Up until mid 2000's I used to regularly travel the 30 miles or so from Stevenage into London to spend the excess of my monthy wages.
I used to get off the Tube at Leicester Square and head straight to Steve's Sounds. The brilliant cheap section on the 2nd floor was where I first discovered a little, white CD with the word "Tipsheet" on it back in the 90's. I later found out that the person who ran the magazine didn't seem to mind if you weren't in the music biz, just so long as you paid the subscription he'd send you the CD.
I miss the weekly plop of the parcel containing the magazine wondering what goodies were inside. I still have them all, including the videos!
Anyway, I digress, it was then up to Cheapo Cheapo's (if it was market day you got the bonus of the stall outside). Then up to Berwick Street to Sister Ray, Mr CD, Reckless and Selectadisc.
Finally into Oxford Street to end with HMV and Virgin. If I had any extra time it was off to Music & Tape Exchange in Notting Hill Gate.
Last time I did this was back in 2008, I recently visited again and was sad to see most of those shops gone.
All I'm left with is one proper record shop in the town next to me, David's Music in Letchworth, that and the various charity shops dotted around, but even trying to find any worthwhile vinyl there is becoming harder and harder.
I never had had much taste so 3 rooms in my house are taken up with pointless 1 track promo CD's, all of which have been ripped to a 1.5 TB drive now containing over 112,000 tracks (backed up regularly, I now run an IT company so see what happens when you don't do this and lose all your valuable photo's, music etc!)
Ah well, there is still Piratebay for my rare/unreleased music...
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