Living record shops

[mathias broucek]

Several of us have enjoyed the nostalgia-fest of the "lost record shops" thread.

A very fruitful trip to Brighton on Monday made me think we should have a thread to celebrate the great shops of today. After all, given that such shops are often off the beaten track, it's possible to visit a town and completely miss a great shop! Please say a few words about each shop so folk can decide whether to make a trip!

I'll kick things off.

Gramex (Lower Marsh, London). Second hand. Cheap. Rapid stock turnover. Friendly and opinionated owner!

Wax Factor (Trafalgar Street Brighton). Second hand. Cheap. Smallish classical selection with lots of pop, books etc

Fine Records (George Street, Hove). Second hand. Lots of stock. Chaotic with much stock on the floor in boxes. Not that cheap but interesting stuff to be found.

Academy Records (12 W 18th Street, New York). Second hand. Lots of stock. Well organised. Cheap.

La Chaumière à musique (5 Rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris). Second hand. Lots of stock. Well organised. Interesting stuff to be found

La Boîte à Musique (Coudenberg 74, Brussels). New. Interesting stock.

[Ferretfancy]

Les Aldridge Music,( Muswell Hill London) Very friendly help on all music enquiries and orders dealt with very quickly.

I'll second Gramex, they make a good strong cuppa as well!

[amateur51]

What a brilliant thread - many thanks mathias!

[umslopogaas]

Since I retired and moved way down west I've cut back on my buying, but while I was working I used to frequent several suppliers of classical vinyl. The two main ones were Ben's Records in Tunsgate, Guildford and Fine Records in George Street, Hove. Ben is a great guy, more interested in rock and pop than classical, and I got many bargains from him. Ian and Julian at Fine Records are also splendid people and often have interesting stock, though when I phoned recently they said it was getting very hard to find these days. However, as the owner of about seven thousand discs, I probably dont really need any more (I have at least one friend who will tell me rather forcibly that I dont, but I dont think she really understands this collecting urge).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've mentioned Forsyth's in Manchester on the dead parro ... err ... Music Shops thread a couple of weeks ago, but they're still good, even today. (Sheet Music and CDs with an enviable expertise in Contemporary Music).
I used to like Banks in York, but my last couple of trips were rather disappointing: full shelves, but nothing that I absolutely had to have or that I hadn't seen elsewhere.

There was also a very good small shop in Machynlleth (one of my favourite towns) specializing in Jazz and Blues, but with a decent (if small) "Classical" section. Anyone know if it's still there (next door to the Art Gallery)?

[mikealdren]

Gramex (Lower Marsh, London). Second hand. Cheap. Rapid stock turnover. Friendly and opinionated owner - and staff and customers, very entertaining
Mike

[Roehre]

There was also a very good small shop in Machynlleth (one of my favourite towns) specializing in Jazz and Blues, but with a decent (if small) "Classical" section. Anyone know if it's still there (next door to the Art Gallery)?

Last month it was still there.
Don't forget The Cob in Porthmadog (opposite the Ffestiniog Railway Station) A lot of Jazz and pop, and only slightly less classical and Welsh. The Cob in Bangor's High Street has much less classical . Too many students around at the University's classical music department I think . Both very reasonably priced shops in second hand CDs/DVDs.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Last month it was still there.

[amateur51]

Last month it was still there.
Don't forget The Cob in Porthmadog (opposite the Ffestiniog Railway Station) A lot of Jazz and pop, and only slightly less classical and Welsh. The Cob in Bangor's High Street has much less classical . Too many students around at the University's classical music department I think . Both very reasonably priced shops in second hand CDs/DVDs.

The Cob at Porthmadog is quite a treasure trove indeed - I'm pleased to hear it's still there

[David-G]

I have to mention McAlister Matheson Music in Edinburgh. Classical CDs, DVDs and books on music. A truly wonderful shop with excellent service.

http://www.mmmusic.co.uk/

[pilamenon]

I was surprised to discover a classical CD and vinyl shop in Colchester yesterday, just called Classics, on Osborne Street. Small and doesn't have a huge collection, plus a bit of jazz. They were very helpful and it has been going for six years. Worth a look if you are in the area, and I hope it survives.

I'd also echo the recommendation for Les Aldrich in Muswell Hill.

[HighlandDougie]

I was surprised to discover a classical CD and vinyl shop in Colchester yesterday, just called Classics, on Osborne Street. Small and doesn't have a huge collection, plus a bit of jazz. They were very helpful and it has been going for six years. Worth a look if you are in the area, and I hope it survives.

I'd never been in Colchester before (as opposed to whizzing through it on the train) so, like Pilamenon, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover this shop when I was there a few months ago. I left with the BIS Essential Sibelius which I'd just been reading about on these boards. Long may it flourish. Great chip shop, too, in Colchester