Record shop 'Rock on Records' opens in All Saints Street, Stamford
People who love the look, feel and sound of vinyl records were in for a treat this week, with the opening of a new shop.
Rock On Records has been launched in All Saints' Street, Stamford, by Ted Carroll from Ketton, who owned a shop by the same name in Camden from the 1970s to 1990s.
The former Thin Lizzy manager is giving all profits from the shop to charity, including Médecins Sans Frontières, Unicef and the homeless charity Centrepoint, as well as to local causes such as the East Midlands Air Ambulance.
On its first day of being open to the public (Thursday), the shop was busy with customers who were taking their time browsing racks and drawers packed with singles and albums.
One of those who had travelled into town for the opening day was Graham Gordon from Kettering. He said: “I come to Ted’s record fairs on Saturdays and so I’m pleased to see the shop open.
“There is nothing like this in Kettering or Corby.”
New records are arriving all the time, thanks to Ted having ‘tons of stock’ at home that he’s gradually pricing up ready for music-lovers.
Prices range from 50p up to hundreds of pounds - and some real rarities that are on their way will be catching the eye of serious collectors.
There are also cassettes and 78s, with the musical timeline covering the 1950s through to the 1990s.
Ted, 80, who says Little Richard and Bo Diddley are among his many favourite artists, said: “I hope to raise at least £1,000 a week for charity. The overheads are low and I already have the stock.
“I have more than 3,000 albums to sell and 6,000 singles.”
Ted has rubbed shoulders with legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Joe Strummer and Jimmy Page, who were regular visitors to his original shop, and also ran the Ace Records label, which he recently sold to staff to maintain its independent ethos.
Although Stamford hasn’t has a record shop for 15 years, Ted is a familiar face to those who want to get their hands on collectable music.
“Vinyl never really went away,” said Ted. “For enthusiasts in Stamford we have about a dozen record fairs a year and a couple of guys selling on market stalls. But it has been a bit underground.
“People like me love vinyl because the sound is so much better. It’s pure analogue, not digitised sampling.”
Among those working at Rock on Records are Mike Reeve and Dave Wetton.