I opened Vintage & Vinyl in 2014 in Folkestone, Kent when I wanted have more time to listen to great music and be able to “stare into space” now and again, rather than into an office computer screen.
The shop brings together 2 of my great passions; as a teenager I worked in Virgin Records in Durham to earn some cash to spend on records, and I spent my 20's in the wine regions of France, enjoying some of the best wines Europe has to offer.
So the “Vintage” part of Vintage & Vinyl relates to the amazing Kentish and Sussex wines we sell alongside the records – rather than any vintage wares you may imagine!
Folkestone had no record shop in 2014, with HMV gone and the old Hummingbird Records long closed. The Creative Quarter was the ideal position for the shop – a pretty cobbled street leading down to the beautiful harbour, sandy and stony beaches and open-air artworks you’ll find scattered around sunny Folkestone.
The shop is small, but the stock (and the will to supply great music) is large! I stock indie / alternative, rock, electronic, Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Soundtracks, Psych, Metal, Folk and anything else that I like or think you might like.
I started off with used records in 2014, but now our stock is about 75% new vinyl – although we still have a fantastic selection of deep cleaned used vinyl.
I also sell the award winning Pro-Ject turntables and audio equipment. They are beautiful to look at and have an excellent audiophile sound. We enjoy playing the funky RPM1 in the shop.
I (Alison) run the shop on my own with a bit of help from Kevin who builds racks and clean the used records when he has time.
We have built up a great following from around Kent and further afield. Our customers are really the lifeblood of the business, who are always incredibly supportive.
We re-opened on the 25th June after having been closed for 3 months due the Covid-19 virus, and we are welcoming customers one at a time with ample hand sanitiser and 2m distancing.
SHOP
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