Cool Place of the Day: The Diskery, Birmingham

Every day, a new place to discover or explore in the UK, from coolplaces.co.uk

The Diskery in Birmingham

In honour of Record Store Day we thought we’d let you know about this Brummie gem, which reckons itself to be nothing less than the oldest record store in England. It’s certainly been here a while – since the early 1950s – and is something of a local legend; if you want shell out for some rare shellac, the Diskery is likely to have it.

Originally a jazz specialist, and now catering to all tastes, they stock a wide selection of records for a loyal customer base, who love its ability to stock the obscure and highly collectable. It’s not just vinyl nerds who shop here either; local rockers Robert Plant, Stevie Winwood and the occasional member of Black Sabbath have all been spotted flicking through its racks, and the shop was featured in the 1999 documentary on the demise of the high street record shop, Last Shop Standing – although now of course it’s thriving due to the resurgence of vinyl.

The store’s founder, Morris Hunting, passed away in 2012 but The Diskery still thankfully has that precious thing that you’ll never be able to download: affable, knowledgeable staff, most of whom have been here for years and know the shop and its stock inside-out. Best set aside a morning if you’re planning a visit.

Martin Dunford is Publisher of Cool Places, a new website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)