About Vinyl Van
We came up with the idea of using our VW Campervan to sell vinyl at local festivals and events [and] had an amazing summer hanging out at festivals and realised that people liked what we were doing.
A shop wasn’t on the radar, we were looking for a winter pop up style set-up but then found the premises in Brewery Square, which had a deal we couldn’t resist! We opened in December 2019 and then Covid happened...but we’re still here and smiling.
A record shop in the next town (Bridport) was on the market, which planted the seed in our minds. We decided we couldn’t afford it but then came up with the idea of using our VW Campervan to sell vinyl at local festivals and events. We had an amazing summer hanging out at festivals and realised that people liked what we were doing. After a costly MOT on the van, we started doing a stall on a Friday in Dorchester’s Cornhill Market into the autumn, but vinyl, gazebos and temperamental weather aren’t always a good combination...
A shop wasn’t on the radar, we were looking for a winter pop up style set-up but then found the premises in Brewery Square, which had a deal we couldn’t resist! We opened in December 2019 and then Covid happened...but we’re still here and smiling.
Our décor is bright and cheerful - which hopefully reflects the vibe in the shop. We love what we’re doing and feel lucky to spend our days meeting people, chatting, sharing stories, listening to music, and welcoming people to spend a bit time in our world. There’s often some reggae, funk, soul, hip hop, jazz or world music on the decks and we stock an ever-increasing number of new releases, represses and preloved records.
We hold a monthly open decks night called ‘The Joy of Decks.’ We also run DJ Workshops for young people, offer volunteering and work experience opportunities, in store live music, dancing sessions (the Wednesday Wiggle) and creative workshops to bring people together. There’s a lovely community of all ages and genders that’s built up around the shop and we hope that we’ve created an inclusive, relaxed, and happy space for everyone.
The first record we sold was De La Soul Three Feet High and Rising (an original). This was one from Helen’s personal collection, which is how we stocked the shop initially using our own vinyl.
The last one was Little Simz’s new album No Thank You. She can do no wrong in our eyes. We love her, as do a lot of our customers! (We’ve sold out already!)
Marcia – it was a tiny independent record shop in Dorking (name has escaped me) and I bought The Model by Kraftwerk and Drowning in Berlin by The Mobiles. I used to bunk off school at lunchtime to browse their stock and loved hanging out there.
Helen – it was Woolworths in my local, sleepy town in Nottinghamshire. It was Freez’s IOU. My Dad wouldn’t let me buy singles as he reckoned they were a waste of money. I had to resort secret record shopping as a young teenager!
That’s a tough one! We’re lucky to have a few good record shops close by in our beautiful corner of Dorset, like Clocktower, The Beat and Track, Phil’s Vinyl Vault, Bridport Music Centre, and Boiler Room Records. We’re all very supportive of each other and have our own areas of specialism.
Marcia’s always had a soft spot for Honest Jon’s due to the music they stock and the passion and knowledge of their staff. Helen lived in Manchester in her student years and was a big fan of Piccadilly Records then later of Jumbo Records and Crash Records in Leeds.
Marcia – every time I bought something I loved in a record shop!
Helen – A secret gig by The Research in Crash Records in Leeds in 2006. I was massively into them at the time, and it was an intimate gig with chance to chat afterwards.
We’ve done it twice now and this year, we did double the amount of trade on the day. It has its challenges, in that it takes a lot of time beforehand to do the ordering and ties up our limited cashflow for a few months, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s truly felt like a celebration for us and our customers of what we’ve achieved with Vinyl Van, and it fills the shop with good vibes and happiness.
Marcia – One of numerous gigs by The Fall in the 80’s
Helen – Pulp, supporting St Etienne at Manchester Student’s Union, it’s where my love affair with Jarvis began!
Marcia – The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Helen – Pere Goriot by Honore de Balzac – It was the first book I read in French and inspired me to spend a year there after I finished school.
Marcia – Pride. It’s just got everything - music, politics, individuals making a difference, solidarity between different communities. It was evocative of the time when I was a teenager and sadly is as relevant in the context of current times as it was then.
Helen – Do I say this or not...but I have to be honest and true to what I love - The Sound of Music! When Julie Andrews gets to the top of the grassy hill and bursts into ‘The hills are alive…’ it gets me every time!
Marcia – Tom Waits - Shore Leave (na very appropriate choice) / Sly Stone - If you Want me to Stay / Nina Simone - Sugar in my Bowl
Helen – Pulp - Babies, Radiohead / High and Dry (hoping I stay that way on the Desert Island!) / Young Disciples - Apparently Nothin'
Events Coming Up
Vinyl Van will open its doors at 8am so people can browse a special collection of Record Store Day releases. Alongside various live music performances, DJ sets will be held throughout the day hosted by aspiring DJs.
The event marks one of various opportunities Vinyl Van has hosted for local young people this year, including a one-day workshop in collaboration with The Vinyl Workshop. The occasion saw six budding DJs receive one-to-one tuition to learn professional deck spinning skills.
Upcoming live music performances at Vinyl Van include a Record Store Day warm up session from local band, The Outliers at 7:30pm on Friday 21st April. Emerging abstract hip hop artist, ZANII will kick off the first live performance on the day itself at 12pm on Saturday 22nd April, followed by acoustic singer Eva Grant and her dad, Andy, at 4pm.
