Great Record Shops of Kent

Kent

No county has witnessed a greater transformation in the fortunes of record shops than Kent. Only ten years ago, Kent had just one shop taking part in Record Store Day: Gatefield Sounds in Whitstable. Now the number is in double figures. Londoners have chosen to move out of the capital to relocate to coastal towns where house prices are cheaper, and quality of life is higher. This has coincided with the government making substantial investment in towns such as Ramsgate and Folkestone. A decade ago Kent was the last county I would recommend a vinyl fan to visit. Now you will be doing well if you can visit the wide variety of shops in a weekend.

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Creekside Vinyl

1a Monks Granary,

 Standard Quay,

 Faversham, 

Kent ME13 7BS

07951 377702

creeksidevinyl.co.uk,  info@creeksidevinyl.co.uk, @CreeksideVinylFaversham

Tuesday -Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm

Established 2015

Stock; Vinyl, Pre-owned

 

Simon Tyler’s ambition was to make his living as a star of stage and screen. After leaving drama school he found acting roles hard to come by so started his own Fringe Theatre in Kentish town. But although fulfilling it was a constant struggle for him to pay his rent and put food on the table.

He decided to put the acting career on hold (it is still on hold) and spent the next 25 years working for the charity Mencap. In recent years he had become frustrated with the constant cost-cutting and felt it was time for a change.

 Creekside Vinyl was a second-hand record shop based on Standard Quay and at the time also sold spices and retro record players. Surely the only vinyl/spice shop in the world. The shop was owned by Dan Salter and Simon was a regular customer. Dan hinted he was looking to sell the record shop to concentrate on selling spices. Simon offered to buy it and they soon agreed a price. It was a true old-fashioned deal based on mutual trust. The deal was done on a handshake, no need for solicitors.

 Simon moved the shop to a more central location near the town’s market. He decided to concentrate on new vinyl and soon started disposing of most of the second-hand stock. Now if you visit most of the stock is new vinyl.

The shop has a real happy vibe as Simon is so enthusiastic about the music he sells and engages his customers in conversation. How things change. I recall over a decade ago when many shop owners just sat behind the counter waiting for customers to approach them. Simon is typical of a new breed of record shop owner who is happy to chat with their customers about music making them feel at home and creating a comfortable atmosphere.

If you live in the Faversham, make sure you join the shops ‘Black Circle Club’. This is free and gives members benefits such as 10% off purchases, a yearly birthday present and an exclusive newsletter.

On the walls of the shop is a collection of jazz posters. One of them features Billie Holiday and mentions the venue is the town hall. The one in New York. A customer comes in and says ‘Is Billie Holiday playing Faversham Town Hall? if so, are you selling tickets? Simon had to point out that she has been dead 60 years.

 The growth in record shops in Kent has been outstanding in recent years. Many great shops have opened but Creekside Vinyl is amongst the best of them.

 

 Cruisin Records

132 High Street, Welling, Kent DA16 1TJ

02083 045853

roastbeefrob313@gmail.com;

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm

Tuesday, Thursday 10am-6pm

Established 1978

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, DVD

Established 1978

John Setford, ably assisted by Ralph White, is the great survivor of Welling music retailers, having seen off at least five competitors. Previously a builder, John started off by selling records down the local market and has never looked back.

Elsewhere Records (formerly Monkey Boy Records)

21-22 The Centre, Margate, Thanet, Kent CT9 1RL

monkeyboyrecords.co.uk; alex@monkeyboyrecords.co.uk; @monkeyboyrcrds
Monday 12-6pm
Wednesday-Saturday 12-6pm
Sunday 12-4pm
Established 2017
Stock: Vinyl, Pre-owned

Alex Barron started out with an online store in 2012 selling mainly modern American pop-punk and emo records. He started doing pop-up stalls at gigs around Kent as well as a regular stall selling at a burrito bar in Canterbury called Club Burrito. He finally realised his dream of opening a record shop, Monkey Boy Records, on Record Store Day 2017.

His shop was too small for the amount of vinyl he wanted to stock, so in the summer of 2018 he moved to a much larger premises, incorporating a music venue, in Margate and renamed his shop Elsewhere Records.

