven Records on Northcote Rd,
Citicenta Records on St. Johns' Rd,
Reading's Records on Lavender Hill (was also a printed music and instrument shop in the basement)
Dub Vendor at the bottom of Lavender Hill,
Woolworth,
Arding & Hobbs's record dept, and 
Twist & Shout on Battersea High St.

What killed off most of 'em wasn't lack of customers, it was squeezed margins on what they sold, plus the area being gentrified and rents going through the roof.  Eventually, all that was left was Woolworth and Dub Vendor, and after Woolworth closed, Dub Vendor held on for as long as they could, but ended up pulling everything back to their Ladbroke Grove shop (where they held the lease, rather than rented).


----------



## MellySingsDoom (Jan 21, 2014)

ViolentPanda  - correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't there an Our Price on St Johns Road as well?  (This was in the very early 90's).  There was also IS Records on Northcote Road too, if memory serves.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 21, 2014)

hash tag said:


> As far as shops go, living near Northcote Road in Clapham, I reckon I am quite lucky. But there are no record shops nearby. I really don't want to traipse up o Oxford Street or Berwick Street for the latest CD. My other choices are HMV's all the way out to Kingston or Guildford as there is no where for new CD's in the likes of Clapham, Putney, Brixton Croydon ETc.
> 
> Am I the only one suffering in this way? Can someone please open a decent CD shop somewhere n Sarf London; I promise to uy a few CD's a month!!


The Book and Record Bar opened in West Norwood just last year. Not been yet.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jan 21, 2014)

MellySingsDoom said:


> ViolentPanda  - correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't there an Our Price on St Johns Road as well?  (This was in the very early 90's).  There was also IS Records on Northcote Road too, if memory serves.



Our Price was where CitiCenta Records originally was.  They pretty much moved in and used the same fixtures and fittings until the next corporate re-brand.  Mind you, that was in the days when Our Price employees actually knew about music and records.  Eventually, they became as crap as any other chain who just trained people to work the tills, rather than know the product.


----------



## MellySingsDoom (Jan 21, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> Our Price was where CitiCenta Records originally was.  They pretty much moved in and used the same fixtures and fittings until the next corporate re-brand.  Mind you, that was in the days when Our Price employees actually knew about music and records.  Eventually, they became as crap as any other chain who just trained people to work the tills, rather than know the product.



Ah, thanks for that - I didn't realise that CitiCenta was there originally.  I used to buy gig tickets for the Grand in there, and you're right, the staff certainly knew their onions then.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 21, 2014)

xes said:


> just download it all for free like everyone else.


No, don't do that.


----------



## ringo (Jan 21, 2014)

TruXta said:


> The Book and Record Bar opened in West Norwood just last year. Not been yet.



Its alright, but not for new CDs. If it were 2nd hand I'd recommend Rat in Camberwell, but the OP said 'latest'.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 21, 2014)

ringo said:


> Its alright, but not for new CDs. If it were 2nd hand I'd recommend Rat in Camberwell, but the OP said 'latest'.


Yeah, only clocked that it was 2nd hand after posting. How's the book section?


----------



## ringo (Jan 21, 2014)

TruXta said:


> Yeah, only clocked that it was 2nd hand after posting. How's the book section?



Good selection of cult/alternative/music stuff but I didn't check their prices.


----------



## TruXta (Jan 21, 2014)

ringo said:


> Good selection of cult/alternative/music stuff but I didn't check their prices.


Cheers. Will have to check it out one of these days.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jan 21, 2014)

aw (((( our price)))) i have very fond memories of working at the kings road and kingston branches as well as a few odd days in acton , chiswick and hounslow arond 1990


----------



## MellySingsDoom (Jan 21, 2014)

ruffneck23 said:


> aw (((( our price)))) i have very fond memories of working at the kings road and kingston branches as well as a few odd days in acton , chiswick and hounslow arond 1990



I remember the Our Price in Croydon on North End well in the 80's and early 90's - they had a fair selection of punk/metal/"indie" etc material in there (I bought the Sisters Of Mercy "This Corrosion" 12-inch single there in '87 ), and one of the staff who worked in there must have been into Psychic TV, as they stocked loads of PTV records in there (lots of live stuff etc).  Our Price was also the first place where I spotted Swans records.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 22, 2014)

When I were younger, my first ever single came from a little independent record shop tucked under a bridge in Addiscombe Rd, Croydon. I also remember the likes of Cloakes in both Croydon and Streatham. Alas they all succumbed to the larger chains. I am still resisiting from buying anything on line, whatwith the tax avoidance, corporate greed Etc. If I came make it, I will hit the indie's in Berwick Street or failing that HMV's, but all in all, it's not a good palce at the moment.
There is nothing like walking into a record store and having a browse, grapping a handfull of interesting looking stuff and chatting to the staff...alas, times change and this old fogey is not keping up with them.


