Growing up in a reasonably sized village, well served by greengrocers and butchers but lacking record shops, meant an excursion into the market town nearby if I wanted to feed my burgeoning vinyl habit. Back in the Eighties the sleepy borough of Fareham was well served with vinyl peddlers; both Woolies and WHSmiths had racks of chart music and, though compact, the local branch of Our Price still managed to cram its shelves with enough delights to empty my wallet.
However it was the dark yet welcoming confines of Venus Records, the only independent record shop in town, where most of my allowance was spent; one of my earliest record buying memories is of foraging through its 99p 12" singles rack, trying to find a gem amongst the generic, fuelled by whatever new music Mike Read et al had debuted on that week's Saturday Superstore.
Despite my weekly purchases, which increased considerably once I'd left school and secured regular employment of sorts (does YTS count?), times became hard for record shops. Eventually the shutters came down on Venus, though the faces behind its counter were soon enough serving me in newcomer MVC (which would would also falter, rebrand as Music Zone, before disappearing).
American chain Sam Goody made a fleeting appearance, well-stocked but expensive it soon closed, its place in the shopping centre soon taken by an opticians. Our Price battled on before it too threw in the towel, leaving only Woolworths and WHSmiths as the town's go-to record shops. Woolies famously folded, taking its supply chain with it, and that (as they say) was that; good luck buying anything that wasn't charting.
After some years with no record shop to speak of, with only the appearance of a pop-up HMV store at Christmastime, flogging DVD boxsets and novelty items to the harried and indiscriminate shopper, I had voted with my wallet and moved on to buying online or sampling the wares in Portsmouth's larger music emporia. With vinyl's resurgence however independent stores began to reappear on high streets across the land; Southsea's Pie & Vinyl led the way locally, then came Elephant Records in Winchester and, most recently, Heathen Chemistry in Fareham.
This labour of love, with its framed Oasis posters and OSB racking, has been open for a couple of years now and has easily become a focal point for the town's vinylheads. Selling both new and pre-loved records and CDs it boasts, as many record shops do, a friendly atmosphere; I popped in a few months after opening, intending only to check the place out, and ended up spending a good half an hour or so talking to its affable owner about all things round and shiny.
Building upon its place in the local vinyl scene Heathen Chemistry has now branched into organising record fairs; following the success of its first event last November the shop has announced its next fair for Saturday 16th March, at a venue just a short stroll from the shop itself.
If you're interested in hosting a table to sell your wares then contact the shop, if you're more of a buyer than a seller you can rock up at Harmony Hall (yes, like the current Vampire Weekend single) and add to your ever-growing collection of musical platters; doors open at 1030 and the trading continues until 1600.
Since opening in Gosport last year second-hand record shop A Slice of Vinyl has quickly and quietly established itself as the biggest little record shop in town. Located on the first floor above Katie's Vinyl Bar & Kitchen, on the pedestrianised High Street, the tiny shop offers a wide and constantly updating selection of new and old vinyl.
Building on this reputation A Slice of Vinyl, also organisers of the Gosport Record Fair, have joined forces with another of Gosport's finest, producers of real ales and craft lagers, Fallen Acorn, to combine their shared love of vinyl and good ale by hosting a record fair at the brewery.
The fun starts at 11am this coming Saturday, 2nd February, with ample opportunity to both procure that album you've been looking for (and sample some of Fallen Acorn's excellent beers) until the shutters roll down at 5pm.
I must confess that, as much as I enjoy a good tune by itself, a good tune enjoyed with a refreshing alcoholic beverage is always a welcoming prospect (however I have found that a surfeit of ale can impact on the already small amount of restraint I have when it comes to buying shiny records).
Entrance to the event is FREE however an optional entry fee of 50p-£1 can be paid at the door; all monies collected in this manner will be donated to Tonic - Music for Mental Health, a Portsmouth-based charity that both raises awareness and challenges the stigma associated with mental illness, via music and art based events.
And yes, there's a raffle too.
They may not have hosted their first event of the new year quite yet but Fareham-based promoters Nod Ya Head are already planning something big for the Summer; an afternoon and evening of live music in the picturesque hamlet just north of the market town.
The sleepy village of Wallington is situated just a short stroll from the centre of Fareham and boasts a couple of pubs and a charming water-meadow where the Summer fête is usually held. However, on Sunday 7th July, the field will be alive with an afternoon and evening of live music.
Amongst the first acts announced as playing at Nod Ya Head's Summer Party are Brighton three-piece Mantras who are joined on the bill by Elephant Radio, an pop-rock outfit from Eastbourne. Also named in the initial line-up are Fareham pub-punk trio Lo-Fi Rebels, some catchy indie guitar pop courtesy of Portsmouth's The Deckards and a set from talented youngster Harrison Etherington (who, despite his tender age, has already played Victorious Festival (twice).
In addition to the music there promises to be a bar and a small record fair, all hosted with the music in a sizeable marquee. The organisers are also promising a hog roast, which is nice if that's your bag but I'll be
keeping my fingers crossed for a vegetarian alternative.
Early Bird tickets are now available online via Book Events, priced at £10 (for 18+) and £5 (13-17 years), with under 13s getting in FREE.
UPDATE:
24/03 Unfortunately it appears Mantras are no longer part of the line-up however, as per the updated poster below, the bill has been bolstered by the addition of Portsmouth singer-songwriter Jamin, Bournemouth indie folk outfit Hello Hawaii and Gosport indie-blues trio Hooli. With yet more acts still to be announced this is shaping up to be a rather great way to spend a sunny Saturday in July.
This Saturday, 10th November, Southsea's Wine Vaults hosts Old Guard 18/19, a musical fundraiser for charity No More Durty Water. Fifty DJs will descend on the venerable Albert Road pub, spinning thirteen hours of music across three sounds systems, raising money to aid the charity's efforts to end water poverty.
Since its inception in 2010 No More Durty Water has, through parties, gigs and raffles, fully funded the building of 10 protected springs in southern Uganda. The charity was founded by local DJ Monkey P who, inspired by the fundraising activities of music students at South Downs College, realised that he could involve Southsea's musical and artistic community to raise both money and awareness. Sadly Monkey P died in 2015, the work of the charity he created continues however.
In addition to the DJs spinning out tunes there will be a raffle, with over thirty prizes supplied by local businesses, a record fair and a sale of Monkey P's record collection (some of which was sold at The Wedgewood Rooms back in May). The poster, below, riffs on the classic Mexico '86 World Cup logo (which reminded me that, back when I was a small boy, I had a model of Pique that I assembled out of a Kinder Egg).
The music starts this Saturday, from midday.
