Look for the deep blue frontage on Norfolk Street, with Motown, heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll painted beneath the window and the motto “The Music Lives On” above it. That’s The Music Box, Wisbech’s long-standing home for vinyl, CDs and music memorabilia, a shop that leaves the charts to others and puts its energy into the records people have loved for decades.
Background / History
The Music Box is run by Dave Allen, a collector who knows his stock inside out and has built a loyal following across the Fens by doing things the old-fashioned way. Rather than chasing new releases, the shop has grown around second-hand and collectable music, buying in collections, sorting them by hand and helping regulars work steadily through their want lists. Vinyl has become a bigger and bigger part of the business as interest in the format has grown, and the shop sits comfortably alongside a lively local Northern Soul scene and a town with a broad mix of musical tastes.
What You’ll Find
Inside, the walls are lined floor to ceiling with CDs, while racks of LPs and 7″ singles fill the browsing space below, all divided into alphabetical sections. Rock and blues are the backbone of the stock, but the range runs well beyond them: classic rock, metal, punk, prog, indie, jazz, soul, reggae and country all have their place, together with soundtracks, compilations and box sets. The strongest focus is on music from the 1950s through to the 1990s. Alongside the records you’ll find music DVDs and memorabilia, and the shop buys CDs and vinyl as well as selling them. Dave also offers vinyl valuations, and if something isn’t on the shelves he’ll do his best to track it down for you.
Experience / Atmosphere
This is a proper rummaging shop, the kind where you lose track of time flicking through the racks and come away with something you didn’t know you were looking for. Collections arrive regularly, so the stock turns over and repeat visits pay off. Dave is friendly, knowledgeable and fair on price, and he’s always happy to talk music, whether you’re after a specific pressing or simply curious about where to start with an artist. It’s a shop with real character, run by someone who clearly cares about the music passing through his hands, and it plays a valued part in keeping record culture alive in this corner of the Fens.
Why Visit
- Deep second-hand stock of rock and blues, with plenty of soul, jazz, punk, prog and reggae besides
- A strong selection of 7″ singles alongside LPs, CDs and box sets
- Vinyl valuations and a willingness to buy your unwanted records and CDs
- A sourcing service for titles that aren’t currently in stock
- A knowledgeable owner who takes real interest in your want list
Summary
The Music Box is a shop for people who love the music of the past seventy years and enjoy the hunt as much as the find. With its distinctive blue shopfront, packed shelves and an owner who knows what’s in every rack, it’s well worth planning a stop if you’re in Wisbech. Note that the shop keeps morning and early afternoon hours and is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
