Tallbird Record Shop was set up by me, Maria Harris, in 2013. Having just turned 50, I wanted a new challenge, and to get back into work after years of being a housewife and bringing up children.
I’d worked in music retail for most of my adult life (with a short detour into the cinema industry in my 30s) – Richard’s Records in Canterbury, Beggars Banquet in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Alto in Carnaby Street and as a product manager for the Virgin Megastore chain.
When we moved to Chesterfield in 2006 there were two shops selling music – HMV and Hudsons, but 6 years later both had sadly closed down leaving the town without a record shop, a lamentable state of affairs which I felt had to be put right.
I took a leap of faith in the Summer of 2013 by signing the lease on 10 Soresby Street, the ideal premises for my little shop, tucked up a cobbled side street but just round the corner from the old Hudson’s shop and a stone’s throw from the Market Square. After weeks of agonizing I finally settled on a name for the business (yes, I am a tall bird!) and sketched out an idea (see left) which my clever old graphic designer Dad turned into the shop’s logo, as seen above.
Getting the shop ready for opening
We opened on Friday 4th October 2013. The very first thing we sold was a second-hand vinyl copy of David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World”. I took this as a good omen – the people of Chesterfield obviously have great taste in music!
...Over two years later, we’re now an established and successful little independent business (still selling lots of Bowie), with a growing number of loyal customers. We’ve taken part in two successful Record Store Days, hosted a live afternoon event featuring more than a dozen local acts, released a 7” single for charity under the Tallbird record label, sold thousands of new and second-hand records and CDs, been finalists in the Chesterfield Retail Awards, and become a destination shop for many visitors to the town.
We take great pride in offering a friendly, approachable and knowledgeable service, together with a carefully chosen range of the best new releases and most sought-after second-hand titles and collectables at reasonable prices. And, if it’s not already in stock we will always do our best to find you a copy of the title you’re looking for.
I look forward to welcoming you to the shop soon, but in the meantime please enjoy exploring our new website and perusing our online Discogs shop.