----------



## ringo (Jan 23, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> Mind you, that was in the days when Our Price employees actually knew about music and records.



I awlays liked Our Price for that, a cut above the other chains in those days. My brother's mate worked in our local one, a massive Bowie fan, then went on to play bass for Suede.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jan 23, 2014)

ringo said:


> I awlays liked Our Price for that, a cut above the other chains in those days. My brother's mate worked in our local one, a massive Bowie fan, then went on to play bass for Suede.



I liked being able to go into Our Price and say "I like (insert band name), what else do you reckon will float my boat?", because they'd *always* come up with something fairly outside the box (I got recommended a Leonard Cohen "best of" after buying the first Bad Seeds album, for example).
The other chains, if you asked something like that, most of them would just waft a hand toward the shelves and mutter "look under 'indie' " or some such.


----------



## danny la rouge (Jan 23, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> I liked being able to go into Our Price and say "I like (insert band name), what else do you reckon will float my boat?", because they'd *always* come up with something fairly outside the box (I got recommended a Leonard Cohen "best of" after buying the first Bad Seeds album, for example).
> The other chains, if you asked something like that, most of them would just waft a hand toward the shelves and mutter "look under 'indie' " or some such.


That's the mark of a good record shop, and holds true for my local shop, Europa Music.


----------



## Casual Observer (Jan 23, 2014)

Streatham, probably like everywhere else, was well served for records shops back in the 70s. Cloakes (R Cloake and Son?) has already been mentioned. We also had Octopus Records further up the High Road with another shop with a name I can't remember at the top of Sternhold Avenue. A few newsagents used to sell records and sometimes fanzines in those days too, as well as Smiths and Woolworths. Our Price came to Streatham in the mid 80s I think.


----------



## SarfLondoner (Jan 23, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> The real bastard, my friend, is that in the '80s, and even into the '90s, there were plenty of record shops:
> 
> Raven Records on Northcote Rd,
> Citicenta Records on St. Johns' Rd,
> ...


Dub vendor now share a shop in soho its quite small but still has varied range in reggae,r&b and other bits,,,,*BM Music Soho, 25 D`Arblay St, London, W1F8EJ
ph: 07956 755 619*


----------



## hash tag (Jan 23, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> I liked being able to go into Our Price and say "I like (insert band name), what else do you reckon will float my boat?", because they'd *always* come up with something fairly outside the box (I got recommended a Leonard Cohen "best of" after buying the first Bad Seeds album, for example).
> The other chains, if you asked something like that, most of them would just waft a hand toward the shelves and mutter "look under 'indie' " or some such.



 I remember not so long ago by a random CD I liked the cover of and the greasy long haired sales asst. said it was his second fave album and wh. He then went on to suggest lots more stuff; just how it should be!


----------



## hash tag (Jan 31, 2014)

I guess part of the point of this thread is that I always tried to avoid HMV and now it seems like there is little other choice. I see that they now only have their "original" store in Oxford St by Bond St tube...tis a sad world...


----------



## oryx (Feb 1, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> The real bastard, my friend, is that in the '80s, and even into the '90s, there were plenty of record shops:
> 
> Raven Records on Northcote Rd,
> Citicenta Records on St. Johns' Rd,
> ...



Interesting post......I was going to say I remembered a good CD shop near where Northcote & Battersea Rise intersect. I think that was Raven. Also remember Dub Vendor & Our Price. Reading's Records must have been before my time (lived in Battersea 1984 - 2007).

I don't like buying online much and buy my CDs (I mainly play music in the car) from the wonderful Rebound in York or from Rise in Bristol (go to both when seeing friends & family).


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 1, 2014)

oryx said:


> Interesting post......I was going to say I remembered a good CD shop near where Northcote & Battersea Rise intersect. I think that was Raven.



