A must visit Record Shop In Banbury

 Strummer Room Records

 F159 Cherwell Business Village, Southam Road, Banbury, OX16 2SP
Tel: 01295 262202

 

Strummer Room Records is Banbury’s ONLY Independent Record Shop, located is an old Aluminium Works Laboratory on the outskirts of the town. The Strummer Room was set up as a music-related project by Chris Oakes in 2012. The Strummer Room hosted live gigs in and around Oxford and was instrumental in running a village festival featuring 27 bands. The Strummer Room was also the title of a radio show hosted by Chris, promoting local independent bands and musicians.


https://www.mixcloud.com/discover/the-strummer-room-project/


In 2018, Chris rented a space in a Banbury antiques emporium to sell off his extensive vinyl record collection. Due to its success, Chris decided to purchase more records via auctions and from people selling off their personal collections, very soon outgrowing the small space.
He moved the stock to a “pop-up” shop just up the road in February 2020, just before the first lock-down and Strummer Room Records was born, mainly specialising in second-hand vinyl & CDs. Chris starred in a short film while housed in this shop. He played a record shop owner under attack by a plague of Zombies. “Banbury Zombie Apocalypse” can be viewed on the Strummer Room Records website: 

https://www.strummerroom.com/blogs/news/banbury-zombie-apocalypse-strummer-room-records
During both lockdowns, Chris has focussed on expanding the various online platforms to maintain the income originally generated from walk-in business.

 The story of lockdown and the growth in online sales was documented in an article in the Banbury Guardian: https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/business

/banbury-records-shop-sees-online-sales-more-double-first-lockdown-3026181


The pop-up shop only had a short lease, so in November 2020, Strummer Room Records moved to its current home in Cherwell Business Village.


Chris said “Our shop is a little unusual as it is situated on the first floor of a building that was originally an Aluminium Works Laboratory, so when we are able to re-open again on 12th April, our customers will need to use the doorbell at the main entrance so that we are able to let them in. We operate an appointment system while still under Covid restrictions, so ask our customers to use our online booking system. Alternatively, they can phone or send us a message”.
“During the period that Strummer Room Records has been at Cherwell Business Village, I have dramatically changed the business model and opened accounts with a selection of record labels and distributers. Strummer Room Records are now focussing on brand new vinyl records, classic re-issues, and forthcoming new releases that customers can pre-order via our website and other online platforms. We have also kept a large selection of second-hand stock to ensure that our record buying customers have a great choice”.
“We are incredibly pleased to have been invited to take part in Record Store Day 2021 and looking forward to this year’s Drops on 12th June and 17th July and it is also great to be selling and accepting Record Tokens. “


 


 


Strummer Room Records was awarded “Record Store of the Month” by the Record Token team for March 2021 for their active social media profile and diverse range of new & second-hand vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and music-related books


www.strummerroom.com
All social media links can be found at www.linktr.ee/strummerroomrecords 


 


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. 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Record Shop whose best seller was Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoc

Image
Andy’s 4 Northgate Street Aberystwyth SY23 2JS Tel – 01970624581 andys@andys-records.co.uk www.andys-records.co.uk   Not to be confused with the defunct chain of record shops who were a feature of many High Streets in the 80’s and 90’s Andy’s in Aberystwyth is the last Andy’s standing Andy Davis started his career in music as a Christmas temp in the Scottish record shop Bruce’s. Records. Andy remembers his bizarre interview where they asked him the following questions What was the last record you bought? - Answer Runt by Todd Rundgren What label was it on? – Answer Bearsville What was the catalogue number?   Sadly Andy couldn’t answer this question. The interview continued in this style with the manager interjecting the questions by asking him to name 3 bands from a country e.g. name 3 Welsh bands meanwhile Andy is worried that he won’t get the job as he didn’t know a catalogue number.   The shops claim to fame was that it was ow...
Read more

Graham Jones guide to great record shops of Yorkshire

Image
Sheffield once had a thriving independent record shop scene. But from the 1990s onwards it has suffered a steady decline, leaving the legendary Record Collector to fight the good fight on its own. The city is however returning to its former glories with a host of new shops opening in recent years. The long-established shops in Leeds, Crash and Jumbo and newcomer The Vinyl Whistle, are three of the best record shops in the UK. The county still has many towns that could accommodate a new record shop. Bridlington and Whitby are places where a vinyl café could thrive. A two-day trip around the county incorporating the shops of Leeds and Sheffield, including detours for refreshments at The Record Café in Bradford, would be a perfect weekend break. >>>>>>>>>>>   Bear Tree Records Unit 13-16, The Forum, 127 Devonshire Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7SB 01142 751309 beartreerecords.com; blackestrainbow@googlemail.com ; @bear...
Read more

Great Record Shops of Essex

Image
Essex The county  has gone through a transition, with long-established stores such as Adrians and Fives reducing their outlets to just a single shop. Slipped Discs is also down to one shop but now incorporates an excellent caf é . Colchester is in need of an independent record shop selling new vinyl. >>>>>>>>>>>  Adrians 36-28 High Street, Wickford, Essex SS12 9AZ 01268 73 3318 adriansrecords.co.uk ; sales@adrians.co.uk ; @AdriansRecords Monday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm Sunday 10am-4.30pm Established 1969 Stock : Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, Memorabilia, In-stores Anyone who bought the NME throughout the 1970s and 1980s will be aware of Adrian Rondeau’s shops in Wickford. For twenty years, they had an eye-catching advert highlighting the latest releases. "If you can't get it at Adrians, you can't get it anywhere" is the shop’s motto. At one-point Adrian had four shops, but after years of decline...
Read more