Record Shack

It sells records and it really is a shack! This is a place of myth and legend and to even offer opening times would be ridiculous. It opens when the guy wants to and stays open as long as he likes, and good on him. I have passed this shop every day on my way to work for years yet in all honesty only crossed the threshold a couple of times. When I have been in everything seems to turn sepia and I emerge two hours later with a carrier bag of old dusty 7″s and no real idea why I have them.

On my last visit it would be fair to say that there was two square feet of floor space to stand in with the remaining 60 square feet taken up with box after sagging box and sack after bulging sack of vinyl. Amongst the literally thousands of records here are probably some hidden gems and definitely a nugget or two so its down to pure perseverance and sweat…I gave up after shifting ten boxes! There really is little order other than a selection of racks by the door with an A-Z of Soul, Funk and Pop albums. All the 7″s are set on some shelves just within arms reach, well Mr Tickle arms reach, of the floor space and if you can manage to navigate down a few boxes you will find 100s of mostly pop 7″s from the 80s.

I love this place for its chaos, confusion, dust, dirt, randomness and just pure vinyl mania. Having chatted to the owner he has always had the vinyl bug and can’t stop collecting bag after bag of stuff with perhaps little saleable value but what the hell. I guess the scary truth is that when I’m his age perhaps my house will resemble this shop. I understand him …now is that a good or bad thing? We both also love Jazz…enough said!