Out on the market cobbles, Trentside Records arrives as a full stall rather than a quiet high-street doorway: crates of vinyl under striped canvas, sleeves hung for browsing and a turntable ready when you want to hear something before you buy. Run by Northern Soul DJ and long-time market trader Jon Coupland, the stall divides its Saturdays between Hitchin Market in Hertfordshire and Newark Royal Market in Nottinghamshire on an alternating fortnightly rhythm.
Background / History
Jon Coupland has spent decades behind the decks and more than twenty years trading records around UK markets. After a long Saturday stretch at Stamford, he brought a deep stock of vinyl to Newark’s historic Market Place in 2024. Trading now continues under the Trentside Records name, with Hitchin joining Newark so collectors can catch him on either side of the A1 corridor. Wherever the stall is pitched, call Jon on 07955 132397 for the week’s location, collections for sale, or anything you are hunting.
What You’ll Find
Expect a serious market haul. LPs sit in browsing crates and hang in protective sleeves along the stall frame, while rows of 7-inch singles fill boxes with handwritten dividers for Northern Soul, Motown, reggae and more. The wider stock reaches across soul, rock, 1960s and 1970s sounds, reggae and punk, with CDs appearing alongside the vinyl. Jon’s collection has long been counted in the tens of thousands, and the stall buys record collections as well as posters and related material, so the tables keep turning over for regulars. A Technics deck on the front means you can test a single or LP in the open air before it goes in the bag.
Experience / Atmosphere
This is market-day vinyl at full volume: customers leaning into crates, album sleeves catching the light and music playing from the stall while the square carries on around you. Hitchin’s covered outdoor market and Newark’s cobbled Market Place both suit the setup, with room to dig properly from morning through mid-afternoon. Jon’s DJ background shapes the feel as much as the stock. People linger, talk through finds and treat the stall as a Saturday ritual. If you are selling as well as buying, the records-wanted boards make that invitation plain.
Why Visit
- Alternating Saturday stall at Hitchin Market and Newark Royal Market, open 8am–4pm on trading days
- Deep crates of LPs and 7-inches spanning soul, Northern Soul, Motown, reggae, rock, 60s/70s and punk
- On-stall turntable so you can listen before you buy
- Collections bought for cash, with Jon travelling widely across the UK
- Friendly, music-first market atmosphere shaped by a working Northern Soul DJ
Summary
Trentside Records is a proper outdoor digging destination for anyone who prefers market crates to polished shop floors. Catch Jon Coupland on the alternating Hitchin and Newark Saturday circuit, bring a list or simply dig, and ring 07955 132397 if you need to confirm which town square he is in that week.
