Record Store Day 2023: Music lovers flock to Bridport

Some eager vinyl hunters even began to queue from 6am outside Clocktower Records.

Record Store Day is the one day of the year independent record shops across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture.

Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion.

Thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.

Music lovers came in their droves to celebrate at Clocktower Records, on St Michael's Lane, and Clocktower Too on South Street.

Owner Roy Gregory said there were  'many smiley faces' as they opened at 9am with a selection of special records on offer.

"The thing is, we don't sell online so people have to physically come to the store - and what's great is that they do and it works," Roy said. "There's still this appetite for independent record shops and vinyl is as popular as it ever was."

Roy estimates a couple of hundred people walked through the doors on Record Store Day on Saturday. 

"People travel to Bridport to find records," he said. "Today I've spoken to people from Bath, Bristol, London. Most customers do come from outside the area and things like Record Store Day bring them to the area for the day."

The idea for Record Store Day came in 2007 as a way of celebrating and spreading the word about independently owned record stores.

The first event took place in 2008 and it has grown in popularity ever since.