Few record shops in Britain can trace their story back to before rock and roll reached these shores, but The Diskery on Birmingham’s Bristol Street has been turning music lovers into regulars since 1952. Widely recognised as the oldest record shop in England, it remains a working, breathing part of the city’s musical fabric rather than a museum piece, with crates to dig through, records spinning on the deck and a kettle that never seems to go cold.
Background and History
The Diskery was opened in 1952 by Morris Hunting, a committed jazz enthusiast who stocked the shop with the music he loved and used his American contacts to import rare 78s that were almost impossible to find in the Midlands. As Birmingham’s tastes shifted, so did the shelves: rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, ska and reggae all found a home here, and during the 1960s the shop became a magnet for mods chasing import 45s that never received a UK release. Hunting ran the business for around six decades and earned the affectionate nickname Mr Vinyl before his death in 2012. The shop moved from its long-standing Bromsgrove Street premises to its current home at 92 Bristol Street, and today it continues under owner Lee Dearn alongside a knowledgeable team that includes some genuinely long-serving staff. Over the years its counter has been crossed by names such as Robert Plant, Steve Winwood, members of Black Sabbath, ELO and many more drawn from Birmingham’s remarkable musical lineage.
What You’ll Find
This is first and foremost a second-hand vinyl shop, and the stock runs deep. Rock forms the largest section, but the racks spread generously across jazz, blues, soul, funk, reggae, ska, punk and pop, with everything from collectable first pressings to affordable bargain-bin finds. Crate-diggers prize the shop for its first pressings, including sought-after early Black Sabbath records, and there is a steady supply of rare 78s and 7-inch singles for those willing to search. Beyond the LPs you will also come across CDs, cassettes, music books, magazines, memorabilia and an assortment of curios that have accumulated over seven decades of trading.
Experience and Atmosphere
Browsing The Diskery feels like stepping into a proper old-school record shop, complete with bare brick walls, a sprawling hand-made collage of music ephemera and timber floors worn smooth by years of footfall. The welcome is famously warm, and many first-time visitors are offered a cup of tea or coffee while they flick through the racks. Staff are happy to talk music, share recommendations and let you hear a record before you commit, and the easy banter across the counter is as much a part of the appeal as the stock itself. Time has a habit of disappearing here, which is exactly why people keep coming back. The shop’s standing was recognised when the BBC named it among the five most treasured record shops in the country.
Why Visit
- England’s oldest record shop, trading continuously since 1952.
- An enormous, ever-changing stock of second-hand vinyl spanning every major genre.
- A reputation for rare first pressings, 78s and hard-to-find singles.
- Genuinely friendly, knowledgeable staff and a famous cup of tea on arrival.
- A regular Record Store Day participant with live music and DJ sessions.
- A true Birmingham institution with seven decades of musical heritage.
Summary
Whether you are a serious collector hunting an elusive first pressing or simply curious to lose an afternoon among thousands of records, The Diskery rewards the visit. Its combination of deep stock, real expertise, character-filled surroundings and unhurried hospitality makes it far more than a place to buy music. It is a living piece of Birmingham’s cultural history, and one of the most characterful record shops anywhere in the country.
