Great Record Shops - Spillers in Cardiff
Spillers Records *The oldest record shop in the
world*
27 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff, CF10 1AF
02920 224 905
www.spillersrecords.com; info@spillersrecords.com; @spillersrecords
Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
Established 1894
Stock: Vinyl, CD, In-stores, Merchandise, Tickets
Spillers is no ordinary shop. A
two-part documentary, The Oldest Record Shop in The World, broadcast on
ITV in 2008, told the incredible story of this legendary retailer and its latter-day
battle to keep trading after a huge redevelopment in the Cardiff area led to
colossal rent hikes.
The shop opened in
Queens Arcade in 1894. It was founded by Henry Spiller and Joe Gregory, who
were quick to recognise that there was money to be made in the recorded music business.
Originally, they sold wax phonograph cylinders and shellac phonograph discs. In
the late 1920s they added musical instruments to the range of stock and in the
1940s the shop relocated to its longest-lasting premises (so far) on The Hayes. It remained in the Spiller family until 1962
when they sold the shop to a consortium of local businessmen. The shop
changed hands again in 1986 when it was bought by Nick Todd, who had been its
manager since 1975.
Nick’s daughter
Ashli now owns the shop, working seven days a week, not for the money, but for
the joy of introducing people to music they have not heard. “Even though
everything is supposedly accessible on a computer at the end of your
fingertips, nothing beats the buzz of meeting somebody face to face across the
counter and saying ‘Hey, have you heard this?’” Ashli says. “A real-life
recommendation beats any algorithm! We’re really just sharing happiness all
day. You can’t get sick of it. Sick of music, sick of life.”
As well as its
longevity, the store is famous for its iconic T-shirts. If you attend any music
festival, you are bound to see someone wearing the distinctive design with the
red vinyl disc on a black background. Customers are encouraged to send in
photos of themselves wearing the T-shirt from the most obscure parts of the
globe.
In the early days
of their career the Manic Street Preachers seemed to spend half their leisure
time at Spillers. If they were not in the shop buying records, they would be
outside busking in the street. Their singer,
James Dean Bradfield, included the Spillers Records logo as part of the sleeve
artwork of his 2006 album The Great Western.
In 2006, the shop
faced a review of its lease after a major new development, St David 2, was
built on the site opposite. Spillers could not absorb the substantial increase
in rent that was being demanded, but Nick Todd wasn’t prepared to let
the shop fold. With the help of Hywel
Thomas, a loyal customer who happened to be Plaid Cymru’s press officer for the
Welsh Assembly, he organised a petition to save Spillers.
The response from
the public was amazing. More than 20,000 people signed the petition, including
stars such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and, of
course, the Manic Street Preachers. The petition attracted publicity from all
over the world in the music and national press and earned the store a reprieve.
In 2016, Spillers
made a remarkable gesture, after hearing of the plight of a man called Geoffrey
Harris from Neath in Port Talbot, about 40 miles away, who suffered from
depression and panic attacks that had left him unable to visit Cardiff for many
years. Inspired by the PM programme’s
“Take a Leap” feature on BBC Radio 4, Geoffrey had made great progress in
overcoming his condition, but getting from Cardiff train station to Spillers
was beyond him at that time. Through the
offices of PM, Spillers let Geoffrey know that if he ever felt up to making a
visit to the shop, they would come and meet him from the station. It wasn’t long before PM were arranging for
the presenter Eddie Mair to bring Geoffrey to Spillers, where they were
welcomed with tea and Welsh cakes. Now
Geoffrey makes a few trips each year to the Welsh capital to partake in a spot
of lunch and, of course, a stop off for tea and records in the shop.
Spillers is now
located in the exquisite Morgan Arcade adjacent to The Hayes. For Ashli who is
now the sole owner, the business is full on as she spends all of her waking
hours working on its demands. Her motivation and inspiration is the joy of
introducing people to music they have not heard before and the special place
Spillers has earned among the music community of South Wales and beyond during
its unrivalled tenure.
One of her proudest
memories from her 22 years behind the Spillers counter was the undying
gratitude she received from Terry, a regular customer for several decades,
after she noticed his sudden weight loss and urged him to see his GP. He
reported back a few months later that he had been diagnosed with diabetes. After
suffering serious complications, Terry now manages his condition and is still a
frequent face at the counter.
Spillers has
proudly participated in every Record Store Day, but the 2018 celebrations will
last in the memory for many years to come.
To celebrate the occasion, Lauren Lavern showed up to broadcast her BBC
6 Music show from the Spillers counter the day before. With a staff and customer base who are all
avid 6 Music devotees, the event was an enormous honour.
Ashli has joked
that one day she would like to open a record shop in a warmer climate. It would
be a great loss for Cardiff, but no music fan in Wales would begrudge one of
the most-hard working women in the music industry a life in the sun. She took
the shop on during the most difficult period in music retailing and has battled
hard to keep Spillers as one of the best record shops in the UK. Wherever
Spillers is based in the future it will never lose its
charm and character and remains the first port of call for music fans visiting
Wales.
Over 240 independent record shops featured in The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen
The
books of Graham Jones are available in record shops or online. The latest book
The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen' has been turned in to a
film. It is released on 13 April on DVD and is available in record shops.
Distributed by Proper Music.
www.thevinylrevivalfilm.com
@Revival_Vinyl
For
film screenings and talks contact Graham at graham@lastshopstanding.co.uk
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