Gatefield Sounds

70, High Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1BB

01227 263337

gatefieldsounds.co.uk; rhomadi16@yahoo.co.uk; @Gatefieldsounds

Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm

Established 1972

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, DVD, In-stores.

Mike and Jan Winch opened the first of their Kent-based chain of record stores in Faversham in 1972. They didn’t expand too quickly; in fact, they seemed to operate on seven-year plans as their second store (Whitstable) opened in 1979 while the third (Herne Bay) came on stream in 1986. These were the golden days of retailing and they couldn’t quite wait another seven years to open their fourth (Deal) branch in 1992. Sadly, due to changing market conditions, only the Whitstable shop still trades. Mike and Jan retired in 2015, selling the shop to nephew - and former Saturday boy - John and his wife Erin, who have increased the range of vinyl by 500%. They hold regular in-store events and have turned the upstairs into a gallery where they display music-related art and photography. The shop has noticed a dramatic increase in customers visiting from London, as Whitstable has become an ideal day out from the capital. The town is famous for its Oyster Festival held in July when, never one to miss a sales opportunity, you can rely on John to have plenty of records by the Oyster Band in stock.

Smugglers                       *Gary Lineker inspires record shop owner’s love of music*

9 King Street, Deal, Kent CT14 CHX

smugglersrecords.com; will@smugglersrecords.com; @smugglersrecords

013043 62368

Wednesday-Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday 10am-3pm

Established 2015

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, Coffee, In-stores, Licensed

Will Greenham has spent his career helping local musicians, either by booking them to play venues, releasing their records on his Smugglers Records label or giving them a place to sell their recordings via his shop. It helps that he is a musician himself, playing guitar in local favourites Cocos Lovers. Will comes from a musical family and initially showed great reluctance to play an instrument, preferring to spend his time playing football. It was only when his mum told him that his football hero Gary Lineker loved playing the recorder that he agreed to take up the instrument. Despite internet searches Will has since found no record whatsoever of the England legend playing the instrument but is grateful to Gary - and his mum - for getting him started on the road to becoming a musician. On leaving school he went into nursing and combined it with playing in the band and promoting gigs.

Deal was becoming a magnet for musicians who were disillusioned with London house prices and looking for a higher quality of life. As one might expect in a small town, it didn't take long for them to find each other. They met, they drank, they sung, and they played; and so, Smugglers Records grew, like many wonderful things, out of a series of chance encounters, its core members drawn together by a love of music and good nights out. From the humble beginnings of small club nights to busking-led adventures across Europe, the ethos of Smugglers Records existed before the label did. Built on a love of music and community, adventure and memories, for those involved with it Smugglers Records is more than just a label - it's a way of life.

In 2009 Cocos Lovers self-funded and pressed their first album, Johannes. They put a Smugglers Records logo on it and the label was born. Eleven releases later, they have gained a great reputation for quality records and achieved some success. One of the label’s artists, Will Varley, who was responsible for sanding down the wooden floor in the shop as well as playing in-store numerous times, now sells out major venues.

With Smugglers Records putting on regular music nights in Deal, Kent and London, the idea of hosting a three-day festival in woodland near Deal was born. The Smugglers Festival is now in its tenth year, with performances being spread between two forests. The theatre in the woods stage, due to its incredible acoustics, has become the place where musicians want to play. All artists perform acoustically and when music is not filling the air, you can hear a pin drop. If you are becoming tired of big commercial festivals, with their exclusive VIP areas for people who are not really VIPs and big brand sponsorship, do yourself a favour and check out a festival run by musicians for music fans. As you watch an artist playing in a forest under the stars with a craft beer in your hand, you will wonder why you have not done this before.

The festival has so many highlights for Will but there is one incident he would prefer to forget. Each year they build a sauna for people to relax in. They never struggle for wood. They employ two local music fans to look after it. One year after the festival had finished, the sauna burnt down. Luckily everybody had gone home by then and in an ironic twist, the music fans who were looking after the sauna turned out to be firemen.