Yep, literally the first road back from where Northcote and Battersea Rise met.



> Also remember Dub Vendor & Our Price. Reading's Records must have been before my time (lived in Battersea 1984 - 2007).



Yeah, IIRC Reading's closed the year Bauhuas split (yes, I do date some things by musical landmarks!  ), so '83.[/quote]


----------



## RoyReed (Feb 1, 2014)

Can't remember the name of it, but there used to be a good record shop at the Clapham Common end of Clapham High Street - about three doors down from the post office IIRC.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 1, 2014)

RoyReed said:


> Can't remember the name of it, but there used to be a good record shop at the Clapham Common end of Clapham High Street - about three doors down from the post office IIRC.



Became a branch of Oddbins, IIRC.


----------



## RoyReed (Feb 2, 2014)

ViolentPanda said:


> Became a branch of Oddbins, IIRC.


Either Oddbins or the place next door. I can't remember which.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 2, 2014)

RoyReed said:


> Either Oddbins or the place next door. I can't remember which.



Pretty sure it was Oddbins, because they "recycled" some of the behind-the-counter vinyl storage  for holding their more expensive wines, and the spirits. 
The record shop had been there quite a while, too, because I'm pretty sure I bought Penetration's "Don't Dictate" 7-inch from there in '77.


----------



## Farmer Giles (Feb 2, 2014)

Goodness Records (Tooting Broadway)
Bluebird Records (Streatham High Road)
Dancefloor Records (Norbury)
Musictown Records (Upper Tooting Road)

All sorely missed.


----------



## Multistatual (Feb 2, 2014)

you can support labels by buying on beatport and bandcamp. in one way it's better because they don't have to press records and hope that they get sold, they only press records that are going to be sold

on the other hand the whole mercantile thing is gone. it's my big dream to make a space where all of those record shop and bookshop and weird little thing shop people can go.


----------



## cybertect (Feb 2, 2014)

RoyReed said:


> Either Oddbins or the place next door. I can't remember which.




IIRC it was called Moonfleet Records. It was next door to Oddbins and is now the Souk bar/restaurant. I bought my copy of the Pixies' Surfer Rosa in there.


----------



## cybertect (Feb 2, 2014)

There was another place round the corner on Clapham Park Road that specialised in alt-rock and neo-psychedelic music. They also stocked Bucketfull of Brains mag. I think it was either them or Moonfleet that sold up and moved to Brighton to do mail order sales.


----------



## cybertect (Feb 2, 2014)

cybertect said:


> IIRC it was called Moonfleet Records. It was next door to Oddbins and is now the Souk bar/restaurant.



Seems that was correct...

Charlie Gillett posted that Maurice who ran Moonfleet died in 2008 :-(

http://www.charliegillett.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6058


----------



## MellySingsDoom (Feb 19, 2014)

In cheerier news on the record shops front, I'm happy to report that this independent record store is still going strong:







Was here on Sunday, and picked up a few nice whatnots - shop info etc be here


----------



## hash tag (Feb 19, 2014)

Nice one, where is it?


----------



## cybertect (Feb 19, 2014)

From the link: Kingston


----------



## Casual Observer (Feb 25, 2014)

cybertect said:


> There was another place round the corner on Clapham Park Road that specialised in alt-rock and neo-psychedelic music. They also stocked Bucketfull of Brains mag. I think it was either them or Moonfleet that sold up and moved to Brighton to do mail order sales.


Zippo Records. Packed up in the early 90s.


----------



## hash tag (Aug 11, 2014)

Im sure i read somewhere that HMV is reopening in croydon quite soon; i suppose a record shop is better than none.


----------



## cybertect (Aug 11, 2014)

hash tag said:


> Im sure i read somewhere that HMV is reopening in croydon quite soon; i suppose a record shop is better than none.



The Sutton branch of HMV is closing down at the moment; or rather euphemistically 'relocating' according to the in-store posters. Members if staff didn't know where to, but suspected Croydon, so that fits.


----------



## hash tag (Sep 2, 2014)

Well all is not lost in the record shops V's online retailers, I am pleased to see. Amazon, 21% of sales opposed to HMV's 20 % and closing, joy. I really thought it was a lot worse than that. I once despised HMV's and now accept that even they are better than the alternative!
From todays paper http://www.theguardian.com/business...overtake-amazon-uk-biggest-music-dvd-retailer


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Oct 20, 2014)

HMV vanished from Croydon a few years ago. I just popped into town and see a new one has opened up. Interestingly (for me) it has quite a large selection of vinyl.


