Background / History
Leamington Record Store opened in October 2013, having previously traded as Kenilworth Record Store before settling into its home on Spencer Street, a short walk from the town centre. It is owned and run by Peter Hassan and Gary Freeman, who between them bring more than fifty years of experience buying and selling vinyl and running record shops across London and the Midlands. That long grounding in the trade is evident in the way the shop is stocked and organised, and it has helped the store grow into a fixture of the town’s independent scene and a reliable port of call for collectors across Warwickshire.
What You’ll Find
The shop occupies three rooms filled with thousands of secondhand records, taking in LPs, seven-inch singles and CDs across every major genre. Classic rock and progressive rock are particular strengths, though the racks reward patient digging whatever your taste, spanning soul, jazz, folk, pop, dance and plenty besides. Stock turns over steadily thanks to a busy buying counter, so the selection rarely looks the same on two visits. Prices range from sought-after collectors’ pieces down to well-filled bargain sections, making the store as welcoming to someone starting a first collection as to a seasoned buyer chasing a specific pressing. Peter and Gary also buy, sell and trade, paying cash for individual records and entire collections.
Experience / Atmosphere
Browsing here is an unhurried, hands-on affair. The three-room layout invites you to lose track of time, flicking through sleeve after sleeve with the familiar promise that the next divider might hide something you have been after for years. The owners are knowledgeable without ever being precious about it, happy to talk through a pressing, offer a recommendation or value a collection brought in over the counter. The result is a genuinely traditional record-shop feel, where conversation about music comes easily and regulars and first-time visitors are treated much the same.
Why Visit
- Three rooms of secondhand vinyl, singles and CDs, with thousands of titles to dig through.
- Real depth in classic and progressive rock alongside a broad spread of other genres.
- Owners with decades of experience who buy, sell and trade, and pay cash for collections.
- Regularly refreshed stock, so there is always something new to unearth.
- Affordable bargain sections sitting alongside rarer collectors’ finds.
- A friendly, unpretentious welcome for collectors and newcomers alike.
Summary
Leamington Record Store is the kind of independent shop that rewards a proper visit rather than a passing glance. With three rooms of ever-changing secondhand stock, genuine strength in rock and a pair of owners who plainly know their trade, it offers both the thrill of the dig and the reassurance of expert hands. Whether you are hunting a long-lost pressing, thinning out a collection or simply enjoy an afternoon lost among the racks, it remains one of the most rewarding vinyl destinations in Leamington Spa.
