Record & Music shops

[axeman3uk 0]

I recently did a photoshoot at Selectadisc and wanted to collate some information / memories / phtotos from other people to help collaborate on a blog I am running with. You can visit my blog on at axeman3uk.blogspot.com (no www. needed!) and please feel free to contribute to this collection of memories of one of Nottinghams most iconis shops.

Alternatively leave your comments / memories / photos in the thread and I'll uplift them to the blog or you can e-mail em' to me at axeman3uk@hotmail.com (mark subject line as Selectadisc).

Cheers for the help

Rob

p.s. Good luck to Jim and the guys at Selecta in the attempt to keep the name going somehow.......... back to your roots maybe.

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

Seeing the thread about groups at the Odeon made me think about the number of record/sheet music shops which used to exist in Nottingham and have now disappeared


In no particular order I can think of….


The various Selectadiscs, starting on Arkwright Street, then Goldsmith Street, Bridlesmith Gate, and Market Street

Way Ahead who used to be on St James’s Street

Eric Rose in West End Arcade (still there?)

Arcade Records (in the Arcade) who later moved to Chapel Bar

The other place in West End Arcade which (still?) specialises in Rock/Heavy Metal

The Rediffusion shop on Angel Row next to the Odeon

HMV at various times on Wheeler Gate, in Broad Marsh, just outside Broad Marsh. All now gone, only remaining in Vic Centre.

The original Virgin shop on King Street, later to Wheeler Gate, which became Zavvi for a few weeks

Fopp, a bit further up on King Street

MVC in Broad Marsh and Vic Centre in the 80s/90s

In-store you also had Pearsons, Co-op, John Menzies in Broad Marsh, the various Woolworth's, (did Griffin & Spalding/Debenhams ever lower themselves to records ?)

A few stalls on the old Central Market, and still a few in Vic Centre Market


And going back a bit further in time……

Hindley’s on Clumber Street

A place on Goldsmith Street near the old County Hotel which concentrated more on musical instruments and sheet music (the name Nequest’s comes to mind)

A place at the end of Bridlesmith Gate - opposite Drury Hill - which also did sheet music etc (or was that Nequest’s ?)


Any advance on that lot?

[Fynger 841]

Hurts Yard had that tiny record shop where they were just all piled up on top of each other.

Also going back to when Arkwright street was there ...the old weird guy who sold all the 78s ( ive mentioned him before on a meadows link on here )

[Beefsteak 284]

That'd be "Rob's Record Mart" Kev, run by our mate Rob Smith.

[Beefsteak 284]

And is there / was there, a shop selling sheet music and instruments in the Vic Centre called "Fox's" ?

[Limey 241]

I remember Hindley's on Clumber Street very well. IIRC, they had a good folk music collection - which was hard to find back then.

Fox's in the Vic centre - yes I do think there was (or maybe still is) a shop that sold instruments.

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

Yes, that's the first one I'd missed. Fox's in Vic Centre is still there

[Fynger 841]

And there used to be 2 in Vic market...small one was run by my mate richard...the larger one was/is as you enter the market

[OLDACE 196]

In the early 60's there was one on South Sherwood Street opposite the Evening Post building, forgot the name.

[Fynger 841]

Music Inn ..alfreton rd near Canning Circus

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

In the early 60's there was one on South Sherwood Street opposite the Evening Post building, forgot the name.

I Googled that one, and came up with an article which said that shop was Nequest's. I knew I'd remembered the name, but I didn't know where they were. And here's a photo of it, on South Sherwood Street.

And the shop I was trying to remember at the end of Bridlesmith Gate was THISone

[mick2me 3,000]

Music Inn ..alfreton rd near Canning Circus

There was a surname that preceded that name?

Like "Fynger's Music Inn"

[susyshoes 69]

wasnt there one called Jack Brentnalls. Sold sheet music and instruments. Bottom of Derby Road??

[Fynger 841]

Also Hobgoblin were down derby rd for a while....

and if we're doing Instruments....Clements pianos were down there too...now there the 'saxaphone' etc shop ( windblowers ? ) at the top.

[nnsc 129]

There was a surname that preceded that name?

Like "Fynger's Music Inn"

Wasn't it Eric Roses or something similar?

[mick2me 3,000]

Roses Music Inn?

Perhaps but no bell are ringing.

Anyone?

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

wasnt there one called Jack Brentnalls. Sold sheet music and instruments. Bottom of Derby Road??

Yes. I remember that one. Closed down quite a long time ago and became one of those Instant Print shops, but that has closed as well now.