After the success of the festival, opening a record shop was the next step. By now Will had left nursing to concentrate on his various musical projects. He has done a fantastic job of designing the shop to look like a smugglers’ cave. With its old wooden floors and lots of the product being displayed on old barrels, if it wasn’t for the racks of vinyl you might think you had walked into a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean. Will has created a meeting place for the local music community and realising that most musicians like a drink, decided to devote a corner of the shop to stocking craft beers. This has been a very successful venture and they stock over 40 different beers.

The shop offers a membership scheme which I think is the best deal in Deal. From as little as £15 per month, Smugglers members receive a free CD or half price on any vinyl, free coffee in the shop and invites to in-store gigs. 

The Orpington

161 High Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0LW

01689 666900

scott@theorpington.co.uk, theorpington.co.uk

Monday/Tuesday/Thurday/Friday 7am-5pm Saturday 8am-5pm Sunday 9am-5pm

Established2018

Scott Buckle had spent his career working in food and became tired of selling somebody elses dream.He spent months planning his vision of opening a quality café.

He recalled as a child his gran used to take him to a toy shop In Bourne End  which had a record shop concession inside. A large neon sign saying RECORDS fasignated the young Scott and soon his gran was taking him to the toy shop to buy him records rather than toys.

Scott never forgot this image and it came back to him when he was planning his café. Why not have a record shop concession inside the shop.He discussed the idea with Paul Schoones who at the time was working In finiance and the vision soon became a reality.

The duo chose Orpington for their venture as it has a huge catchment area including Bromley, Beckenham iand Dartford all towns who have not latched on to the vinyl revival. They built up interest with the music buyers of Orpington  by jcovering all the windows in vinyl whilst it was being refurbished.

The duo love their time in the shop with Scott explaining that most days he ends up discussing music with the shops customers as they linger over a cup of coffee.

Scott's favourite moment was when a young lad aged around 10 brought a Bob Dylan and Dire Straits albums to the counter. 'Are these for your Dad or a present?' Scott enquired. The look of disdain on the youngsters face gave Scott his answer as the youngster sighed and said'No they are for my own collection.

The shop is beautifully designed In a retro style with many of the records displayed on the wall. This display is constantly changing as customers pick out titles on display.

Before you visit check out the reviews on Trip Advisor. At the time of writing every review was excellent, something I have not seen before.

The sweetcorn fritters and the Bread & Butter pudding are highly recommended

Top Tip -Park at the local Sainsbury's and providing you spend £5 parking is free.

The Record Shop         *The shop with a floor made of vinyl records*

Kiosk 4-5, Park Mall, Ashford, Kent TN24 8RY

01233 660360

therecordstoreashford.co.uk; therecordstoreashford@gmail.com

Monday-Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm

Established 2016

Stock: Vinyl, Pre-owned, CD, Memorabilia

Vincent Monticelli combines his telecommunications job with helping his daughter Tahlula, run The Record Shop. Housed in a U-shaped kiosk outside Wilkinson’s it is easy to locate. It is the quirkiest shape of any record shop I have visited. Check out the amazing floor, which is made from vinyl records. It is worth visiting for that alone. If you struggle to find the shop, just ask for the tank. Since 1919, a World War 1, Mark IV tank, Number 245, sits under a specially constructed covered area in St George’s Square, not far from the shop.

Transmission

105 Northdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 2QY
075251 66386
transmissionrecords.co.uk; orders@transmissionrecords.co.uk; @Transmissionrecordshop
Friday-Saturday 12-4pm
Established 2015
Stock: Vinyl, Pre-owned, Cassettes, Art, Toys, Skateboards

“Record Store Day has captured the imagination of the public and the shop owners proving that customers are still willing to spend money if they can get an experience that’s not available online” Spencer Hickman - Transmission

The seaside towns of Kent have suddenly become the hip places to visit - and nowhere epitomises their transformation better than Transmission. The renovation of Margate from run-down seaside town to the place to visit on the Kent coast has been remarkable. The 2011 opening of Turner Contemporary, the art gallery which specialises in the work of one of Margate’s greatest ever artists, JMW Turner, was a cultural coup. The town’s connection with other modern artists and designers such as Tracey Emin and Wayne Hemingway also helped bring it positive publicity and visitors in search of culture. The regeneration of the Old Town has resulted in the opening of many independent shops. Chic eateries, galleries, and vintage clothes shops rub shoulders with traditional seaside delights such as candy floss stands, fish and chip shops, and seafood stalls.

