ROBS RECORD SHOP

HURTS YARD

OFF PARLIAMENT STREET

NOTTINGHAM

ROB HAS ASKED TO PASS ON THAT HIS RECORD SHOP IS CURRENTLY BEING REFURBISHED ALL THE STOCK HAS BEEN MOVED LOWER DOWN HURTS YARD AND WILL BE MOVED BACK WHEN THE SHOP HAS BEEN RE-FITTED, HE WILL BE OPEN SATURDAY 5TH FOR ONE DAY ALL BE IT IN A MAKE SHIFT SHOP, AND HOPES TO BE BACK IN, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO,

THE OWNERS OF HURTS YARD HAVE DECIDED TO UPGRADE THIS HISTORICAL AREA OF THE CITY,

ROB WILL BE OUT AND ABOUT AT SOUL VENUES WITH HIS MOBILE RECORD BAR,

ROBS NUMBER..............07906 137860 (WITH HIS PERMISSION)

I WILL PLACE ON HERE WHEN HE HAS THE OPENING DAY...............OH AND HE HAS DISCOVERED A FEW GEMS??

REGARDS MALL....

Heard Lord Lucan has been spotted wandering the streets of Nottingham a few days ago after being ousted from his hiding place Seriously there could be all sorts at the bottom of those piles

good for you Rob :thumbup:

Rob will never be able to find any records if its all nice and neat he knows where all the records are now after the refit god help him. the fun of going to Robs is the taking ones life in hand to hunt for the great hidden gems. anyway hope all goes well for Rob cant wait to have a look round after the refit you never know might find a few gems

ktf MICK JAY

The Stute Ashfordby Hill 19th March Guest dj Rob Smith plus record bar 7.30 - 1.30

Edited March 5, 201114 yr by mickjay33

Apparently there's stuff still hidden behind the stacks of boxes from 1976. .And,another room that only Rob has been into, a bit like the wardrobe in Narnia....

£1 an hour to help clear the records......i told him i'd pay more,but he wouldn't hear of it.

I was told Rob has 2 houses crammed full of records

theres a rumour theres a family of ten living upstairs - or was it Ann Frank ! there supossed to be running water up there as well !!

It's going to be some task to get all those records back in the same order after the refurbishment! I hope he doesn't get them all out of order, that filing system is the envy of the Bodleian library, it didn't just invent itself you know.

Good luck Rob. I know I'd love to have a sift through some of those hidden corners. I think KevH's point is actually true, there is a room at the back that Rob hasn't been able to get in for a long time.

Hi everyone

back in the 80s and 90s I was in Rob's every week and built my first two collections from there exclusively. By the end I was hanging around helping him for free and would often be able to find records for people when they asked. I used to love going through the racks and turning up great records. I got to know Rob reasonably well and would not only see him at the shop but around the UK at nighters and his own pub nights in Nottingham.

After a few years he gave me rull access to 'upstairs'. Even then the floor up there wasn't brilliant and you had to watch where you stepped, but it was an astonishing place. It was damp, mouldy, always cold and dark but for me it was the most special place in the world. I'd spend hours up there, quite literally on a Saturday afternoon and come downstairs squinting back in the light with armfulls of records just as he was about to close. I even got the odd cup of tea bought up. Rob would always give great deals and knock off a fair bit from the price (I was often spending £50 a week in about 1987, which for Robs meant I was almost collapsing under the weight of carrier bags full of records to get them to the bus). You can always tell a record Rob has priced with his distincive scrawl and the odd comment in blue ink. I remember phrases like 'classic club soul dancer' and 'undiscovered northern gem' that were like honey to a bee back then.

Upstairs wasn't in any order, just piles of records many feet deep. At first there were shelves but later just the ominous, ever growing piles. There were whole collections up there he had bought and never had time to go through in boxes and bags. None of the records had a price on them so there was a sacred unspoken bond of trust between Rob and those he let upstairs. I can confirm there was a tap at one end if memory serves me right.

I remember the envious looks as I ascended the stairs and the feeling of being accepted. I don't get into Nottingham much now and never into Robs (it looks a bit intimidating now even to walk through the door). I still see Rob on Hurts Yard and the surrounding area and wonder if he recognises me. I started out there when I was 14 back in 1983 and I'm 41 now. If it looks a bit more accessable I'll definitely start going in again. Here's hoping.

Thanks for bringing back these wonderful memories with this thread. Rob is one of those great people who enrich your life without trying to. He must have seen generations of soul fans grow up. Long may he continue, especially if we can get in the shop.

cheers

Mark

You're right about the upstairs Mark,a death trap. .

Downstairs is a sight to behold.Got some recent photo's...if only i knew how to get them on here....

Edited March 9, 201114 yr by KevH

Rob's shop is legendary and I would be aspiring to the same levels of organised chaos with my new shop in Sheffield if I didn't have a wife who insists on alphabetical order!!

Andy