The last time I was here (apart from in a number of dreams since) I was accompanied by my ex-girlfriend and sister - Needless to say it was not the longest foray into the world of well thumbed and cigarette smelling vinyl. This time round I had substantially longer to pick my racks, flick from front to back and pull-out (ever so slightly) anything that looked remotely of interest.
Having frisked the whole of 'Rock and Pop A-Z' I was disappointed to find that only three records were standing proud of the racks, winking at me at a jaunty angle a bit like those green plastic WWII soldiers I used to play with as a child - The GIs always wore their helmets without fastening the chin straps meaning they sat at an angle in contrast to the twat-helmeted British troops who always, and I do mean always had them fastened.
So what were they? I don't remember. There might have been a Savoy Brown album (isn't there always?) and I'm pretty sure I pulled a copy of Let It Be out for further inspection. Anyway, my point is this. Look at the above picture. Tell me it doesn't look amazing, like there has to be something in there? It's a strangely named Record 'Centre' in the middle of a half-arsed seaside town, how can there not be something in there? It's surrounded by Polish supermarkets and discount drinking establishments (Imagine a Yate's Wine Lodge without the fittings), surely there has to be something to get you excited...
Now look again. Prime wall space is taken up by cassettes, no plastic covers, over generalized rack dividers. If you are a Now That's What I Call Music album completist they yes, you might just go home happy. If you have an idiosyncrasy that means every time you see a copy of Terrence Trent D'Arby's 'Introducing the Hardline According To...' you have to buy it regardless of format again, my hopes for you are high. Otherwise, this shop looks awesome and the government should slap a listed building heritage style protection order on it but are you going to come away feeling like one of those champions that the guy out of Queen used to sing about?
Probably not.
I was just eating lunch and wondered if Snu Peas was still going. That answers my question! I first started going in the late 80s when we visited family there. I ended up going to uni in Bournemouth and bought stacks of stuff from there in the early/mid 90s. The £1 LP section was alway worth a perusal.
ReplyDeleteGood to know it used to shine! I had a feeling there was once some magic there... as well as some cassettes.
ReplyDeleteAwful place - should do a bit of research about vinyl records...
ReplyDeleteWhat, me or him?
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ReplyDeleteI love the 'Aladdins cave' feel as you walk in, the building retains its old fashioned charm, (though not as much as the old mystical library, long since gone,) though I seem to have offered the friendly fellow in charge vinyl records of almost every style of music I can think of from rock to soul to jazz to classical, some very famous artists and he's never bought any. Quite enigmatic. :)
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