Opening date set for new vinyl shop in Northamptonshire village as former Post Office to become 'shelter' for vintage music

The shop that was once the Post Office was turned into The Vape Store some years ago, and on June 1 it will become The Vinyl Shelter, with a range of used and new vinyl LP’s, and accessories needed to maintain the retro records.

Barry Ratcliffe, who will man the shop when it opens in the summer, chose the name ‘The Vinyl Shelter’ as he’s hoping to mimic a dog shelter, taking in old records and giving them a new lease on life.

He said: “I came up with the name 10 years ago while selling records online, and it was akin to a dog shelter, I was going to take in unloved vinyl records that needed a new home finding, clean them up, and pass them on.

"Now the opportunity has come up with the premises at Earls Barton so I’m grabbing it by both horns and taking it on.

"I really don’t like CD’s, I’m very much a vinyl enthusiast.”

The shop will sport a red and while colour scheme to give of a ‘hospital-like, clinical vibe’, hoping to adhere to its theme of a rescue shelter. Renovations are ongoing to bring in stock and make changed to the shop’s exterior. While Barry admits that there is a lot of work to be done, he’s confident that a June 1 opening can be achieved.

It will stock mostly secondhand records from a range of genres, and will be accepting trade-ins, though Barry is keen to avoid classical and easy listening as ‘that’s the sort of stuff that’s in charity shops, and nobody wants it.’

Barry, who was born in Northampton, spent years selling vinyl online, and built an online presence making and selling vinyl cleaning fluid. Now, he’s hoping the brick-and-mortar store in Earls Barton will bring like-minded vinyl fans to the village from all over.

He added: “I’ve had quite a positive response from people. It’ll bring more people into Earls Barton, too. I expect it won’t have the passing foot trade, but people seek out record stores and make a day of it.

"Hopefully it will get more visitors to the village.”