Vinyl Revival and the Shops that Made it Happen

  Big Sparra Vinyl   7 New Bridge Street, Ayr, Ayrshire KA7JX 01292 737520 bigsparravinyl@gmail.com; @bigsparravinyl Monday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm Established 2010 Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, Cassettes, Tickets, T-shirts, Turntables   Owners Robert McKain and Ian Wallace describe Big Sparra Vinyl as a little store with a big heart. Originally, they rented space within a studio in Glasgow, before moving to Ayr, again renting space, this time within the local post office. This unusual arrangement worked surprisingly well. Vinyl fans in Ayr were delighted to have a retail outlet for the format, even if it was in a post office. It was not long before Big Sparra had four shelves to display their wares, but demand soon outstripped display space and the duo rented a shop with a beautiful view over the harbour.   Since then Big Sparra Vinyl has thrived. Record Store Day is a good barometer of the improvement.   When they opened the door on RSD 201...

The man with the joint best name for a record shop owner (along with James Brown of Vinyl Cafe in Carlisle) Robert Palmer has opened a brand new record shop. Give him your support. Here in Robert's own words is his story. Roan Records 12 Church Street Teddington TW11 8PB     Roan Records began life in 1980 by a young man who wanted to open a record store, and after forty years of un-careful planning and not even thinking about it, in chunks of several years over this time, it has now appeared out of the mist and has settled in a corner of Teddington.       Throughout these forty years, the young man in question grew a year older every year and his love for music grew exponentially and weaved its course through a multitude of genres. A plethora of vinyl was crossing the threshold of his abode, each one, a unique piece of art; every word of every sleeve consumed in great wonder. The ritual of placing the disc on the turntable and gently placing a n...