----------



## sim667 (Oct 22, 2014)

hash tag said:


> As far as shops go, living near Northcote Road in Clapham, I reckon I am quite lucky. But there are no record shops nearby. I really don't want to traipse up o Oxford Street or Berwick Street for the latest CD. My other choices are HMV's all the way out to Kingston or Guildford as there is no where for new CD's in the likes of Clapham, Putney, Brixton Croydon ETc.
> 
> Am I the only one suffering in this way? Can someone please open a decent CD shop somewhere n Sarf London; I promise to uy a few CD's a month!!


 
There's record shops in Guildford?



ViolentPanda said:


> Dub Vendor held on for as long as they could, but ended up pulling everything back to their Ladbroke Grove shop (where they held the lease, rather than rented).


I didn't realise dub vendor had an actual shop.... I buy off them online a lot though.


----------



## sim667 (Oct 22, 2014)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> HMV vanished from Croydon a few years ago. I just popped into town and see a new one has opened up. Interestingly (for me) it has quite a large selection of vinyl.


 
Vinyls making a bit of a comback though isn't it? iirc i read something that said there'd been a million vinyl sales this year for the first time in ages.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Oct 22, 2014)

They have been saying that for 15 years.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Oct 22, 2014)

sim667 said:


> I didn't realise dub vendor had an actual shop.... I buy off them online a lot though.



From the '70s until a couple of years back, they had 2 shops. Clapham Junction and Ladbroke Grove. Used to be great, standing outside on a saturday, feeling the bass.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Oct 22, 2014)

doppelpost


----------



## ViolentPanda (Oct 22, 2014)

sim667 said:


> Vinyls making a bit of a comback though isn't it? iirc i read something that said there'd been a million vinyl sales this year for the first time in ages.



That's a million pieces of vinyl processed through retailers' point-of-sale equipment, do doesn't count any vinyl sold via indie-label websites etc, either.


----------



## stethoscope (Oct 22, 2014)

This thread might also interest too, @hash tag


----------



## hash tag (Apr 28, 2015)

Im in Farnham, Surrey. Totally out of the blue, i stumbled accross 101 records, superb. Small, indie shop selling variety of music on vinyl and cd. I bought two albums but coyld have bought many more


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

MellySingsDoom said:


> ViolentPanda  - correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't there an Our Price on St Johns Road as well?  (This was in the very early 90's).  There was also IS Records on Northcote Road too, if memory serves.


In the very early 90s I may well have served you meself at the St John's Road Our Price in Clapham Junction. Right motley crew of music lovers we were, but everyone was an expert in some genre or another! Good times while they lasted! Many a tale to tell about customers and colleagues too...


----------



## Orang Utan (Sep 17, 2015)

weloveallthat said:


> In the very early 90s I may well have served you meself at the St John's Road Our Price in Clapham Junction. Right motley crew of music lovers we were, but everyone was an expert in some genre or another! Good times while they lasted! Many a tale to tell about customers and colleagues too...


Hmm, we may have mutual acquaintances


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

Farmer Giles said:


> Goodness Records (Tooting Broadway)
> Bluebird Records (Streatham High Road)
> Dancefloor Records (Norbury)
> Musictown Records (Upper Tooting Road)
> ...


Went back to Tooting for the first time in over a decade and shocked to discover Goodness Records is now a STARBUCKS. Their bargain bim singles were the foundations of my early vinyl obsession. Remember it before they made it non-smoking, it had the atmosphere of a speakeasy crossed with a 70s bookies. You could barely see the till for the tobacco fug. Yellow plastic bags with a red-orange logo in a Frankfurter font, way before Tower used the same colour combo on their bags over here. Good times indeed.


----------



## Orang Utan (Sep 17, 2015)

does your name begin with a vowel?


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

Orang Utan said:


> Hmm, we may have mutual acquaintances


Who did you know there? A cast of characters, yes indeed. You could have got a season of a sitcom out of that shop without much headscratching!


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

Orang Utan said:


> does your name begin with a vowel?


Not mine, but I can think of someone whose did. Or two if you count a nickname!


