M’learned colleagues. Am travelling to London from Sydney in a couple of weeks with the family to see the sights etc. Am also looking to sneak away and shop for records. Berwick St is obviously on the list, but has anyone any tips for their favourite vinyl haunts?
London advice for an out-of-towner
You mean, Vinly. See other thread 😜
The most obvious place to go is Fopp on the junction of Earlham Street and Shaftesbury Avenue.
I quite like Flashback (I use the Crouch End branch), though DFB speaks against them, but the most convenient branch for you is on Essex Road, a short walk from Islington Green. Flashback is mostly second hand, though have do stock new vinyl.
Flashback are overpriced when it comes to vinyl. Cd dirt cheap. Occasional bargains can be had if you crate dig downstairs.
In Camden – Sounds That Swing / Vinyl Boutique are superb as is Out On The Floor down near the market on Inverness Street
Is Vinyl Boutique the one Boz Boorer is involved with?
Yes, downstairs at Sounds That Swing
You might also want to visit Rough Trade East in London’s swinging East End, on Brick Lane. Bloody hipsters everywhere , but there are some nice places to eat around there (the bagels are great) and you can combine it with a tour around the historic City of London and a pint at The Pride of Spitalfields pub (just off Brick Lane).
Good vintage clothes stores on Brick Lane and Hanbury Street too if that’s your thing.
I am appreciating the advice above too. I was at all places rock n roll in London 74-84, and it was a paradise for record shops, second hand clothes and books, etc. Food – not so much, but beer, “rocky”, and sulph were more our sort of thing. When i revisited Camden a few months back, it was pretty upsetting relative to back in the day, though there were some corners (I like their remainder book shop, the food has improved tremendously). Portabello Road and Notting Hill are now gentrified so much you might as well be in a hip weybridge, IMHO. OOAA.
Hi Dan……….
Not sure if this fits your schedule BUT if you do the Rough Trade East jaunt you might find all or some of these stalls.
https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/events/vinyl-market
It’s a bit of “Blimey, whoever died and left all of this had good taste,”-fest, but there’s plenty of ahem rare recordings on vinyl as well.
If you can’t make Friday then there are about half a dozen different vinyl places elsewhere around the market on Saturday, and you can factor in a stop at the Boiler House, – stoppit at the back – in Brick Lane which houses 30ish food stalls.
You might also want to come up to the Union Chapel on a Saturday between 12 – 2 pm and see Daylight Music
http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/about-us/daylight-music/
Today, we saw someone playing 3 enormous wine glasses, a talk on the history of Foghorns , Improvised dual violin duel and a 30 minute drum roll.All this and coffe, tea and cake too !
You know you want to.
All of the above looks promising. Thank you!
Brilliant! Thank you all for such excellent suggestions. I shall investigate! Very much appreciated.
Worth checking out Sounds Of The Universe (aka Soul Jazz) in Broadwick Street.
That one is well and truly on the list!