Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Record shop and cafe newest high street additions
Fresh lease of life for empty store and bank
A new independent shop in the city centre is hoping to be a big hit with music lovers.
The Record Store has opened in a former sweet shop in Sun Street specialising in traditional vinyl discs which are growing increasingly popular.
The business, which already has a branch in Ashford, has thousands of albums, both new and second hand, of all genres from jazz and folk, to soul, rock, funk and house music.
Retail bosses in Canterbury say it is a welcome new addition to the city’s shopping scene.
The Canterbury BID says: “We would like to say a big warm welcome to our newest independent business, The Record Store.
“The shop offers the most amazing collection of vinyl which will please both young and older customers.
“It is a family-run business founded in 2016 by father and daughter duo, Vince and Tahlula, and is their second shop to open in Kent, with their first one opened in Ashford.”
Elliot Payne, who helps run the new shop, says the first two weeks since opening have been “very encouraging”.
“We have wanted to open in Canterbury for a while because it has such a great music scene,” he said.
“There has been a big surge in interest in vinyl records in recent years. People just love the tactile feel of an album and, of course, the artwork that goes with the covers, which can be very collectable.”
The shop buys in second-hand vinyl records and also sells posters, memorabilia and clothing.
Another new venture to open in Canterbury is The Big Drum
which has taken over the ground floor of the former Royal Bank of Scotland building in Rose Lane.
It combines a “culture cafe” with yoga and meditation sessions, massage and healing therapies, performing arts and a monthly market.
The proprietor is known as Mantra who says it is a “pioneering community space that’s re-defining the high street”.
He is also hoping to establish a permanent kitchen for the Food For All (East Kent) programme,
set up during the pandemic to provide free meals.
“We are in need of volunteers to help us establish a free meal service,” he said.
“Specifically we need volunteer delivery drivers and kitchen assistants to help re-launch and expand the meal delivery service with a view to providing a minimum of 30,000 meals a year to those in need in the local community.”
For more information, go to www.thebigdrum.org.