----------



## Orang Utan (Sep 17, 2015)

Two people whose names begin with a vowel - one Welsh and gobby and a rugger build, the other a Dracula lookalike who supported Leytonstone. I could be way off of course! 
I worked at King's Road OP but knew people from Kensington and Clapham OPs too.


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

Hmm... can't think of anyone who fits those descriptions! Not the two I was thinking of! This was '90-'93! Also worked in Brixton, Streatham and Croydon OPs. One of the guys whose name began with a vowel was into a notorious psych-prog hippy band with dreadful artwork and looked like that Kid Rock bloke way before Kid Rock even existed. When I first became aware of Kid Rock I couldn't believe that this stoner from South London was going out with Pamela Anderson because he was still living with his dad when he worked with me in Our Price.


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

weloveallthat said:


> Hmm... can't think of anyone who fits those descriptions! Not the two I was thinking of! This was '90-'93! Also worked in Brixton, Streatham and Croydon OPs. One of the guys whose name began with a vowel was into a notorious psych-prog hippy band with dreadful artwork and looked like that Kid Rock bloke way before Kid Rock even existed. When I first became aware of Kid Rock I couldn't believe that this stoner from South London was going out with Pamela Anderson because he was still living with his dad when he worked with me in Our Price.


It was his nickname, not his real name that began with a vowel!


----------



## Orang Utan (Sep 17, 2015)

weloveallthat said:


> Hmm... can't think of anyone who fits those descriptions! Not the two I was thinking of! This was '90-'93! Also worked in Brixton, Streatham and Croydon OPs. One of the guys whose name began with a vowel was into a notorious psych-prog hippy band with dreadful artwork and looked like that Kid Rock bloke way before Kid Rock even existed. When I first became aware of Kid Rock I couldn't believe that this stoner from South London was going out with Pamela Anderson because he was still living with his dad when he worked with me in Our Price.


i think our dates don't match - the period i'm talking about is 1994-2000ish


----------



## weloveallthat (Sep 17, 2015)

Orang Utan said:


> i think our dates don't match - the period i'm talking about is 1994-2000ish


Hmm. I'd already left the country by then!


----------



## bi0boy (May 1, 2016)

A new record shop has opened near us. 

I wonder if it will be run at a loss...!


----------



## squiggle (May 2, 2016)

I was saddened with the demise of record shops on Berwick Street.


----------



## Monkeygrinder's Organ (May 3, 2016)

squiggle said:


> I was saddened with the demise of record shops on Berwick Street.



Yeah I went down there for the first time in a few years a couple of months back and it's a bit depressing now. All very shiny and characterless.

But then I suppose the fact that people like me weren't going down there spending in those shops any more is a big part of what caused them to close.


----------



## hash tag (May 17, 2016)

A shameless plug for Turnstyle's in Streatham which I found on Sunday. Mainly jazz, folk and that kinda stuff and lots of vinyl + owner is lovely. Another new record shop opens in London
It's on the High Road by Streatham station.


----------



## BigMoaner (May 18, 2016)

little vinyl shop opened near norwood junction


----------



## squiggle (May 19, 2016)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> Yeah I went down there for the first time in a few years a couple of months back and it's a bit depressing now. All very shiny and characterless.
> 
> But then I suppose the fact that people like me weren't going down there spending in those shops any more is a big part of what caused them to close.



Do you know what they are building there?  I suppose it'll be a Sainsbury/ Tesco Express or a block of flats for rich people


----------



## hash tag (Jun 18, 2016)

I found all age records in Camden yesterday, but alas had the tourists with me to make use of it 
Gather it's a bit specailist though ALL AGES RECORDS : 100% independent PUNK & HARDCORE record store. Punk and hardcore?


----------



## hash tag (Feb 5, 2017)

Oh dear Fears mount over future of HMV flagship Oxford Street store


----------



## killer b (May 3, 2017)

this looks good - hope it works out...


----------



## stockwelljonny (May 3, 2017)

Enjoyed this book about Replay Records in Bristol on the Triangle. Remember going there in the 80's. sums up the atmosphere of the place well I thought and some great stories.

Original Rockers: Amazon.co.uk: Richard King: 9780571311798: Books


----------



## Albert (May 3, 2017)

stockwelljonny said:


> Enjoyed this book about Replay Records in Bristol on the Triangle. Remember going there in the 80's. sums up the atmosphere of the place well I thought and some great stories.
> 
> Original Rockers: Amazon.co.uk: Richard King: 9780571311798: Books



Cheers for this,  I'll check it out. 

