I did! Think I was referring to a dream I had? The Manchester store, like never went away. They just had to chuck me out briefly while they changed hands otherwise I might have been counted with the stock and assets.

If you don't live near a store then book a holiday and spend all your free time in Fopp. Wonder if they do postcards?

...but geography's not their strong point, looking at that map...

if I could get hired as a Manchester city centre record shop tour guide? There cannot be many streets in the UK that has TWO HMV shops? Market Street does, with Fopp situated nicely in the middle. Tourists a speciality. Old fogey tales thrown in.

"I once bumped into Martin Barre near HMV when I were a lad..."

The news was well-covered at the time on the web.

It is pretty much just the HMV bin-end store - no real heart to it anymore. I've been a loyal customer down the years, from the first store up at the top of Union St, followed the expansion, then the disaster of their over-reach.

It is slightly better than HMV, but nowhere near as great as it was in its pomp.

Errm, I don't think they ever really went - just swiftly changed hands courtesy of HMV in July 2007 and soldiered on albeit with far fewer stores (mostly the non-"Music Zone" ones).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6923511.stm

I visit the Nottingham one once or twice a year and still love it. Someone will no doubt tell me it's changed for the worse since HMV took over but I don't get out much so am easily pleased!

is just fine, nice store. Can't really comment about stock, as it seems pretty much the same as it used to be, perhaps a touch more mainstream, prices similar as they used to be. Get over there every couple of months.

Going to manchester later to see Magazine, so i'm sure i'll have to pay a visit to the Manchester store

Glasgow used to be magic - just a few years ago, in and around Argyll St/ Union St, you had Tower Records, two branches of Missing - a great second hand/independent store, Fopp, two HMVs and Virgin, all within a five-minute walk. Plus a pretty wide stock in Borders. Never been in Monorail, but must visit next time. Avalanche is still always worth a visit. Happy memories, although the £50/60 or so I could almost guarantee spending every pay day is now negated by risk-free listening at Spotify!

There ain't nothing no more in Brum and surrounds, give or take a couple of HMVs (his masters eyes and thumbs?)and the incredible shrinking record department of Borders. OK, there are oddities like Swordfish, Tempest and Polar Bear, but less and less likely to produce the goods, at least to my taste. I would welcome a Fopp: there was a shortlived one in Solihull. However Birmingham seems to be where record shops come to die.

for a city that big, the range of record shops is very poor. Wasn't impressed at all with Swordfish, never been the other two.

As for Vinyl Exchange in Manchester, i'm sure i'll be popping in, is it the one near to picaddilly records? If so I seem to remember it just has card sleeves in the racks, great for fitting more stock out, but I seem to remember there was just so much stuff in no particular order that i got fed up looking through

that webpage has been up and running for quite a few months now and the online store has not emerged. Not sure if it is ever going to happen. Wish it would really miss the Sheffield branch - not just for the CDs, there were some great book offers

The real thing - Fopp, with the original guys who used to run the chain, has now started up again in Chiswick, west London. It's called Dada and has exactly the same mix of product, offers and quirky stock that made Fopp so great. What is still branded 'Fopp' is HMV's pale imitation.

Not all wall to wall bargains. Before Christmas I was in the London store and Laura Veirs', Year of Meteors was £16 - ouch!

The Brighton Fopp opened about 12 months before the chain went under. A real shame as I got a few bargains in there over those few short months.
Ape in Duke Street in a current favourite with many bargain CDs to be had at £5 (Bat For Lashes, Ry Cooder - I Flathead) I just wonder how they manage to make any money.

Used to have two. Now, there are none. There are even Fopp signs still standing inside the empty, locked store, taunting me.

Renfield St shop has a fabulous Sun Box Set : 8 CDs, booklet, and an Elvis single on vinyl for £10.

http://tinyurl.com/sunbox has the tracklisting.

Just come back from a business trip to NY and for the 3rd or 4th time I visited Princeton Record Exchange - it can rightly use the emporium tag because that is exactly what it is. Fantastic selection of second hand and up to the minute new releases and a real experience. Waterloo records in Austin and Rebel Records in NYC are equally as impressive and it seems we (the UK) have embraced globalisation which is a USA philosophy much more than they ever have. It is not just Record stores - virtually every high street in the country has the same bloody shops - it drives me mental and if I was 20 years younger and without family I would up sticks and leave. This great country is being ruined by greedy, heartless bastards and we all sit back and let it happen.