In the hub of this hip area, you will find Transmission Records, which specialises in horror soundtracks but also stocking Post-Punk, Metal, 1960s & 1970s, Jazz, Anime, Blues and Indie vinyl. The shop was founded by Spencer Hickman and Kimberley Holladay. It is worth a visit just to view the most incredible shop floor of any record shop in the UK, painted by the owners themselves in the style of the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. There isn’t a dancing dwarf on the shop floor that talks backwards, but there are two small dogs Earl and Flynn that resemble something from Gremlins!

Spencer is the label manager for both Mondo Records and Death Waltz Recording Co. He was formerly manager of Rough Trade and co-ordinator of Record Store Day. Through his Record Store Day work, he has made a major contribution to the vinyl revival. Kimberley is an artist with a background of computer visual effects in film and hand-drawn graphics including the Forbidden World soundtrack sleeve art. The idea behind Transmission was to offer an expertly-curated selection of new and used records concentrating on Soundtracks and Japanese pressings. The store is a haven for any fans of soundtracks and anything connected with cult horror. The shop even has an extensive selection of Japanese pressings supplied direct from Tokyo.

In 2018, they became the only record shop I am aware of with its own bourbon bar.

Except the unexpected when you pay them a visit.

Vinyl Store Jr

20 Castle Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2QJ

01227 456907

vinylstorejr.co.uk; contact@vinylstorejr.co.uk; @Vinylstore-Jr

Tuesday-Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm

Sunday 11am-4pm

Closed Monday

Established 2016

Stock: Vinyl

Vinyl Store Jr has a distinct focus on the new and exciting, with new releases, limited editions and willfully obscure psychedelia from places as far flung as Russia, Scandinavia and South America.  

Owner Nick Pygott had wanted to run a record shop all his life, but was diverted by other work opportunities such as selling wine, working for charity and running a castle - as well as less arduous pursuits such as sitting in beer gardens and going to festivals. During his time selling wine, his customers included David Gray, Morcheeba, Turin Brakes, and Engelbert Humperdinck. 

Nick stocks only vinyl and reasons that it is not so much a purist decision as a pragmatic one. Vinyl is a “growth sector”, as they say in business.  He couldn’t afford to duplicate stock by selling everything in more than one format, so he is sticking with vinyl “because it sounds better, it looks better, and it feels better. And it’s just cooler.”

Following a recent chat with Nick were I asked him was he pleased he had opened a record shop and was the experience what he thought it would be? He sent me this very indepth reply that sums up better than any feature how much work is involved in setting up your own shop.

 I had taken voluntary redundancy and was recently separated, so I was at a bit of a crossroads in life. I’d forever dreamt of running my own record shop and somehow the timing seemed right: the “vinyl resurgence” was in full swing and Canterbury seemed to be crying out for a small independent. I found an ideal shop (small, cheapish, supportive landlord) and got it all up and running pretty quickly. I’d been in retail pretty much all my working life, so I kind of knew what I was doing.

The idea initially was that it would be an all-new, all-vinyl indie shop (indie, alternative, with a bit of classic rock, electronica, hip-hop etc). My first ever customer was the former lead singer of Wang Chung, who bought an Aphex Twin LP, and I immediately knew I was going to enjoy this! The first year was good in terms of building awareness and growing the business. We had local heroes Syd Arthur for an instore appearance on our second weekend and were packed. Instores became a regular occurrence. We actively supported the local music scene. Our first Record Store Day went very well (with thanks to all the other shops for their advice). The funny thing is that you open a record shop because you think you know loads about music, but in fact you quickly learn how little you know: customers introduce you to something new on a daily basis, so it was a fantastic journey of discovery! I had to educate myself in jazz, which had become an unexpected specialism of the shop.