Roger once refused to sell me a ticket for the 1993 megadog tour when I asked for an 'Apex Twin' ticket.  He was certainly a funny onion but always a friendly chap.  When I moved just round the corner from him he saved my bike from getting nicked.  I left it outside my house unlocked after a night out.   I thought it had gone but he had taken it home to keep safe.


----------



## editor (May 3, 2017)

Tottenham Court Road is pretty much gone as a place to shop for electronics. 











The decline of Tottenham Court Road, former electronics capital of London


----------



## hash tag (May 3, 2017)

Shops. Are pretty much on the way out. Everything is going the way of supermarkets, out of town retail parks or on line I guess


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (May 3, 2017)

hash tag said:


> Shops. Are pretty much on the way out. Everything is going the way of supermarkets, out of town retail parks or on line I guess



It's alright. You will have lots more places to buy artisan coffee or something.


----------



## hash tag (May 3, 2017)

Right now, I want somewhere where I can go and buy a CD. I refuse to buy online. Still, if I found a record shop, I would spend more than I could afford.


----------



## stockwelljonny (May 3, 2017)

hash tag said:


> Right now, I want somewhere where I can go and buy a CD. I refuse to buy online. Still, if I found a record shop, I would spend more than I could afford.



Have you been to Sounds of the Universe in Soho, great selection and lots of cd's and home to Soul Jazz label so has all their great stock.. plus sister ray over the road, not what it used to be but worth a visit..


----------



## hash tag (May 3, 2017)

I have. Very disappointed on last visit.


----------



## Smangus (May 3, 2017)

I use Fopp in Cambridge circus, loots of cheap stuff too.


----------



## Smangus (May 3, 2017)

Or order from here , it's the online store of an actual shop, pretty good service. The shops a bit out of the way for me but I've been once.

Rockbox Home Page


----------



## hash tag (May 3, 2017)

I used to live near there and frequently used to visit it. I keep meaning to trek back down there but couldn't get round to it. Thanks.


----------



## Smangus (May 3, 2017)

I've ordered quite a lot from them , very hassle free.


----------



## Smangus (May 3, 2017)

mind you nothing beats a good old browse through the racks!


----------



## wildeye (May 21, 2017)

hash tag said:


> As far as shops go, living near Northcote Road in Clapham, I reckon I am quite lucky. But there are no record shops nearby. I really don't want to traipse up o Oxford Street or Berwick Street for the latest CD. My other choices are HMV's all the way out to Kingston or Guildford as there is no where for new CD's in the likes of Clapham, Putney, Brixton Croydon ETc.
> 
> Am I the only one suffering in this way? Can someone please open a decent CD shop somewhere n Sarf London; I promise to uy a few CD's a month!!




Croydon never recovered from losing Cloakes


----------



## wildeye (May 21, 2017)

Croydon had some greats in the 80s

Cloakes

Bonaparte 

Our Price

Virgin

Then basically none!!!

Good Waterstones though


----------



## hash tag (May 21, 2017)

wildeye said:


> Croydon never recovered from losing Cloakes



Nor St r eat ham.


----------



## Mattym (May 21, 2017)

This is a nice little shop in Notts...
Home


----------



## stavros (May 21, 2017)

Mattym said:


> This is a nice little shop in Notts...
> Home



I hope it succeeds, as Nottingham really suffered when Selectadisc closed. How's the new Rough Trade doing up there? It opened just after I left the East Midlands.


----------



## Mattym (May 22, 2017)

stavros said:


> I hope it succeeds, as Nottingham really suffered when Selectadisc closed. How's the new Rough Trade doing up there? It opened just after I left the East Midlands.



Rough Trade seems to be doing well- but I always compare everything to Selectadisc, which often leaves me negative. I always think that many new record stores have a tiny selection, with the exception of one I saw in Berlin. RT also needs to improve the way it sells its CDs. General new releases are quite well promoted and in one area in the shop, but I have no idea what's new in the more specialised sections e.g.. electronic/punk etc as there are no signs or similar, you just have to wade through it. There are some good nights on in the upstairs bar.


----------



## magneze (May 22, 2017)

Picadilly Records in Manchester is great. Well worth a visit.


----------



## magneze (May 22, 2017)

Banquet in Kingston too.