But I've learned something new today.. Never realised Jack Brentnall was Chairman of Nottm Forest in the 1950s, including the year they won the FA Cup

[barclaycon 569]

Yep. An interesting thread.

It used to be such a pleasure to go into Nottingham on a Saturday (usually on the E8 - subsequently the F5) and look round all the various record shops. You've listed most of the ones I can remember.

Hindley's on Clumber Street was one of the main ones. Pearsons, Co-Op. There was one in the arcade that runs from Upper Parliament Street down to Long Row. Can't remember the name.

One that you haven't mentioned was Rediffusion near to the Odeon on Long Row. It was in the basement and was run by a guy with a hunch-back. They used to have loads of great singles that you couldn't get anywhere else.

My abiding memory is of lots of black guys dancing down there to stuff that he played. I think he eventually moved to Broadmarsh when Rediffusion closed.

I used to enjoy going to the Co-Op record section (again in the basement) and having a Coca cola in the cafe there.

Boots had a record section of course. Interestingly lots of furniture stores used to have record sections too because record players in the 60's were often regarded as bits of furniture and if you bought a gramophone in a nice walnut cabinet you'd probably want some discs to go with it as well.

Jack Brentnall's was next to the County Hotel near the Theatre Royal. A mate of mine worked there, and my mum worked in Watmough's the sweetshop next door.

Jack Brentnalls and Clement Pianos were the main places to go and look at guitars.

Selectadisc took over in a big way in the 70's. I can remember at least 3 seperate branches in the city centre.

Then HMV and Virgin moved in.

The Virgin store on King Street was the one that got taken to court for displaying 'Never Mind The Bollocks'.

But they won the case. Saying the word 'bollocks' then became legal!

Ah Happy Days.

Pretty soon people won't know what records were!

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

Another one I've remembered since I came up with the first list, is Our Price. They were a national chain who either went bust or were taken over quite a few years ago. They had a shop which was L-shaped. One entrance was on Clumber Street, and if you went all the way through you'd come out on Parliament Street

I did mention Rediffusion in the list, but I spelt Angel Row wrongly because my fingers operated faster than my brain. Until Selectadisc appeared I always thought Rediffusion had the best, largest record choice in Nottm. I also remember there was absolutely no advertising outside the shop (or even within it) to let you know there was a record departmentin the building, so I wonder how many people missed it because they didn't know it was there

[katyjay 4,347]

I guess things are going full circle, my 15 yr old grandson has just bought himself a turntable with his birthday money and now is buying LP's. Tons of these around still. He found a store that has hundreds and hundreds in boxes, if you have the patience to sort through them. $1 each.

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

Some of us who haven't really grown up properly, still have loads of the LPs I bought when I was younger (literally several hundred). And I still have a turntable to play them on.

Show that to kids today and most of them won't know what to do with it, because it isn't called an i-something

[mick2me 3,000]

I did notice in a local charity shop Second hand LP's that normally sold for 50p,

now selling for £11!

60s -70s The Coop Basement record mart which later moved upstairs, was run by Kathy Hemley and Rob Smith.

I remember buying some Music For Pleasure LP's and Marble Arch, budget albums @ 14/6.

and this single...

[barclaycon 569]

Cliff Ton wrote:

I did mention Rediffusion in the list, but I spelt Angel Row wrongly because my fingers operated faster than my brain. Until Selectadisc appeared I always thought Rediffusion had the best, largest record choice in Nottm. I also remember there was absolutely no advertising outside the shop (or even within it) to let you know there was a record departmentin the building, so I wonder how many people missed it because they didn't know it was there.

Yes, you're right Cliff there was nothing at all to suggest that there was a record shop there. You went through the Rediffusion front door and then straight down a narrow stairway to the basement. Bizarre!

However, if you were looking for something rare and contemporary, then chances were that they had it. Principally down to that guy I mentioned (I must ask a few of my friends if they can remember his name).

When Selectdisc arrived they became the 'go to' record shop - particularly for Progressive stuff. Especially the Arkwright Street branch where they just played prog rock stuff all day. I can remember buying Focus 'Moving Waves', there and the Faust transparent album.

[mick2me 3,000]

Selectadisc Arkwright Street

ProgRock on Ground floor

Cellar was soul music.

[Cliff Ton 8,184]

I certainly spent a few pounds and hours in Selectadisc on Arkwright Street in the late 60s, and I remember it as a pokey little shop.

What I don't remember is that it seems there were two shops not quite next to each other. I don't remember that at all.