It quickly became apparent that there simply isn’t that much profit in exclusively selling new vinyl. The cost prices are high and you can’t really shop around as the labels tend to pretty monopolistic). You don’t necessarily need to be the cheapest as people in general will happily understand if you are maybe a quid dearer than Amazon to support a friendly independent, but you do still need to be broadly competitive. “Indies Exclusives” are really helpful as they give us a point of difference.

After year one there were two major realisations. You have to sell a LOT of records to make any money. My budgeting had been optimistic and I had to reassess things. Secondly, a large amount of my stock was based on credit. So debt was actually increasing, which was certainly not what I had planned.

I had initially been wary of selling secondhand. But one of the great things about the independent record sector is how lovely and genuinely supportive other shops are, happy to share their knowledge and experience to others. This was a real revelation, as in my previous job colleagues were often unwilling to share vital information with the person sitting next to them! So I sought advice from shops that did sell secondhand both successfully and reputably.

In January 2018 (after some initial experimental dabbling), the shop went fully half new and half secondhand. The shop worked better almost immediately on a number of levels. Secondhand is simply more profitable, even if you pay a fair price and sell at a reasonable price. Plus it makes the range much more diverse and eclectic, as you never know what is going to turn up!

The main issue in the second year was clearing the credit with suppliers, which meant that I couldn’t get in new releases or fulfil customer orders, which was incredibly painful, and really prevented the business from growing. Fortunately our customers are genuinely lovely, and have been amazingly understanding and supportive.

But even the “difficult second year” had its highlights: We had Slaves in for a live acoustic instore appearance, which was probably 2018’s high point, and was a really special moment for all the 45 people we could cram into the shop!

We are now into our third trading year, and it’s pretty much stabilised. It’s never EASY but it is the best job I’ve ever had. The upside is obvious: being in a shop all day, surrounded by records, listening to whatever you want, talking to lovely customers, and constantly discovering amazing new music. The downside is the realisation that I’ll probably never get rich doing this, but I don’t really care as long as I continue to enjoy it!

Vintage & Vinyl

57, The Old High Street, Folkestone, Kent T20 1RN

01303 246715

vintageandvinyl.co.uk; alison.wressell@yahoo.co.uk; @VintageandVinyl

Monday-Wednesday 10.30am-5pm

Friday-Saturday 10.30am-5pm

Stock: Vinyl, Pre-owned, Ceramics, Turntables, Wine and all manner of oddities

“What goes better with music than a glass of wine?” Alison Wressell - Vintage & Vinyl

Situated in the wonderful creative quarter of Folkestone, you will find this unique record shop. To locate it simply walk down the hill of the old high street and look out for the beautifully painted violet arched windows highlighting many of the unusual lines the shop sells. The shop is owned by Alison Wressell and her partner Kev. As a teenager Alison worked at Virgin in Durham, later spending 10 years of her life living in a wine-making area of France. With that background it is understandable that the shop specialises in both vinyl and wine.

It is a true independent shop using local wine-growers and supporting Kent-based companies. This is a great combination, as one of the great joys of life is relaxing over a favourite vinyl record whilst drinking a quality wine. The shop is not just about award-winning wine - they also sell cider, gin, beer, vodka and local liqueurs. The way that they display their vinyl is unique too: by year of release. The idea is that if somebody is looking for an album recorded in 1968 it is likely they will enjoy other music from that period. It is amazing how often somebody buys something that they were not looking for in the first place. Less of a surprise is the sight of so many people leaving the shop carrying a vinyl record in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

Over 220 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 has just been released on DVD and is available in record shops or online. Distributed by Proper Music.

Each week I record The Vinyl Revival Record Shop Podcast. It contains lots of funny tales from the crazy world of record retailing. It is also available on Spotify.

Twitter: @Revival_Vinyl

My blog has over 100 features on record shops and vinyl.

grahamjonesvinylrevival.blogspot.com

For film screenings and talks contact Graham. 

As the person who has visited more record shops than any other human, I often get asked my advice on buying turntables. I always say do not purchase a budget model. What is the point of buying one that costs the price of a few albums? The sound will not do the recordings justice. For a long time, I have recommended Rega Turntables as they are superb quality at great prices. They got more brownie points for sponsoring 'Record Store Day' and manufacturing limited editions just for record shops.