Few shops in Nottingham feel as tied to the city’s record-buying history as Rob’s Records on Hurts Yard. Run by Rob Smith, the shop has been part of the local music landscape for more than four decades, with roots going back to the late 1970s and Rob taking on the lease in 1980 after earlier work in Nottingham record retail and Northern Soul circles. Before that, he had already worked at the Co-Op record bar and then at Selectadisc, which gives the place a real sense of continuity with Nottingham’s wider music history.
What makes Rob’s Records stand out is that it still feels unmistakably like an old-school independent: longstanding, personal, a little eccentric, and built around one person’s deep knowledge rather than slick presentation. Writers and customers alike have described it as a Nottingham landmark, and that feels about right. It is the sort of place that has outlasted formats, trends and more than one supposed death of vinyl.
What You’ll Find
This is, first and foremost, a second-hand shop with a huge amount of stock. Rob began with just a few crates of Northern Soul and pop oldies, but over the years the shop grew into a densely packed archive of LPs, singles and all manner of unexpected discoveries. Sources repeatedly describe the collection as running into the hundreds of thousands, and the emphasis is very much on used vinyl rather than neatly merchandised new releases.
The range appears broad rather than narrow. Soul is central to the shop’s identity, but there are also pop oldies, jazz-funk, rock, mainstream chart material and plenty of odd corners where one record sits beside something completely different. Visitors also note that Rob’s stocks CDs, cassette albums and even the occasional 8-track, which adds to the feeling that this is a proper music shop rather than a boutique vinyl showroom. Prices are often described as fair, and regular arrivals help keep repeat visits worthwhile.
Experience / Atmosphere
Browsing here sounds less like a polished retail experience and more like a real dig. The shop is often described as packed, maze-like and gloriously overstocked, with piles, boxes and rows that reward patience. Yet the important point is that the apparent disorder is only half the story: Rob is widely described as knowing his stock remarkably well, and regular advice is to ask if you are after something specific.
That balance between chaos and knowledge is really the heart of the place. Hurts Yard already has the feel of a backstreet Nottingham discovery, and Rob’s Records matches that setting perfectly. Rob himself comes across in profiles and reviews as friendly, humorous and deeply informed, with long-standing Northern Soul credentials that give the shop added authority without making it feel exclusive. It sounds welcoming to serious collectors, but also to anyone happy to spend time browsing and seeing what turns up.
Why Visit
A genuine Nottingham institution with more than forty years of local record-shop history behind it.
Deep second-hand stock, especially rewarding for crate diggers who enjoy browsing beyond the obvious.
Strong soul heritage, shaped by Rob Smith’s long involvement in Northern Soul as both dealer and DJ.
Not limited to vinyl alone: shoppers also report CDs, cassettes and other formats among the shelves and boxes.
The sort of shop where local knowledge still matters, and where asking the owner can be as useful as flicking through the racks yourself.
Summary
Rob’s Records is not a polished, minimalist destination, and that is exactly why it matters. It offers something far rarer: a long-running, characterful second-hand shop where Nottingham music history, Northern Soul culture and the simple pleasure of rummaging through piles of records all meet in one room. For anyone who values depth, personality and the chance of finding something unexpected, it remains one of the city’s most memorable record-shop visits.
