Walk uphill through Bailgate, carry on under the Roman stonework of Newport Arch, and a few minutes later a bright blue shopfront comes into view with green lettering across the fascia. This is Imagine Records, a specialist in original pressings at 43 Newport, where the window promises vinyl, CDs, tapes, T-shirts, posters and audio collectables, and a line underneath asks for your unwanted records.
Background / History
Paul French runs the shop, and the way it works is straightforward: buy heavily, grade honestly and keep the racks turning over. Imagine Records sits north of the arch in the quiet uphill quarter of Lincoln, a short walk from the Castle and the Cathedral rather than down among the busy shopping streets. Pre-loved vinyl is bought in throughout the year, from single boxes through to full collections, and Paul will travel a reasonable distance to look at anything substantial. That steady flow of buying is what keeps the shelves changing from one weekend to the next.
What You’ll Find
Original release vinyl is the heart of it, mostly second-hand with some new stock alongside. Records are sourced from around the world, UK, Japanese and Australian pressings among them, and condition runs from VG+ through to mint and sealed. Classic rock, punk, metal, pop, soul and reggae all get room in the racks, and the CD shelves carry plenty of harder-to-find titles that rarely surface elsewhere. Bundle deals sit near the collectable end of the stock, so there is something worth carrying home whatever you came in to spend. A clearance section gathers the cheaper finds, while a Discogs shop and the shop’s own online store handle rarities and postal orders, with collection in store available.
Experience / Atmosphere
Inside, album sleeves cover the walls above the bins, priced and ready to lift down, and the browsing is laid out in long rows so nobody has to work around anybody else. Records are cleaned before they go out and supplied in protective sleeves, and grading is treated as something to get right rather than something to talk up. Paul is easy to talk to about a want list, a valuation or a record you are not sure about, and there is none of the standing-on-ceremony that puts newcomers off. Free parking outside the door and a genuine welcome for dogs make it an easy stop, and Lincoln’s record fairs at Grafton House on Newland are part of the shop’s calendar too.
Why Visit
- Original pressings rather than reissues, with UK, Japanese and Australian copies in the racks
- Careful condition grading, records cleaned and bagged in protective sleeves
- Stock that changes constantly because so much is bought in
- Bundle deals and a clearance section alongside the collectable end
- Harder-to-find CDs as well as vinyl
- Free parking right outside, and dogs are welcome
- Collections bought, with home visits within a reasonable distance
Summary
Imagine Records rewards the sort of visit where you give yourself an hour rather than ten minutes. The stock is deep and the grading is honest, which counts for a great deal when you are buying second-hand. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, it is an easy detour if you are already up at the Cathedral end of Lincoln, and a destination in its own right if you collect original pressings.