----------



## Mattym (May 22, 2017)

magneze said:


> Banquet in Kingston too.



Yes- an amazing shop for vinyl & used to be for t-shirts & hiphop mixtapes.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 4, 2020)

I see that HMV appears to be closing a few more shops


----------



## stavros (Jan 4, 2020)

hash tag said:


> I see that HMV appears to be closing a few more shops



Is there a list of those to close? It better not be mine, which is really good.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 4, 2020)

Not sure. I don't have one near me anymore


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jan 4, 2020)

stavros said:


> Is there a list of those to close? It better not be mine, which is really good.



daily mirror is reporting nine to close (including reading - might toddle in this week) and five under threat


----------



## hash tag (Jan 5, 2020)

I saw a Birmingham one was listed for closurse, but they do have that Loft thing. Also, I think one in South Wales.
I have an hours treck into the West End for my nearest record shop


----------



## hash tag (Jan 5, 2020)

Here you go....Bury for closure yet Ipswich and Colchester remain 
"The outlets affected are in Leeds, Reading, Plymouth, the Bullring in Birmingham, Worcester, Bury St Edmunds, Grimsby and Nuneaton.


The future of the following stores is currently unknown as HMV seeks to strike a deal with landlords: Bristol Cribbs, Edinburgh Ocean Terminal, Glasgow Braehead, Merryhill and Sheffield Meadowhall. If unsuccessful, they could shut."


----------



## stavros (Jan 5, 2020)

hash tag said:


> Here you go....Bury for closure yet Ipswich and Colchester remain



Is that that surprising? Bury's nestled between Ipswich and Cambridge, and a lot smaller than both.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 5, 2020)

Bury is a busy little town. Ipswich has at least one other record shop and is not exactly thriving as a town.


----------



## stavros (Jan 6, 2020)

Is the other Ipswich record shop any good? Is it worth hoiking my way up there to have a browse?


----------



## hash tag (Jan 6, 2020)

Its used only I think. It's towards the docks, 10 minutes ish from the station. I came away with a few CDs. It's great for a browse but not the best. If I were passing through I would, but there again I make a point of always visiting a towns record shop of I'm nearby.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 6, 2020)

Wow. British Record Shop Archive


----------



## stavros (Jan 8, 2020)

hash tag said:


> Its used only I think. It's towards the docks, 10 minutes ish from the station. I came away with a few CDs. It's great for a browse but not the best. If I were passing through I would, but there again I make a point of always visiting a towns record shop of I'm nearby.



I'm not the only one then.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 21, 2020)

I popped into Out Of Time in ipswich yesterday and bagged 8 CD's.
It has a pretty good selection of CD's and vinyl


----------



## stavros (Jan 24, 2020)

hash tag said:


> I popped into Out Of Time in ipswich yesterday and bagged 8 CD's.
> It has a pretty good selection of CD's and vinyl



What did you get? I'm planning pilgrimage up there at some point, so I'd like an idea of what they have.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 24, 2020)

I'm working in Brighton at the moment and pop into resident records often. It has a great selection of new lps, including ones from the US and Europe that it's not always easy to come by, but. . . . . . . 

Holy shit, the prices. Far higher than central London prices, so much so I recently bought two records direct from the Spanish record label rather than resident because even after postage I saved a fiver.

Today I bought two LPS from a shop in Camden by post which again saved me £4.66 even after postage.

I'd love to support local shops but when I can buy them far cheaper direct from the supplier or from another shop then they are making it really hard.

Mind you Brighton's record prices are mostly absolutely ridiculous. . .even in charity shops.


----------



## hash tag (Jan 24, 2020)

There was Floyd and Who, no Zeppelin.
i bought Megadeath, Queensryche, Rick Walkman,  Groundhogs, Paramour  and a couple of other bits who escape me now (I'm at work).


----------



## hash tag (Jan 24, 2020)

If in Brighton I always make a beeline for the Wax Factor. Great selection of books, films, cds and vinyl + lovely staff


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jan 24, 2020)

hash tag said:


> If in Brighton I always make a beeline for the Wax Factor. Great selection of books, films, cds and vinyl + lovely staff


Crazy record prices though. Really overpriced . . . well for what I'm looking for anyway. Generally about double what you would expect to pay.
I think only rare kind had regularly reasonable prices, but a very slow stock turnaround.


----------

